Amanda

4 years since diagnosis

Age at interview: 25

In April 2018, a month after celebrating her 21st birthday, Amanda started experiencing symptoms that she’s never had before. Attributing it to exam stress, she found it difficult to lie flat, was sleeping 14 hours a day, lacked appetite, and had trouble breathing. Amanda finally went to the emergency room one evening at the urging of her father where she received a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy. Despite taking the medications the cardiologist had prescribed, she was still not feeling well and insisted to her cardiologist that the medications weren’t working. Amanda was then referred to a specialist where she was formally diagnosed with heart failure in fall of that same year. An ICD was implanted but it did not improve Amanda’s symptoms and Amanda withdrew from university in October of 2018. A month later, a heart failure specialist informed Amanda that she was in full-blown end stage heart failure and that the only ways to survive are to either get a heart transplant or an LVAD. Amanda’s positive attitude helped her get through her heart transplant and helped to build lasting relationships with all the staff that supported her. Now three years after her heart transplant, Amanda has finished her psychology degree and is working towards a degree to become a social worker inspired by her heart transplant experience.

 

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