A friend wrote me a comment today and she mentioned that I must take care of my heart. Hmmm..how did she know I have heart problems? I don’t recall saying anything about it..except..hmm..I know we did talk about heart beat, but not mine LOL! Anyway, then I realized that I’ve never shared publicly about my health before. I think close friends who visit my blog ought to know about this.
Many years ago when I was born, I was born 3months premature together with a twin sister. Unfortunately, she did not make it to her first day out of the womb. With twins fighting for nutricient in mom’s body, I was very tiny, too tiny that my dad can carry me in his palms. (He has big palms) Doctors immediately noticed that my organs were not fully developed and put me in the incubator for 2 months as there were complications as my heart was not fully developed. After 2 months, when I was allowed to stay in the baby ward, doctors noticed another symptom. I turn blue easily especially when I start to cry. Turns out, one of my heart valves was abnormally narrow, restricting blood flow and oxygen to the heart. There’s nothing they can do as it was too risky for an open heart surgery on a prematurely born baby.
So I had to live with severe asthma for 5 years. Inhaler and oxygen mask were my best friends. I did not attend kindergarten at all because my parents fear that I might collapse and run the risk of heart failure. I never knew what it was like to run around freely and play with friends. At one point, I even thought the hospital was my home as I stayed there more than my own home. Finally, doctors found a solution to cure me. Procedure is to incert a micro balloon into my heart and blow the valve up wide enough for blood and oxygen to pass through and at the same time carefully not to trigger a heart attack. Sounds simple eh? Not when they have to incert the micro balloon through the blood vessel at the ‘V’ of my tighs all the way up to my heart.
(Googled the procedure and found that it’s not a recommended treatment…but that was the best the docs have in the 80’s medical advancement)
I did not understand what was goin on (I was only 5 that time), but I knew the doctors are going to “fix” me and I was going to be able to live like a normal kid. So got prepped up, remembered that dad and mom hugged me then I lay down on the trolley bed..then…blackness..
I wasn’t sure what happened, but I woke up in the middle of the surgery..it was a horrifying experience with a great round light shining right at me and people..masked people in green surrounding me. Naturally I cried for mom and dad..then..blackness again.
I remembered having this very vivid dream of being alone in a pitch dark room with no doors…but there were many holes shaped like a crusifix and lights shining through on one side of the wall. Despite the darkness…I felt safe and protected.
When I wokeup, I was already lying on my bed in the hospital with mom sleeping next to me. Tried to get up then I felt sharp pain shooting from my thighs through my chest to my head. Doctors came in and checked on me..then I blacked out again. Mom never told me how long I was unconcious, all I know was I kept drifting in and out of conciousness.
Finally, I came to. Feeling really sore in my chest and thighs but I was happy cos mom bought me my tiny toy pony. (sigh..simplest things always makes a kid happy and contented). Check up routines are always a nightmare for me cos it always involve some kind of pain (needles, cleaning my wound..the likes). The happiest moment was when mom took me for an ice cream treat just 3 days after the surgery (it was good for relieving pain apparently), wheeled me to the shopping mall next to the hospital with me still dress in the dreadful hospital gown with the IV dangling above my head and I had the largest ice cream I’ve ever seen!
After some time, I was allowed to go back home for recovery, yay! Haha not as pleasant as I thought. I couldn’t walk for weeks and was in pain most of the time. Slowly, I began to feel better…way better than I’ve ever had in that 5 years of my life!
After recovery, I attended probably half a year of kindergarten before entering primary school, played with friends but I wasn’t allow to run around too much though. Seven years after the surgery and taking cocktails of medicine, doctors gave me the best news! They told me I don’t have travel to them for check ups anymore because my heart has healed completely and no more medicine!
From that moment onwards, as if I was freed from prison, jumped into things where teenagers would do, go to school, sports, extra activities, going out with friends and most importantly, I don’t have to bring my meds with me anymore
It’s been 12 years since I last took medication, my heart grew stronger each day and I’m feeling great now. But there’s still some rules I have to follow. Any open wound or dentistry work I have, I need antibiotics. Lots of it. It’s to protect my heart. I don’t mind that. I mean, given a second chance to live a normal life…antibiotics is not a problem.