At the young age of 41-years-old, I survived a heart attack. This is my journey, through the ups and downs. So join me in dancing in my red dress! I dedicate my blog to women in educating them about heart disease through my journey. Together, we can save our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, cousins, nieces, daughters, and girlfriends.
Thanks for reading my blog!
xoxo,
KcJules
Survivor
The Holidays! It's suppose to be the most wonderful time of the year, right. So why does it seem like it's the most stressful time of the year. Once Thanksgiving arrives, the next 4 weeks until Christmas are the busiest time of the year. I absolutely love my family, but the added stress of so many celebrations is always hard. Once we are with family, it's wonderful and magical! But the travel, the buying presents, the loading up the van is always so overwhelming. Can you relate?
Little did I know that my life would change forever.
During the month of December, I was experiencing difficulties breathing. Yes, I have allergies that will trigger my asthma and I'm pretty much allergic to the outside. That year, Kansas City had warm days leading up to the holidays. So, I just thought my asthma wasn't under control until we had a long winter freeze. So I went to the allergy clinic 3 times to get breathing treatment. I also made 2 other phone calls to let them know I wasn't getting better and I was constantly using my rescue inhalers.
I thought I was allergic to the beautiful Frasier Fir Christmas tree. Two days before Christmas, my husband decided to get rid of the live tree and go out shopping for an artificial tree. We celebrated Christmas and had a wonderful day celebrating with family. Then, 4 days later (December 29, 2010), I was really having a hard time breathing. I was trying to clean my house after the holiday and doing laundry. I remember going up and down the stairs and getting very short winded from climbing the stairs from the basement to my bedroom. The holidays were over and yet I was still stressed. What was going on!!! I went up to my bedroom to rest and I remember thinking, I just can't catch my breath. I guess I needed to have someone take me to the ER to get a breathing treatment since the allergy clinic was closed. I called my sister, who is a nurse and she immediately came over. I also told my mother, it felt like an elephant was on my chest. The weight of my boob seemed very heavy. Red Flag alert! What did I just say!
So, my sister and my husband take me to the ER to get a "breathing treatment" while my mother stayed home to watch my 3-year-old son. I was given a breathing treatment and felt so much better. But once the ER doctor found out that my father died at the age of 44 from an aneurism and I had a softball injury that resulted in a blood clot in my leg (after I didn't move my leg for a week), I was kindly admitted for an overnight stay in a hospital room. Finally, I'll get some R&R that I so desperately needed. Oh wait, they wake you up how many times to take vitals! Aaugh!
In the morning in walks a young, female cardiologist that tells me, she thinks it's all pulmonary, but she just wanted to run some test to rule out any heart issues. Okay, I'll humor her. So I was taken down for a chest x-ray. Everything seemed to be okay. Then came the stress test. So I hopped on the treadmill where there was a team hooking me up to electrodes, watching the monitor, and taking data. I began walking and trying to get into shape since August 2010, so walking on a treadmill was going to be a piece of cake. WRONG! I was struggling right away and they continued to incline the treadmill. I was getting out of breath and thinking when are they going to stop this machine. It seemed like forever that they had me on treadmill. Then, I watched one of the guys make eye contact with the nurse. Perhaps, I was in denial, but I knew something was up. Then I was taken for a echocardiogram. In walks the cardiologist that tells me, it doesn't look like it's pulmonary. She wanted an angiogram to see if any coronary arteries were narrowed or blocked. As I was waiting for the surgeon, I remember, laughing and talking to my husband, sister and all the nurses. Then, I was taken into the cold surgery room, where music was playing loud.
When I woke up, I was freezing. Everything was blurry because I didn't have my glasses on and up walks the surgeon that told me I had 95% of an artery blocked and they had to place a stent. At some point, I must have been told that they saw minor damage to my heart which indicated I had a heart attack some time in December. What! I'm only 41 years old! As I was trying to process the information, I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience. What was I just told??? Then I begin to think of my 3-year-old son and wondering if his mommy would still be alive to watch him grow up. As tears began to fall down and I began to cry, my blood pressure must have dropped because over walks someone to ask me if I'm okay and then he realizes that I am just trying to process the information. They put something in my IV and then in walks my mother, sister, husband, and brother to comfort me. I guess this is really happening to me.
I was taken to ICU where a guy nurse that rode a harley gave me so much spiritual advice while holding pressure on my leg. I believe that people are put into your life for a reason. Perhaps, he knew I was scared. Somehow, this motorcycle dude that became a nurse calmed me down. At that point, I knew I was going to be okay if I followed the rules of diet and exercise. I celebrated New Years Eve in the hospital and brought in the New Year with a new attitude. I'm a 41-year-old heart attack SURVIVOR! Life is good!
