Diagnosed With Heart Failure at 32

My mom forced me to go to the hospital for about a month when I started having swelling in my feet, legs, and my stomach. Walking up and down the stairs felt like I had run a marathon, and I was nauseous and extremely fatigued.

My hospital stay

I got to the hospital, and they started running a ton of tests and taking blood work. I fell asleep in the room and was woken up by the doctor telling me that they found something in my blood work and that I had to get transferred to a nearby hospital for further testing. The doctor told me they had called my parents and let them know.

I was so confused. I had my parents, my sister, and even my son calling me, everyone crying and upset, and I had no idea what was going on. When arriving at the hospital, I was in a holding room the whole night. I was finally put in my actual room on the cardiac floor.

I was admitted for a week. They did an echo and a heart catheter during my stay, where I found out that my heart was pumping at 15 percent. I went through so many stages of emotions, and I still don't think I have processed this fully months later.

Adjusting to my new life

I'm on several medications, and I have another echo scheduled soon to see if the meds are helping or not. I have my good days and my bad days, but I still try to stay positive and hopeful. I still have so much more to experience, and my son, who is only 13, needs me. I hope my story helps others who are going through the same thing at such a young age. :)