Personal Stories

JESSICA BEST

When I was 3 days old, my parents noticed I turned blue when I cried. They soon found out why: I had Tetralogy of Fallot, a four-part heart defect. Among other problems, it meant I had a hole in my heart that let blood flow between my heart's pumping chambers.

In August 1991, at 8 months old, I had open-heart surgery. After 8 1/2 hours of surgery, while on the elevator going to pediatric ICU, my heart rate and blood pressure bottomed out. I was rushed back to the operating room and opened back up for three more hours. Four days after surgery, while the doctor was removing a wire measuring pressure inside my heart, my blood did not clot. Blood surrounded my heart, which stopped beating. I was rushed back to the operating room for three more hours.

My pulmonary valve was removed during my first surgery because it didn't work. Doctors wanted to wait as long as they could to put a valve in because it would only last five to 10 years. But I was unusually tired, so on June 1, 1999, doctors put in a homograft pulmonary valve from a cadaver.

I felt great soon after surgery. I had energy and I could keep up with the other kids. In fact, I felt better than I ever had—I felt normal. But now, eight years later, I'm finding myself more exhausted. I know I'll have to have surgery again soon. Researchers are studying how to replace heart valves through catheterization. My doctor says I'm a perfect candidate for the new surgery, so I hope the procedure is available in the United States within the next year.

My heart condition has made me the person that I am. It has humbled me and I love life. I don't want to take any time or anyone for granted. I love using the talents God has blessed me with—like playing the guitar and singing—to glorify Him and hopefully to bless others. Because of my experiences, I have chosen to help people through the field of nursing. I don't let what's happened to me get me down. And I never will. I want to use my experiences to inspire and encourage others.

NENETTE MADLA

I'm not your typical candidate for a heart attack, but I survived one on April 5, 2004, at age 32. While working at a hospital, I felt dizzy and nauseated. I thought I might be getting sick. I walked out of my office to deliver files when suddenly I felt an excruciating pain in the center of my chest that radiated to my neck.

"Am I having a heart attack?" I asked myself. My heart began to race as I tried to remain calm and desperately walk to the elevators. I could barely move as the pain became more severe with each step. I felt lightheaded, and the beads of sweat formed on my forehead and palms. I could see hospital employees walking by, but I couldn't respond—it was like I was in the Twilight Zone.

Finally, a co-worker came to my side and got me to the Urgent Care Center where I was immediately given nitroglycerin. I had an EKG and lab work done; however, to my surprise, the results were not consistent with a heart attack.

During a visit with a cardiologist the next day, I found out there was a blockage to my heart. So I underwent cardiac catheterization to place stents in my left anterior descending artery, which had a blockage and ruptured plaque. During surgery, my artery tore, requiring three stents to keep it open.

I will never be cured of heart disease; however, I can control its progression. For the rest of my life, I will be on medications and have regular follow-up visits with my cardiologist. Daily exercise and a healthy diet are paramount. I must admit, these major changes in my life were difficult at first. But I want to grow old with my husband and watch my daughter get married and have children of her own.

I share my story to encourage women to take charge of their own health and emphasize the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

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