My story...

In 2023 I was starting the IVF journey for my husband and I to begin our family. In the IVF process, it is required to have an updated physical on file. I thought no big deal - I got those all the time when I used to do sports. I scheduled the appointment with a nurse and was excited to check off that box to continue our journey. During the physical, the nurse heard my "funky heart murmur" that I had since high school and required me to get a cardiac clearance to proceed in the IVF process. She indicated that since I had known about it since high school and that it was considered "minor" (in the words of my old pediatrician), it should be easy to get the clearance and proceed.

Luckily I found a local cardiologist that would be able to get me in for an exam and echocardiogram fairly quickly and hopefully have the clearance done in a timely manner. Unfortunately, the day after the echo I went for the follow-up/clearance signing and did not receive a signature that day. Instead, I received the diagnosis of having what is called Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) which is a congenital heart defect often caught in pediatrics and would need an open heart surgery to repair the hole based on the size and location. This condition is essentially a hole between the two sides of the heart. I remember the cadiologist saying had I gotten pregnant previously, it would be unlikely that I would have survived pregnancy. I was absolutely terrified.

The next few months were a blur of terror. I met with multiple cardiothoracic surgeons because how do you pick which one's the best?! Where is Christina Yang when you need her? There was one that I met who indicated that I was to be considered lucky because while normally this condition is caught in children; if it's caught as an adult, it's usually because the person suffered a medical emergency (heart attack, stroke, or worse). The fact that I "stumbled" across mine was what made me lucky. 

I found the perfect surgeon/team and had my open heart surgey in August 2023. I now live a completely normal life. I ended up going through the IVF process and had the most beautiful baby girl. I've been lucky enough to share my story and experience with multiple other people going through somewhat similar situations and feel like I've been able to at least help put some of their nerves to rest.

Sharing the importance of heart health doesn't seem to be a priority until it becomes YOUR priority.

Extraordinary starts with YOU. Help me reach my goal today!