November Rain

November started off with a bit of rain. I decided to come down with strep throat the first week of November. Within 24 hours of getting this knife swallowing soar throat, I was so darn sick. My hand started swelling, and before I knew it I was in the ER with a serum blood infection and cellulitas caused by this lovely strep. Thank goodness I listened to my dear family members and went to the ER one Friday evening. The doctors said if I would have waited ten more hours I would have lost my hands and leg-and who knows what else. They put me on IV's full of steroids and antibiotics. I just knew the two good doctors helping me were placed there at Littleton Hospital that night for a great reason. About a week later I began to get really breathless and lightheaded. I became very weak and quite fatigue. After going to my primary care doctor's office, the PA ran all kinds of tests on me. She started by taking 5 huge venous tubes of blood, and other fun samples (not worth mentioning). I then had an EKG and was sent to the hospital for an echo and a bubble study on my heart. After this excitement, I was sent for a CT scan of my chest. The PA would not let me leave any testing area until she gave me the okay to go to the next test. Finally, after 6 hours of exhaustion, she finally gave me the go ahead to go home and rest. AWAY I FLEW!!

A few days later I was told that my white cell count was still high and that there were some findings on my echo that definitely go hand in hand with myocarditis. It was found that I have mild systolic dysfunction and right ventricular dilation. In other words, I am in mild heart failure. I was a bit taken back from this news. My first thought was, "They made a mistake." My second thought was, "I'm only 32!" My third thought was, "I am so blessed to be experiencing life, it will all work out."