Guess I Wasn't Allergic To The Christmas Tree After all
December 29, 2010The Holidays! It's suppose to be the most wonderful time of the year, right. So why does it seem like it's the most stressful time of the year. Once Thanksgiving arrives, the next 4 weeks until Christmas are the busiest time of the year. I absolutely love my family, but the added stress of so many celebrations is always hard. Once we are with family, it's wonderful and magical! But the travel, the buying presents, the loading up the van is always so overwhelming. Can you relate?
Little did I know that my life would change forever.
During the month of December, I was experiencing difficulties breathing. Yes, I have allergies that will trigger my asthma and I'm pretty much allergic to the outside. That year, Kansas City had warm days leading up to the holidays. So, I just thought my asthma wasn't under control until we had a long winter freeze. So I went to the allergy clinic 3 times to get breathing treatment. I also made 2 other phone calls to let them know I wasn't getting better and I was constantly using my rescue inhalers.
I thought I was allergic to the beautiful Frasier Fir Christmas tree. Two days before Christmas, my husband decided to get rid of the live tree and go out shopping for an artificial tree. We celebrated Christmas and had a wonderful day celebrating with family. Then, 4 days later (December 29, 2010), I was really having a hard time breathing. I was trying to clean my house after the holiday and doing laundry. I remember going up and down the stairs and getting very short winded from climbing the stairs from the basement to my bedroom. The holidays were over and yet I was still stressed. What was going on!!! I went up to my bedroom to rest and I remember thinking, I just can't catch my breath. I guess I needed to have someone take me to the ER to get a breathing treatment since the allergy clinic was closed. I called my sister, who is a nurse and she immediately came over. I also told my mother, it felt like an elephant was on my chest. The weight of my boob seemed very heavy. Red Flag alert! What did I just say!
So, my sister and my husband take me to the ER to get a "breathing treatment" while my mother stayed home to watch my 3-year-old son. I was given a breathing treatment and felt so much better. But once the ER doctor found out that my father died at the age of 44 from an aneurism and I had a softball injury that resulted in a blood clot in my leg (after I didn't move my leg for a week), I was kindly admitted for an overnight stay in a hospital room. Finally, I'll get some R&R that I so desperately needed. Oh wait, they wake you up how many times to take vitals! Aaugh!
In the morning in walks a young, female cardiologist that tells me, she thinks it's all pulmonary, but she just wanted to run some test to rule out any heart issues. Okay, I'll humor her. So I was taken down for a chest x-ray. Everything seemed to be okay. Then came the stress test. So I hopped on the treadmill where there was a team hooking me up to electrodes, watching the monitor, and taking data. I began walking and trying to get into shape since August 2010, so walking on a treadmill was going to be a piece of cake. WRONG! I was struggling right away and they continued to incline the treadmill. I was getting out of breath and thinking when are they going to stop this machine. It seemed like forever that they had me on treadmill. Then, I watched one of the guys make eye contact with the nurse. Perhaps, I was in denial, but I knew something was up. Then I was taken for a echocardiogram. In walks the cardiologist that tells me, it doesn't look like it's pulmonary. She wanted an angiogram to see if any coronary arteries were narrowed or blocked. As I was waiting for the surgeon, I remember, laughing and talking to my husband, sister and all the nurses. Then, I was taken into the cold surgery room, where music was playing loud.
When I woke up, I was freezing. Everything was blurry because I didn't have my glasses on and up walks the surgeon that told me I had 95% of an artery blocked and they had to place a stent. At some point, I must have been told that they saw minor damage to my heart which indicated I had a heart attack some time in December. What! I'm only 41 years old! As I was trying to process the information, I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience. What was I just told??? Then I begin to think of my 3-year-old son and wondering if his mommy would still be alive to watch him grow up. As tears began to fall down and I began to cry, my blood pressure must have dropped because over walks someone to ask me if I'm okay and then he realizes that I am just trying to process the information. They put something in my IV and then in walks my mother, sister, husband, and brother to comfort me. I guess this is really happening to me.
I was taken to ICU where a guy nurse that rode a harley gave me so much spiritual advice while holding pressure on my leg. I believe that people are put into your life for a reason. Perhaps, he knew I was scared. Somehow, this motorcycle dude that became a nurse calmed me down. At that point, I knew I was going to be okay if I followed the rules of diet and exercise. I celebrated New Years Eve in the hospital and brought in the New Year with a new attitude. I'm a 41-year-old heart attack SURVIVOR! Life is good!
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