Dear chronically ill friend,
I had something totally different to talk to you about today but I decided this letter was a bit more important!
I received some good news last week about my heart. The results of my MUGA test from U of M Medical show that my ejection fraction is now 66%, which is in the normal range, and I’m so very thankful!
BUT – (doesn’t most of our medical news come with at least one “but?”) I’m still having all the other symptoms. I’m really confused by this since I thought my problem was the ejection fraction.
Friday night I started to feel pretty lousy and my heart started doing all the things.
Then Saturday I ended up in our local ER for a few hours. (Again, doesn’t most of our medical news come with another doctor appointment or ER visit?)
The last time I was at the ER they ran an EKG and brought in a TUMS to help my chest pain after clearly being told of my heart history, meds, U of M team, etc. And if your wondering, I refused the TUMS.
This time I was asked if I had watched a scary movie or been anxious about anything and was sent on my way. I even had a copy of the events of last month’s 30-day heart monitor to show them what my heart does, but they didn’t seem interested.
So why am I telling you all of this?
Because I left the hospital and said I was done. I said I was going to stop seeing my cardiologist, quit going to the ER when my heart goes wonky, and stop trying to find out what is going on under my rib cage. I was fed up!
But that’s not the answer! And if you’re going through similar struggles I want to reach for your hand and tell you, “We can’t give up!”
I hear from so many how they went through year’s worth of doctor appointments, tests, med changes, and doctor changes before they could nail down the illness wreaking havoc on their bodies. A lot of you, like me, are still in that process. WE CAN’T QUIT!!
Pursuing the enemy of our body is a tiring battle to fight. Frustration over waiting for answers can be overwhelming. I get it. I’m there with you. The setbacks and contradicting results can be defeating. But if we get up the next day and keep working, keep fighting, keep going to our knees asking God to give the doctors wisdom and desire to find out what’s going on, we’ll be one step closer to our answer.
For now, I know my ejection fraction wasn’t my only problem, I know there seems to be something wrong with my heart’s electrical system, and I know I won’t be going to my local ER again unless I’ve cut myself cooking dinner and need a few stitches. I’m in contact with my cardiac team at U of M and we’ll figure out the next step we need to take.
Could you do me a favor?
Could you email me telling me how long you waited for your diagnosis, and, if you’re still waiting for a diagnosis, how long you’ve been working to find out what’s causing your current problems. Sharing our stories of frustration can be such an encouragement to someone else who feels like they want to throw in the towel when it comes to the search for their answers. Let’s be an encouragement to one another today!
Gentle hugs,
