Troubleshooting

Along with my congenital heart defect, I have also been oh so fortunate to have several other health issues. I have always thought they were not at all related to my heart, however now that I have been able to connect with other CHD people and their families, I am realizing that there may be a connection to it all. I have two brothers, both heart healthy, and neither of them have any of these issues, which makes me think even more that it all goes back to my heart. Or maybe I’m just some sort of magnet for illness/chronic issues. Either way, here is my wonderful list of ailments:

-          Migraine Headaches. I have been getting migraines for as long as I can remember. The first one I remember getting was when I was in Kindergarten. Now, for those of you who have been lucky enough to avoid these bastards, let me explain what I experience: First, extreme blurriness in one or both of my eyes. This lasts about 30 minutes, and sometimes is worse than the actual headache.  It is also the beginning of the nausea. Next, the pain starts. Sometimes the headache is worse than others, but for the most part it feels like I’m being stabbed in the forehead. Once the headache is underway, I have no choice but to sleep it off, only getting out of bed to vomit (sorry, but it’s true. Happens pretty much every time). There are medications out there for migraines, but because I have a heart condition, it was never ideal for me to take them. I probably couldn’t keep them down anyways. My dad gets bad migraines, too, so I always figured I got them from him. Maybe I did, but I have heard of others with CHD recently who get them as well. 

-          Altitude Sickness. This has actually gotten a lot better as I’ve gotten older. The first time I went skiing with my family I was in 6^th grade. As we waited in the ski rental line at Bear Valley I began to feel light headed and weak. Not knowing what was happening, I didn’t think much of it until I was suddenly on the ground, with my mom, brother and bunch of other people scrambling to get some help. Everything turned out OK, I was told that I just need to rest and allow my body to adjust to the altitude, and it was important that I make sure to keep food in my stomach. Since then I’ve been OK in the altitude, but I never did become a super active ski or snowboard enthusiast. I have been to Tahoe and Reno in recent years (even while pregnant), and all has been great. J  

-          General Fainting Spells. I have also had a couple of incidents where I either did faint, or came very close to it. It would happen when I was sick, or if I hadn’t eaten much that day, and it was ultimately determined that the blood pressure medicine I had been on was actually making my blood pressure suddenly drop and I would pass out. My doctor took my off of heart medications when I was in high school, and I haven’t been on any since. And no more fainting spells!  

-          Pericarditis. This is an inflammation of the lining of the heart. I’ve gotten this three times in my life, when I was 18, 19 and 21. This starts off as a dull pain in my chest, but then starts hurting more and more. It feels like my whole chest, neck and back are very tight, and the pain is worse when I lay down or inhale. The first two times this happened I went the ER, where of course they did every test in the book. In the end I was given pain medication and anti-inflammatory meds, and all was cleared up by the next day. The third time, because I knew exactly what was happening, I took some ibuprofen right away and it worked like a charm.

-     Anxiety. Looking back, I'm pretty sure I've had anxiety all my life, but I didn't figure it out/get diagnosed until I was 24. I now take Zoloft everyday, and have Ativan for those times I need extra help, and the medication has made a world of difference. This is another thing that seems to run in my family, although i suppose it could be argued that it is related to my CHD as well (being in and out of the hospital so young and all that).

I guess that's not too much, especially compared to some people who I know have far more to deal with, and on a daily basis. I'm not really sure if this post is actually going to help anyone, or if I just wanted an excuse to complain about my issues. Either way, I'm glad to share. :)