I make history everyday, How? By
breathing. I was born with a congenital heart defect.
I was born on February 20, 1974 in Shreveport, La. and that was truly the beginning of my journey. My parents knew there was something not quite right because I was born a "blue baby" but they were not prepared for what they were going to be told hours after my birth.
On February 23, 1974 I was flown by charter airplane to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Tx. and to the doctors who would literally save my life.
Upon arrival to Texas Children's I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Tricuspid Atresia and underwent a cardiac catherization which resulted in the doctors performing a Potts' Shunt operation on me at 3 days of age. At 9 months of age I returned to Texas Children's Hospital and underwent the procedure Blalock-Hanlon atrial septectomy. In June of 1984 I underwent a third operation known as a Fontan. There are many different types of Fontan procedures that have been done since the early 70's and the one done on me was still considered experimental. In June 1990 I underwent an endovascular stent placement in my left pulmonary artery stenosis and in the fontan anastomosis between the right atrium and the main pulmonary artery. These stents were examine by cardiac catherization in 1992 and found to be performing satisfactory.
In February 2000 I was admitted to a local ER here in my home town with extreme arrhythmia as well as difficulty breathing. After some diagnosis I was put on a beta blocker and sent home. By April of 2000 I could not walk more than 3 minutes on the treadmil during an annual stress test and my doctors became extremely concerned. I had a cardiac catherization in June of 2000 and it confirmed my fears. It was time for surgery again. In January of 2001 I underwent an cardiac catherization where the misfiring electrical impulses in my heart were corrected by burning the scar tissue causing them and on March 7, 2001 I underwent a Lateral Tunnel Fontan., more cardiac ablation and the implantation of a external pacemaker.Although my pacemaker is currently not turned on my doctors believe it will become necessary sometime in the near future. Like everything else that has been thrown my way I will be ready when that day does come.
Although the things that have happened in my life seem daunting I want people to understand that my life has been just as rich and just as whole with CHD as it would have been had I been born another healthy baby. I have fallen in love, married, and done my best to fulfill all of the other dreams my parents had for me when I was born. |
