Smurf Veins

Since I had my heart attack and news that I was born with a deformity in my heart. I have done research on why that cardiologist gave me so little time to live. 

Here is what I've come up with, besides he is an idiot that thinks he knows everything.

I have tiny little veins and arteries in my heart originally he said they were totally ecluded. That was a reason for me to be on so many blood thinners before. If my arteries are ecluded and there is nothing that can be done, ie: stint, angioplasty etc. short of a heart transplant then my arteries needed to stay cleaned out. There is no known term for the deformity that I have so I have named them "Smurf Veins".  

So, fast forward to 2011 and I get a new cardiologist because my 2nd cardiologist retired. My new cardiologist is AMAZING! He reminds me of myself. Always on a mission and tons of energy even if sometimes my energy is on the inside. I have given him the same name that my sweet Fuzzyface, Joel has given me and that is Tigger as in Winnie the Poo's bud. So, Tigger did a 2nd heart cath. At the time of the heart cath my heart did beautiful tricks for him while he was watching. It did a thing called "Vasal spasaming" This is kind of like a cramp. The only problem is my Smurf veins don't have room to cramp up. When they cramp they close up. That is why I have Nitro with me always and have to take it almost always. A good thing came out of that 2nd heart cath in that Dr Tigger says my arteries are totally clear. Not ecluded! So that gives me time. Time to keep them clear.

This 2nd diagnosis was like the first in that I have "Smurf Veins", there is nothing short of medication and a heart transplant to help them. The good news is by exercising and  eating healthy, I can help my "Smurf Veins" to last longer. 

All of this is great news but the truth of the matter is that I spend so much time in the hospital that I have honestly lost track of the times. When I take my 3rd nitro I'm supposed to be calling 911 to come and get me. I have pushed the envelope a lot by taking 7 or 8 nitro just to get to stay out of the ER. I usually am put into the hospital for a night or two of a lovely nitro drip IV cocktail. 

I believe that my original cardiologist said I don't have much time to live because doing my own research on my issue I've come across medical things saying that if you have these vaso spasming and your arteries are ecluded your time left breathing is about 5 years max. The worse your eclusion the shorter your time. Seeing my arteries are so tiny he figured I'm a gonner soon. I used to be really mad at this Doctor but now I love him again and feel that he just made a mistake in his wording. I am sure that I'm wrong and I don't want to offend anyone but being Annie, my thought is that because he is not from this country he speaks with little emotion and severely. I took all that as him being an ass. 

So, "Smurf Veins" are not normally found until after the person is dead. I've read about athletes who drop dead on the court or recently a tiny little almost 5 year old girl was having fainting spells and they did studies on her and found that she has "Smurf Veins". They didn't give her much time to live so much so that the "Make a Wish Foundation" made her a playhouse castle and brought her Cinderella style to see if for the first time ever all decked out in a fancy dress and glass slippers. She wanted to be a princess before she dies. I think most of us girls want to be a princess before we die at some point. Whatever that may look like to you. 

Growing up I recall playing HARD. I mean like a boy hard. I was so competitive and would challenge anyone to a race especially in the pool. There were times when I was still and quiet (not many) but during those times I could feel my chest burn so much. It would hurt and squeeze the air out of me. I remember sitting on my Grandma's lap and crying and her rocking me and singing to me in Spanish and reading the Lord's prayer with me. I found out that my heart has tried to grow extra arteries and veins. On the outside of my heart there are little arteries and veins reaching towards the damaged part. Trying their hardest to give my body what it needed.

Our bodies are amazing and God had created such an amazing working machine. Sometimes we have to make hard decisions for that machine. For me it is usually do I go to the hospital or not. I know that sounds stupid but I hate the attention, the needles, the nitro and morphine that give me such bad headaches the next day. I hate being a bother to my family as the worry and pray and wonder if I'll make it this time. I hate to bother the nurses with requests for water or to get up to go to the bathroom because they won't allow me to go alone when the nitro is going due to blood pressure being too low. I hate the tests, X-rays, stress tests, cat scan machine. The nasty nuclear medication that goes into your veins so they can see what is going on in your heart that makes you feel like you peed your pants. In all those things I hate, I love that God shows me I'm not in control... HE IS! I love that I have time to listen to what is going on around me, to hear the needs of other patients and to pray for them. Pray for their healing and for their salvation if they don't know Jesus. I love that one way or another..... I get to go home. Either in my bed with the love of my life, Joel Walker or to my Savior for eternity.