Welcome to our new diarist!

Welcome to Christy Hix, new diarist at PHCentral.

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Where to start?

Hello Everyone!!  I have been reading these diaries for a few months now and decided I would start one of my own.  Each and every one of you has inspired me to start writing.  Your stories hit home!!

I am 36 years old and have 2 children...a girl 13...and a boy 12.  They are my life.  I just got married on September 6,2005 to a wonderful man.  He treats me and my kids very good.  I still work outside the home and still feel fairly good.

Last February I started feeling like I was out of shape, so I started back to the gym.  I started getting more & more SOB.  One weekend my daughter and I went to the grocery store and I was feeling very weak.  When we got to the check out lane I completly passed out on the floor.  I was so embarrased.  It scared my daughter also.  I decided I needed to go to the doctor and get checked out. I went to my PCP and he referred me to a cardiologist.  They did a echocardiogram and found that my pressures were in the 90's and the right side of my heart was double the size it should be.  My doctor told me I needed to think about having a transplant and that they needed to run more tests.  I couldn't believe what he was telling me.  Within a few days I had a MRI, CT Scan, esophageal echocardiogram, and a RHC in which they found a hole in my heart that had my blood going the wrong way.  I had the hole since I was born so all these years the blood has been going the wrong way which has caused my pulmonary arteries to constrict.  They referred me to a pediatric heart surgeon.  He diagnosed me with Eisenmenger Syndrome which sometimes doesn't show up until your 30's. WOW!!!! They put me on Coumadin & Viagra to try to get the pressures down and not get blood clots. They did not think I could make it thru open heart surgery with pressures that high. So I took the medicine for a couple of months and one day my surgeon called and said check in Sunday to the hospital your are having open heart surgery Monday.  1st thing Monday morning 5/1/2005 I went in to have the hole fixed.  I have been a picture of health my whole life and here I was fixing to have my chest cracked open.  I had to take a leave of absence from work.  My friends & family were so supportive.  The surgery went fine, he said they had a little trouble bringing me off the bypass machine but once I stabilized I did great. I was sitting up the next day.  The day after that I was up walking...and the next day I went from ICU to home.  Nobody could believe I did that well.   I started walking a little bit everyday and went back to work on 06/01/2005.  I had my 6 month follow-up echo here about 2months ago with my cardiologist.  They said my pressures were still up in the 90's and the right side of my heart was still enlarged.  They referred me to Dr. Nazami @ the Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute. Which by the way is less than a half a mile from my home...how convenient.  He wanted to do a nitric oxide study on me.  So 12/22/2005 he did another RHC this time thru the neck and put me on Nitric Oxide for 4 hours.  The pressures got down to 57 from 92.  After the test he said he wanted to start me on Tracleer which I received yesterday.  I have to get blood work done Monday and start it Tuesday.  The thing is I feel good...I work fulltime and go to the gym 3x a week and walk, but the doctors keep telling me how sick I am.  I keep a positive attitude most of the time...don't get me wrong I have cried myself to sleep more than once.  I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make me better.  Right now I am on Lasix, Cordarone, Potassium, Lexapro, Coumadin, Viagra, Xanax when needed and now Tracleer.  I'm crossing my fingers this one will work.

Thanks for letting me vent.  This is the first time I have read what I have been thru this last year.

God Bless,

Christy

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Dreary Day

Good Morning!!  Sometimes I love rainy days on the weekends.  I stay home and clean and cook.  This weekend my kids are with their dad, so I get a nice break.  That means I don't have to cook much.  When they are gone I get some alone time with hubby and alone time for me.  It's good for the head!!  I try to sleep in, but I'm so used to getting up @ 6am that sleeping in for me on the weekend is about 7am.  I have a couple of errands to do but that's it.  I'm going to snuggle under my favorite blanket and watch movies all day long.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!!

God Bless,

Christy

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Monday Madness!!

