I was 20 years old when I experienced heart failure due to severe dilated cardiomyopathy.
One week I felt okay for the most part; the next, I had all the symptoms shortness of breath, swelling in my legs, extreme bloating in my stomach, fatigue, and loss of appetite.
I knew right then and there that something was very wrong. Unfortunately, my symptoms were overlooked by multiple doctors, and it took a while to get proper help. By the time I got to the hospital, my heart was failing rapidly and was very enlarged.
I was diagnosed with severe dilated cardiomyopathy, right ventricular impairment, and severe pulmonary hypertension. My heart had a 12% ejection fraction (heart efficiency rate). I was then transferred to Vancouver General Hospital, where they placed left and right heart catheters to measure pressure, function, and circulation. By then, things weren’t looking good, and I was handed over to the heart failure team at St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH) for mechanical circulatory support.
I was diagnosed with cardiogenic shock (a life-threatening condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs) when I arrived at SPH and was started on mechanical therapy and circulatory support right away. I had an Impella pump device inserted (a minimally invasive, catheter-based device used to support the pumping function of the heart, particularly the left ventricle.) Sixteen days later, I had a right ventricular device (RVAD) inserted as well. I was also placed on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine to help my lungs and heart function a bit more.
Despite being on all three machines, both of my lungs ultimately failed along with my kidneys and liver.
The heart transplant team was contacted, and they immediately began searching for a donor heart for me.
Things started to go downhill quickly. My blood began clotting the machines, and they could no longer circulate or function properly.
That’s when one of my cardiologists came in and sat on the edge of my bed, telling me that I had less than 24 hours left to live and if a donor heart didn’t come in soon, I wouldn’t make it; by then I was extremely exhausted, and was ready to let go. Eight hours later, on July 30th, 2022, a donor heart arrived and it was the perfect fit and blood type. I said my goodbyes because I honestly wasn’t sure I was going to make it through the surgery, since I was already in such bad shape.
They rushed me into surgery right away, and my surgeon successfully transplanted a new heart for me. I somehow made it through one of the riskiest surgeries despite the state I was in beforehand.
The recovery process was extremely hard, since my body had been through so much. My other organs slowly started to recover, and I began physiotherapy to regain my weight and strength. I was down to about 60 lbs having lost half of my body weight during my time in the hospital. I was skin and bones, with absolutely zero muscle. At the beginning, I couldn’t stand or walk at all, so I had a lot of work to do.
After weeks of physio, I was finally able to stand on my own. I passed the stairs test as well and was discharged from SPH, staying nearby in Vancouver for four months just in case anything else happened. Thankfully, I had my therapy dog and my family with me throughout my entire time in the hospital. My bulldog quickly became a fan favourite in the cardiac department, and now it’s a must that I bring her with me every time I go for check-ups.
I’m beyond grateful that I survived and have the chance to share my story. I hope it can help others who are in the same situation I was.
