WITH MAGGIE LICHTENBERG
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SFR: You were born with a congenital heart defect, but it was something that doctors believed would never need attention. Do you remember the moment you discovered you needed open-heart surgery?
ML:
Eight years before, I began to get different arrhythmias that started with atrial flutter. This irregular rhythm taps into your energy, everything is a huge effort and you feel like you're 90 years old. Then I began to experience atrial fibrillation which for some is a scary racing heart beat. For me it was a strong constriction at the throat which was extremely painful in the upper chest area to the point where I couldn't lie down at night. It started happening infrequently, once a year, then progressed to twice a year, then by the third year it happened four or five times. Then all of a sudden it happened at three-month intervals, and then three-week intervals, three days, and every night. It's typical of A-fib that there is something about lying in a prone position that gets it going. So, when it came on, I had to try to sleep sitting up. This is not a quality of life anyone would choose, and so even though I was coming from extreme denial and anger, I finally realized I had to pay attention. Different medicines were tried but at a certain point I realized it wasn't going to get better. That's quite a moment of truth. I became a very proactive patient.
Can you talk about some of the discoveries you made in the time leading up to, throughout and after the procedure that were surprising to you?
That's why I'm writing the book because there is so much. I prepared well for the surgery and trained myself to believe in all the positive outcomes that were there. My big omission was I didn't give a thought to the recovery period because I figured, 'I'm healthy.' They told me it would take six or eight weeks to fully heal, but I said to myself, 'no, I'm going to recover in three.' I had a difficult time for two to three months after; but if I'd known to look out for some very common issues it would have been a lot easier. Learning about what can be expected in advance is my whole thing. For instance, you don't have to accept the first opinion. I didn't; I got three different opinions and, yes, it's confusing but it's better to be confused and know you have a choice than just to be passive.
What happened after the surgery?
I flew home from Rochester, Minnesota a week later. That's unusual. I was doing really well, but then, once I got home, I started to deteriorate because I hadn't prepared and educated myself on what to expect. Had I, I wouldn't have let certain problems go on so long. Many people are afraid of disturbing their medical liaison, even the nurse or physician's assistant. Pick up the phone-they have answers! So much of what I talk about with people is gathering a support system around you. Organize your home and your friends before you go into the hospital so, for instance, you know that you and your caregiver, who needs support as much as you do, gets dinner brought in every night and you can count on it. People are so happy to help. It's so important to ask for help.
What was the most difficult aspect of your recovery?
Dealing with my own impatience and letting nature take its course. I got myself into trouble by making the decision to do something I should not have and I ended up in the ER. I write about that in my book.
Explain this idea of 'knowing your heart' and why it's so important for women.
No matter what the ailment is, whether it's stroke, whether it is heart disease, whether it's a valve thing, heart disease is women's number-one killer.
Another reason I'm doing this work is that I remember asking my surgeon and his PA 'don't you know someone who has gone through the same operation that I can call?' They said they'd think about it and no one ever got back in touch with me. I feel like I'm a person who is willing to speak to anybody who is facing open-heart surgery. It's a phone call to me.
Women's Health Services is participating in this campaign called The Heart Truth for Women and so I did a forum to talk about facing open-heart surgery and recovery and I also did one for Northern New Mexico Association of Continuous Care. It's important from the beginning to know what your risk factors are. All you need to do is sit down with your doctor and go over the nine risk factors and if you have any of them, but especially if you have at least two, that's a signal to start treating wherever you can. Don't smoke, don't be overweight, don't be inactive, know your numbers and spread the word.
So much of the research has been done on men and now it's clear that women's hearts are different from men's hearts. They even beat differently. Women's hearts actually beat faster than men's hearts. The signs for an oncoming heart attack can be the same or completely different. A woman can have indigestion and that can be the same heart attack coming but for a man it's feeling like an elephant is sitting on their chest. Men and women are different, so learn the differences and honor them. Knowledge is power, period.
More information on Lichtenberg's recovery services can be found at
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National Women's Checkup Day is May 9 and Women's Health Services,
, is providing free in-house health screenings throughout the day and is encouraging all NM women to schedule full checkups with their primary care providers.
