It was slightly more than a year ago when, Lauren Mahoney received a second chance at life.

She was diagnosed in 1999 with heart disease: a cardiomyopathy, heart muscle disease in layman s terms and is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium (i.e., the actual heart muscle), bringing about dangerous arrhythmias.

When this happens, the heart beat may be too fast or too slow and it may be regular or irregular.

For ten years she lived with a deteriorating heart struggling with sleeping, walking and even eating.

In May of 2008, Lauren was referred to the Massachusetts Brigham and Women s Hospital where her condition was evaluated and they advised her that she qualified to join the heart transplant list. However, she wasn t immediately ready to add her name to that list.

She spent the summer trying to live a normal life, but found every day was a struggle. Eventually in her own time, she came to the conclusion that this was no way to live her life and she put her name down on the transplant list.

In February 2009, she wasn t feeling at all well and went back to the hospital and so began a stay of 3 months in hospital, waiting for a new heart. May 21, her cardiologist walked into her room and said: How about a new heart? Apparently with no drama; he said just that!. Well, Lauren knew this was it, and by then, was so ready for it.

She received her new heart at 2 a.m. on May 22, 2009.

The operation was a success. Recovering was tough at first, but as each day passed life became easier thanks to the great support she received from all those around her. Two weeks later, Lauren was discharged and able to return home somewhat worried at going back into the outside world saying goodbye to the continual hospital monitoring and constant care.

Now, Lauren is living healthy life of a 27-year-old, walking three miles a day, bike riding, going out with friends; simply living in a way that she previously could only dream about. She had forgotten what it was like to feel healthy and now she has the chance to do so again.

Through the AHA, Lauren participates fund raising in honor of her donor. Whoever the person is, he or she will always be a part of her. Lauren has also been walking to raise money for Brigham and Women s Hospital to thank them for the support that they gave her. The Shapiro Center does wonderful work and it is Lauren s desire to help other people finding themselves in the position of having heart disease.

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Jim McLean: Erik Compton Phenomenon

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Heart transplant recipient leads PGA event

White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. — Erik Compton, twice the recipient of a new heart, shot the lowest round of his PGA Tour career Thursday to share …  

Cheney may not opt for heart transplant

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Technorati Tags: AHA, arrhythmias, cardiologist, cardiomyopathy, dangerous, deteriorating, disease, heart, list, transplant

Two years ago, I had a stroke. Fortunately, it was a mild one and I have completely recovered. I was lucky. but it was a sign from Above for me to modify my lifestyle and keep another stroke from happening to me. Here’s my story.

I’m 64 years old, 5’5" tall, weigh 190 pounds and have been treated for hypertension, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. I’m a heart attack (or worse, a stroke) waiting to happen. I’ve been seeing a cardiologist for 20 years, and through increasingly better medications have got the high blood pressure and cholesterol under control. The Type-2 Diabetes is still a work in progress, but I’m still battling the diabetes, as it’s mostly a function of being overweight. My doctor says if I lost 30 pounds, the diabetes would most likely disappear. I already did that once and it did dissipate, but I gained the weight back. So the battle continues.

My Stroke

Now for the stroke. I had been taking my medication and my cholesterol was pretty good. For those of you don’t know exactly what causes a stroke, it’s caused by blockage in an artery that deprives the brain of oxygen. In most cases, as was the case with me, a small piece of placque broke off in my artery and was blocking some of the blood from getting to my brain.

I had been going through a very stressful  period with my business–a start up company that I was trying to raise money for, but was using my own personal funds and borrowing on the equity in my house. My partner, a former friend, controlled the company and made all the final decisions. Problem was that he was incompetent and was ruining any chance we had to succeed.I had corporate credit cards that I was paying off on my own because the company had no money. I couldn’t make the  payments on the corparate cards and the collection agencies were calling to collect their money. My partner had no money and refused to take responsibility for them, and since I had co-signed for them, I was on the hook. Needless to say, I was extremely angry and would totally lose it when a collection agency called and tried to collect their money.

I had an extremely heated exchange with one of the collection agencies one evening, slammed the phone down and went to bed. Sleeping was difficult but I finally dozed off. I woke up about five in the morning to go to the head and when I got out of bed, my legs felt very heavy–unusually so. But I managed to trudge off in the direction of the bathroom and everything was ok. I came back and went back to sleep for another hour and then got up for good. My feet, especially my right one, still seemed sluggish. I just figured I was still half asleep and didn’t think anything was wrong. I made coffeee, read the paper, then went downstairs to my office.

I’m not a very good typist, but I was having more difficulty than usual with my typing. So I stopped and went upstairs. As I was climbing the stairs, I tripped. My right foot hadn’t cleared the stair. Now I was starting to thinks something was wrong. But I continued up the stairs, had a light breakfast, then returned to my basement office. I typed a few emails, then returned upstairs a second time. I tripped again. Same thing happened. My right foot failed to clear the stair. So then I started to think that something was wrong, but I dismisssed it as I felt all right.

