On the night of December 15, 2007 this condition became a pain filled reality for this writer. I had been fighting flu systems for most of the week, ( had pacemaker implantation surgery 3 years earlier ) and just thought I was having a harder than usual time of fighting it off.
As the evening progressed, it became more and more difficult to breath, and managed to call the local Rescue Squad in my area for assistance. Earlier on I was able to sit cross-legged, with my elbows on my knees, and was at least able to draw in short breaths of air. By the time the Squad arrived at my home, even that short effort was no longer working very well.
I owe a great deal of thanks to the crew of the Claysville Fire and Rescue Squad for all they did for me, in spite of my crying, fighting and begging them to stop. It just hurt so much lying down and fighting for air.
Even with all my protests, they DID NOT GIVE UP. ! By the time we arrived at the hospital, I just wanted everything to be over with so I could at least breath a little better. There was still quite a ways to go yet though.
By this time , in the Emergency room at Washington Hospital , the doctors continued the treatment started by the paramedics. Pneumonia had set in and my lungs were filling with fluids my body was not getting rid of. A catheter was inserted to drain these fluids away , so further treatment could continue.
I was kept on Oxygen to help the breathing, put on a diuretic to help reduce the fluids building up building up in my lungs, and monitored for other problems that might be occurring within my heart.
After the x-rays, the blood work, the Electro-Cardiogram and other tests were completed, it was decided to additional catheterization to see if this would relieve the stress on the heart.
During this procedure, it was detemined that the stents I already had in my heart were clogged, and (now this is the part that really has me amazed) the heart had blocked those areas and had “opened a new “channel” for the blood flow”! That sounded like something an Amoeba would do, and I had no idea that the heart, just one part of the body, could do something like that!
The Doctors came in to visit me after this surgery, and explained how weakened my heart actually was, how the heart valves had been weakened and mentioned that there was the possibility my pace- maker could be “upgraded” with a third lead that would be responsible making sure they were properly opening and closing in the right order. All this took place over an 8 day period. I was released for a few days, and went back in for the “upgrade” on an “overnight” basis.
I’m back home now, but there’s still a long road yet to go. Things will have to change again, and I must learn that there’s a lot I can no longer do. This is where you have to be vigilant in things you normally don’t even think twice about.
Your daily habits, and procedures must now be arranged around your physical “Capabilities” NOT your Abilities”! Something that will take time to get accustomed to.It may seem like an impossible task, but it can be done, like learning to walk, take it one step at a time and one day at a time. Just because you may be diagnosed with “Congestive Heart Failure”, doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy a healthy, Productive Life! You just have to take it a little different than you were used to.
Steven G. Reid
