Living

Yesterday was my 4 month heartiversary. I honestly can't believe that 4 months ago I received my new heart and a chance to live. When I was told that my heart was failing and I would need a heart transplant it felt like my whole world was ending and everything stopped. I was discharged from the hospital with a central line in my chest and IV medication called Milrinone that infused into me 24/7. This medication was intended to assist my heart by increasing the strength of the heart beat but by doing this it can also cause a deadly arrhythmia known as ventricular tachycardia. I also struggled with extreme fatigue and shortness of breath with any activity. Every night when I went to bed I would worry that I might not wake up and every morning when I woke up I worried that it might be my last day. I did my best to stay positive and I did a fantastic job hiding how scared I was. I think it's from years of being a nurse, you learn to stay calm and composed during critical situations. As a nurse, you just don't want to scare your patient. I did not want to frighten my family and friends so I remained confident and assured on the exterior but I was terrified on the inside. I even reached out to a few friends that I hadn't seen in a long while because they were important to me and I felt that if they were going through something like this I would want to know. I also did not want to die without seeing them or at least speaking to them again. I am so thankful that I did. I am so grateful to be alive and to be surrounded by so many supportive and caring people. Your encouragement is what has helped me through this journey and keeps me pushing forward.

I am so appreciative to have been chosen to be the recipient of the Lobster Fest fundraiser hosted by Skips outdoor accents. It is held every year at the Big E! I would like to thank everyone for their support!!

Each 💔 Beat Matters

KellyAnn