May 15, 2019
One morning I got up and started getting ready for work. I knew something was off because I felt dizzy and had horrible chest pains. Next thing I remember is passing out in the shower. After a short time I told my husband that I wanted to go to the hospital. I remember test after test. I was there 16 hours before they admitted me. Fast forward to the next evening. They come in and tell me they do not have the tools or doctor to diagnose me. So I get a nifty ambulance ride to a hospital in Atlanta. Oh my. More tests. Then a RHC (right heart catheterization). I was so scared. All of the waiting and tests. It felt like a hundred years. I honestly did not know what to expect.
Two more days go by. The Doctor came in and gave me the news. I had PAH (Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension). I clutched my husbands hand so hard as the doctor explained the disease. He told me if I hadn't come in for this I would have been dead by 35.
This was overwhelming. I had just gotten married. I was not ready to die. After a bout with severe depression, I was not about to just give up. I started meds and have a game plan. My in laws gave me a pulse oximeter so I could keep track. Its so important for me to keep track, if I do not it can mean dire consequences even death.
I am grateful for my life every single day. I have had to adjust every aspect of my life. For everyone reading, I would like to say never take life for granted; and live every day like it is your last. You never know just how much you take breathing for granted, until you can’t.