I had to take the dog for his walk. He did his duty in a neighbor’s yard. The yard had an incline in it where he had gone,and as I was squartting down to bag it, I lost my balance and fell on my side. And for several seconds I struggled to get up. But I finally did. Now I was worried. I felt absolutely no pain, but was obviously having a problem with my balance. So I called my doctor and he said I better come in right away. I drove to his office about ten minutes from my house, and he did an examination, tested my reflexes, heard my story, and told me to go to the hospital because he thought I had a stroke. He offered to drive me there, but I insisted I could drive myself, which I did, It was also about ten minutes away.

I checked into the emergency room, which was crowded. My doctor had called them and told them why I was coming in. I waited onlty about five minutes and was ushered back into one of the examination rooms. I took some tests, and the doctors there all thought I had had a stoke, which the tests later confirmed. They kept me in the hospital for more tests and examinations and treatments for several days.

It turns out my stroke was a mild one. One level above a TIA, which by definition is a stroke whose symptoms last for only 24 hours. Mine lasted longer, but mostly disippated after 72 hours. I basically had weakness in my right extremeties. The doctors would come to see me every three hours to check my vital signs, and they would tell me to squeeze their hand using my right hand to test my strength. They’d also test the strength of my right leg by asking me to push it against their hands and thighs. The most noticeable symptom I had was a lack of balance on my right side.  Walking across the room toe-to-heel was a challenge. But I got better each day and was discharged after 72 hours.

I had all sorts of expensive tests (fortunately I have a good health care plan)–MRI, sonar imaging, and others I can’t even remember. They concluded I had blockage in my carotid arteries (which my father also had–a heriditary factor), and I had a sonar imaging test on each carotid. The technician puts a sonar device on your neck and it creates an image on a screen of what your artery looks like, including any obstructions from placque build up. I had 35% blockage in one and 55% in the other, which was the artery where the blockage had caused my stroke.

The doctors said surgery was a possibility but it was premature. If the blockage had been 75% or greater, surgery would have been necessary. They advised me to modify my diet, get back on a regular exercise program, take an aspirin daily (it thins the blood), and check in with my doctor in three months. If anything developed, I was supposed to get back in touch with the neurological team at Evanston Hospital, where I live. They also said what might have triggered the stroke was my high-stress exchange on the phone with the collection agency. I got me so pumped up that my blood pressure probably dislodged a speck of the placque in my carotid artery.

So that’s my story. I was lucky. I knew I was in a high risk cardiovascular category and was more aware than perhaps the average person might be of potential problems like stroke or a heart attack. If you’re still reading this, I hope this has helped you understand what a stroke can feel like. There’s one VERY IMPORTANT thing you should remember. The sooner you get to a doctor if you think you’re having a stroke, the better your odds of  surviving one if in fact you are having a stroke. Don’t delay or ignore the fact that something is happeneing to your body. It’s better to be safe than sorry! Take it from me!

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Most people do not know the five warning signs of a stroke herve leger dress and what to do if they suspect one — especially those most likely to suffer one, according to new research. Older people and those who’ve already had a stroke …  

Knowing the Signs of Strokes Saves Lives | JFK Medical Center

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Good for You! » Reminder: Know The Signs of Stroke

The death of beloved Golden Girls actress Rue McClanahan at the age of 76 due to what was deemed a “massive stroke” reminds us of how important it is to recognize the signs of this dangerous cerebral event. With a stroke, every second …  

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(at 6:00 pm Jane passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. … 

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More Than Quarter of Stroke Patients Reach ER Within ‘Golden Hour 

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Technorati Tags: artery, aspirin, blockage, cardiologist, carotid, Cholesterol, Diabetes, factors, high, hypertension, placque, risk, signs, Stroke, Symptoms

I always thought that I was invincible. I was in control of my life. Then something really bizarre happened. Some nut job working for the state decided that my retail business license was invalid because the phone number on my application no longer worked.  If you want to feel depressed, anxious, and stressed out just try and convince a beauracrat that they made a mistake.  When they pulled my business license over this and threatened to throw 20 years of hard work out the window, I had a panic attack.

I couldn’t believe the symtpoms. I thought I was having a heart attack. My chest was pounding , my ears were throbbing, I thought I was going to die.  I actually went to my friend who was a Cardiologist and he gave me a Treadmill Stress test.  Halfway through the test he stopped it and told me I had to go to the Hospital. He said I am either having a heart attack or it’s nothing, but the only way to tell is to have an Angiogram which involved surgery.

So I don’t have to tell you I was scared. I didn’t know whether to call  my kids and say good-bye or what. Luckily, I found out it was an anxiety attack. A simple moment when panic attacks your own body. I got a pat on the head and some medicine and was sent home to deal with it.

As a result I have lived with this affliction for a several years and along the way have found some effective ways to deal with it without relying on drugs.  If you would like to see the three best ways to overcome a panic attack visit my website.

As a pharmacist I have seen the effects of anti-anxiety drugs on too many people. Although I talk a little about the various drugs used in Treatment of anxiety attacks, the focus is on using natural healing processes to overcome your panic disorder.

Please Visit stop panic today

Published by Heart Wellness Store

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