The weekends are never long enough. Monday's are always hectic for me and my family.  Nobody wants to get up...so we all rush around here trying to get ready as quick as possible.  The kids have to catch the bus by 7am.  Luckily I don't have to leave for work until 7:40am...Greg too.(husband).  It's already the end of January.  The last couple of weeks in the month are very busy for me @ work.  I work for a law firm here in the city.

I went for my bloodwork today @ lunch.  She said I could start taking my Tracleer this evening. I go back to Dr. Nazami on Feb 20th for a check up and they will up my dose of Tracleer to 125mg 2x a day.  I hope this helps bring my pressures down.

Well this is a good night for TV.  I love CSI Miami.  I like all of them but CSI NY...it's not as good.  Hope everyone has a great evening. Talk at ya later.

Christy

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Sports Fans!!

Last night was a fun evening.  My husband and I went to the New Orleans Hornets and Chicago Bulls basketball game here.  I've never been to a pro game before only college.  It was quite an experience!!  Due to the hurricane in New Orleans, Oklahoma took in alot of victims and took their basketball team in.  They live and play here now until they rebuild in New Orleans.  It is bringing in alot of revenue for our state.  They played great music thru the whole game and the cheerleaders came out @ halftime and did a dance.  Greg looked @ me and said they sure are ugly.LOL Yeah right...They are beautiful girls.  It was sold out...19,183 people were there.  I haven't cheered and yelled like that in a long time.  We have tickets for the Saturday night game against the LA Lakers with another couple.  We are going downtown early and go to a good Mexican resteraunt to eat and have a few drinks and then walk to the game.  I'm excited, it should be fun.

I started my Tracleer Monday.  I feel fine except I have had a headache for a couple of days...no big deal. I haven't had any other side effects so that's a good thing.  It's been a long week...looking forward to the weekend.  The weeks seem to go by faster and faster.

Hope everyone has a great evening!!

God Bless,

Christy

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Sunday...Weekends almost over

Hello Everybody!!!  It's been awhile since I have wrote anything in here.  Last week I really was not feeling very well.  My family and me have all had that sinus crap that has been going around.  Still can't seem take shake it.

I worry so much about my job.  I have sick leave, but my boss is the type that makes you feel guilty if you call in sick...so I try not to.  She wants everybody there all the time...why do we get sick leave then...go figure.  I don't talk about my illness to my bosses at all.  There are very few people that know that I have ph. They know I had heart surgery, but think I'm doing great now.  I'm to afraid to let them know because I'm afraid they will let me go, and I need the insurance.  I don't know what I would do without it.  It stresses me out to even think about.  I will ride it as far as it will take me. I am covered under my husbands insurance also, but it is not half as good as mine.

We rented movies this weekend and have been really lazy.  I even slept in till 9:45 this morning...very unusual.  I woke up once in the middle of the night and looked @ the clock to see how long I had to sleep b-4 the alarm clock goes off to get up for work...OH YEAH it's only Sunday.

Softball season is starting up for my daughter.  They have started practicing these last few weeks @ the batting cages.  She plays fastpitch softball on a 16 and under team.  They are awesome.  I love going to watch them...She has so much natural athletic ability.  Her coach says if she sticks with it she could be a division 1 player.  I'm thinking college scholarship down the line...will see!!  My son plays soccer and wants to play football for the school next year.(8th grade)  I worry though, he is kinda small and hasn't gone thru his growing spurt yet.  I don't want him to get hurt.  My husband tells me you got to let him try, but that boy has to keep his grades up first.  I tell you what, now a days all extra curricular activities for sports cost a fortune.  It's uniforms, league fees, tournaments, hotel,  gas, food, plus money to go watch.  Sometimes this reall straps us especially since I got sick.  We have alot more expenses to think about now.  This really makes me mad.  I did not deserve this disease, but what do you do but take each day as it comes. I don't want my kids not to be able to play due to financial problems...it's not their fault.

OK, I have vented again.  I'm kinda grumpy today...Sorry guys.  I will be better tomorrow.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  Take care of yourselves.  I hope Annie and Time are doing Ok.  I pray for them every night.  My heart goes out to them.

