From Acid Reflux to Cardio Myopathy

It all began Wednesday, January 3, 2007. Eating wrecklessly for years and a diagnosed diabetic.

Garlic, caffeine, fatty foods, little exercise. My first stomach attack was mild after eating 3 cloves of garlic for lunch on toast.

Another attack the next day after drinking coffee, but had troule breathing, too. And then, Friday, a ride in the ambulance to the emergency room with some pressure in my chest! God showed me signs that He was with me. My ER room was 57; the phone extension was "3"57, and a single magazine in the rack had big numbers on the cover of "4"57. 2 friends came, church came to pray and the numbers were interpreted. God is with me. It's my Jubilee Year (1957 and Leviticus 25:10)! There's gonna be a "Family Reunion". My doctor was Dr Gabriel....

They kept me; I stablized for 16 hours, and sent me home Saturday. No sugar, no caffeine. I asked God to forgive me. I rededicated my life to Him according to Romans 12:1.

My doctor was Shifra Tyberg. She had temple til sundown Saturday. I didn't see her until 8 pm Saturday night. I was upset because of the delay. But a friend said that God had something else for me to do while I was in the hospital. An incredible thing happened...

This Orthodox Jewish doctor stopped in the midst of her diagnosis and said, "This is off the subject but...does He speak to you audibly or do you see words?" I said, "Sometimes He speaks and other times He shows me signs." She said, "Interesting." I had 3 witnesses to this - my husband, Bob and my friends Valerie who is a consumer attorney and Melissa who just got out of Grant Hospital in Columbus, Ohio (which is where I was) 2 months ago because of an auto accident.

I woke up at 7 a.m. to ready for church, Sunday, January 7th. Took 1 bite of Cheerios and BOOM! Another attack and a ride in the ambulance to the emergency room where I met Dr Donald Wood. He took care of Bob when he had his Acid Reflux episodes in 2005. I was admitted. They started me on liquid Nexium. Dr Amsterdam, the cardiologist, ordered a full-blown stress test, CAT scan of the chest, and my doctor, Dr Stack, ordered an ultrasound on the gall bladder, Monday, January 8th. Everything looked clean. Went through the stress test with flying colors. I found out I could RUN! I was released again and began my regiment of Nexium, daily. The doctor ordered an echo cardiogram as an outpatient test and a Resting MuGA test on January 15th.

On the way to all these tests, the Lord spoke to me and gave me an unction to go online, when I got home and see what positions were available at Grant Hospital. I've been waiting on the Lord to show me employment, again, since retiring in 2002 at the age of 45, as I am compelled to fulfill Deuteronomy 8:18.

Thursday evening, January 11th, we were eating our venison pot roast and as a friend was praying for me over the phone, I began to have pain in my stomach, so I called the doctor and he prescribed another medication called Reglan and an additional dose of Nexium.

I got through that night, but the next evening that Friday, I got sick and we drove to ER and I ended up in the emergency room at 1 a.m. Saturday. They gave me a gastronal CAT scan and it came out clean. So the doctor recommended taking half of the new prescription with the double dose of Nexium. We discussed the events and it may have appeared to be an overdose of the new prescription. When I got home that morning, I had some breakfast and rested and took a half tablet and that was the last of Reglan. I hated it.

Sunday, I stepped out and called my niece who I haven't spoken to since 1999. She claimed Bob and I were too religious. So we chatted. This is part of Leviticus 25:10 and James 2:20. She's looking forward to having dinner here, soon and I can meet her son, Layne.

My diet changed drastically. I added Apple Cidar Vinegar "tea", twice a day on occassion and stablized once again. I was counting calories. I was eating correct portions out of the American Diabetic Association's food groups. Since September 2006, I've lost 28 pounds - 8 during the holidays and 20 through these past 3 weeks, and I've been eating 3 times a day and sometimes snacks inbetween meals.

Monday, January 15th, I took a test at the cardiologist's called an echocardiogram. Monday night, I had an attack. I had trouble breathing, pressure in my chest and a slight pain in my stomach. I called the doctor. EMS came and I stablized at home. Dr Tyberg was on call. When she called back, I told her I chose to stay home and she said to me, "Is life worth living?" I immediately answered, "YES!" and she said, "Get to the hospital. You need at least 6-12 hours observation because of the pressure in your chest." So everything started coming back and we called the ambulance once again and they squirted me with Nitro.

Our prayer was that God would lead the medical staff to what the problem was. I was back in Room 57! Full circle. The ER doctor, Dr. Donald Wood, was adamant about finding out what this problem was. He had seen me before in the ER. He found results of the echocardiogram, as all the doctors are tied into Grant Hospital. He saw some readings, but not all the results were in. They admitted me for the 3rd time in 2 weeks. My doctor, Dr Stack, was on the ball, too. They put on a Nitro patch.

Tuesday, Dr Perrill, Dr Amsterdam's partner in cardiology, did a catheterization. The results came back. There were no blockages, no heart disease and no heart damage. He ordered another echocardiogram and found that my heart muscle was weak. They called it cardiomyopathy. They started me on 2 medications and kept me for observation. I was released Thursday, January 18th and already had a doctor's appt scheduled for the next day, which was timely and necessary.

So, the doctor and I went through everything. Take it easy, take the meds, Nitro if the chest pressure or pain comes back.

Yesterday, I had a Resting MuGA test. It measures the blood flowing out of the heart muscle. February 22nd is an endoscopy to see if there are any liasions on my esophagus, stomach lining or an ulcer. And March 3rd is my 6 week check-up with Dr Stack. He will be working on the cardio therapy I'm to have. This morning, I had blood work done. My cancer-screenings are past due so I need those done. I have some dental work needing completed that happened before all this took place.

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