God Bless,

Christy

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Hump Day!!!!

Well the week is half over, we are on the downhill slide now.  Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines Day.  Mine was really good.  We had a potluck lunch @ my job.  I brought a fruit tray.  There was alot of good food...I pigged out completely!!!

It was 70 degrees here today...beautiful!!! Tomorrow it's suppose to drop down into the 30's and then possibly sleet and snow for the weekend.  How about that, it couldn't have been 70 for the weekend and cold for the work week...go figure. 

I decided that I'm doing my taxes this weekend. YIPEEEEEE...I hope we get a good return, we could sure use it. Need to pay off all the bills.  Last year was a really devastating year for us with being diagnosed w/PH & heart surgery.  I would love to plan a vacation w/ the money, but that just isn't in the picture for us right now.  I will count on Sue for that.LOL...she comes up with the coolest places!!!

My hubby is sick with the flu or some kind of virus.  He is so pitiful!!!  You would think he was dying. Men are the biggest babies of all when it comes to being sick.  I feel like saying you have know idea what being sick is like and then I stopped myself because I would have felt bad for saying that and he is sick...you know what I mean?  So being the good wife that I am..lol...I have been babying him and he is eating it up.

Well I'm gonna cut this short tonight.  I am really tired and need to get a goodnights sleep so I will be chipper tomorrow.  Have a good evening!!!! Talk at ya later.

God Bless,

Christy

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Snowy!!!

Hi!! How is everyone doing?  Well it's Presidents Day and I'm off work. It's also snowy and icy so the kids are out of school today.  I have a park outside my back gate that has a big hill so there is about 30 kids with sleds sliding down the hill.  Mine keep begging me to go down it but my luck I'd wreck and hurt myself and end up in the hospital...so I will stick to watching.  They are hilarious.  If I only had half there energy I'd be doing GREAT.

I went to the PH doctor this morning @ 8:30am.  They did blood work and said everything looked good so far on the Tracleer, no elevated liver enzymes.  I start taking 125mg 2X a day next week and he said I could get off Viagra...yeah!!!  That's the only one not covered under my insurance.  I asked him again when he did the RHC exactly what were my pressures and he said 73.  That is lower than what I thought...I thought they were in the 90's.  He said  as long as my symptoms don't get worse they will check my pressures in 6 to 12months.  So I don't have to go see him until another 3 months.  I can handle doing blood work once a month.  He told me even though my right side of my heart is enlarged it is very strong and is pumping my blood good that's why I don't have very many symptoms.  So it was overall a very good appointment.

I have rented a few movies so I think I will lie down and watch them for awhile.  I have to go back to work tomorrow...yuck.

Hope everbody had a good weekend...Take care of yourselves.

God Bless,

Christy

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Spring Fever!!!

Hello Everyone!!

It's been a long time since I have made an entry in my diary.  I miss it!!  I have been really busy at work and with Lindsay's softball.  The weather is great, it feels like we haven't had a winter.  I definitely have Spring Fever. I am a sun baby...I love warm weather.  Spring Break is next week so my kids are out of school.  I'm so glad they are old enough to stay by themselves.  They are good about obeying my rules and not having anybody in the house why we are not there.  They also know Greg pops in on them alot so they can't get away with much.  I couldn't take off the whole week, but I did schedule off next Friday so I could get a 3 day weekend...Yeah!!!

I have been feeling pretty good.  I'm still going to the gym and walking at least 3 days a week.  I have noticed since I have been on Tracleer I have been retaining fluid.  My goal is to lose 20pds b-4 June.  What really depresses me is that I seem to be gaining weight and I am eating the same and exercising...I guess that's one of the bad side effects taking all this medicine.  I am hoping since I got off of antidepressants and the viagra I might start dropping weight.  I just don't want it to get out of control.  I am tall (5'9) so I can hide it well.haha

Hope everyone has a good evening...talk at ya soon

Christy

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