My Story and Why I Advocate by Jenni Surface

Please enjoy this guest blog post from NC You're the Cure advocate Jenni Surface.

No one in the prime of their life ever thinks that they have to worry about their heart unless it is a condition that they have had from birth. So when I became dizzy one day at work I thought what many people my age would have thought I must be dehydrated or have an inner ear infection or something of that nature. When I passed out on my way out the door to meet my husband, who had come to pick me up, my life changed forever. My work called 911 since I would not fully come to. When I got in the ambulance they took all the normal vitals and found I had a low heart rate and low blood pressure, but the other thing they found is what I was not prepared for. I had what is called a left bundle branch block on my EKG. Just 2 years before when I had routine checks done I had a normal EKG. What had happened to cause this sudden change?

I was taken to Wake Med Raleigh because it was a hospital that could handle heart issues. I was in shock with that statement but thought it was better to be safe than sorry still fully expecting to go to the hospital and be released after getting some fluids. I was WRONG! This is where my true journey began.

When you talk about heart failure you think of people at least in their 50s who have not been very healthy at all during life. Not a 34 year old mother of 2. Yes, this proves it truly can happen to anyone. I had absolutely no symptoms until I passed out at work and the ambulance driver and my co-workers who chose to call the ambulance probably saved my life. My heart has an ejection fraction of only 10%-15% and normal at rest is 60%. An ejection fraction is the amount of volume your heart pumps to your body. They believe what caused it was a virus. See, during my pregnancy with my daughter I had developed H1N1 which led to pneumonia for 2+ months during my 2nd trimester. This means it could happen to anyone at any time. Who knew a virus that anyone could catch could create heart failure? It could happen to anyone!

After this initial visit I thought that everything would even out but over the past 3 months since I found out in May I have been in and out of the hospital various times for multiple days each time. Since I was going in and out of the hospital and things had not settle down they decided that I needed to have a defibrillator/ pace maker put in to help my heart pump. I thought that was the end of my struggles. Yet, sadly it wasn't. I found myself back in the hospital not a month later because my heart had decided to go the other way and beat too many times in a minute and I was having severe chest pain, nausea, and vomiting. In the ER they even pulled the crash cart and placed the metal pieces on my chest to shock me. Thankfully, my heart did it on its’ own. It was quite the eye opening experience.

Since then things have evened out some for me but I still have a long road to travel and I do not know what the future will hold. For now, I am forced to face realities I never would have really thought I would have to face at this age. I almost lost my job due to hospitalizations. I have to look at my children and wonder sometimes if it is the last time I will see their beautiful faces. I know it is more important than ever that I make a will for my children. I also am faced with a reality of making sure I make the best memories I can with my children right now. I am optimistic with meds that I can feel better, but for now extreme fatigue and exhaustion take the place of what I use to do. Every day is a struggle, but I want so badly to get better so I can see my kids graduate, get married, and have children so I will continue to fight and hope that they continue to come up with new ways to help those of us who suffer from this awful disease.

With everything that happened I knew the only way to truly make a difference and help others prevent or fight this disease was to share my story and join You're the Cure with the American Heart Association to help raise awareness and fight for strong health policies to help those who find themselves in this awful place like me! Anyone who suffers from heart disease or has a family member who suffers from heart disease should join me and be a part of You're the Cure to advocate for the changes we need for better health policies!!

It's easy to join simply register at www.yourethecure.org.

NC Smoke-free Law Saves Lives: Dramatic Reduction in Heart Attack Rates

Congratulations to You're the Cure NC for your awesome work to get smoke-free in our state.

Today was a very exciting day for North Carolina! This morning, State Health Director Dr. Jeffrey Engel announced that visits to the emergency room by North Carolinians experiencing heart attacks has declined by 21 percent since the state’s Smoke-Free Restaurants and Bars Law was enacted in January 2010. American Heart Association MAA Board President Dr. David Goff was a part of the historic announcement.

Here is the AHA news statement in response:

American Heart Association Statement
N.C. Heart Attack Rates Down Since Passage of Smoke-Free Law
Today, State Health Director Dr. Jeffrey Engel announced that visits to the emergency room by North Carolinians experiencing heart attacks has declined by 21 percent since the state’s Smoke-Free Restaurants and Bars Law was enacted in January 2010. Researchers from the Division of Public Health and the University of North Carolina Department of Emergency Medicine compared rates of heart attack before the law in 2008 and 2009 to rates after the law took effect in 2010.

The American Heart Association applauds the results of the study, presented to the Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force, as adding to the increasing number of studies that show the health and economic benefits of smoke free laws.

“The reduction seen in emergency department visits for heart attacks since passing our smoke-free law provides further evidence that such policies save lives while lowering healthcare costs and saving money,” said Dr. David Goff, American Heart Association Mid-Atlantic Affiliate Board President.

Secondhand smoke is a known cause of heart attacks, particularly for those with existing heart disease, family history of heart disease or with risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Data from the 2006 U.S. Surgeon General report on the consequences of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke that stated there “is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke” and a 2009 report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association showed that heart attack rates drop after smoking bans and continue downward over time.

“This large decrease in emergency room visits is a validation of the hard work put in by countless grass roots volunteers for over ten years to make North Carolina a healthier place to live and work,” said Frank Amend, Immediate Past Chair of the North Carolina American Heart Association Advocacy Coordinating Committee and heart attack survivor. “Unfortunately this law came too late for some, but it illustrates that a business/legislative partnership can improve the long term wellness of our fellow citizens.”

More information about the effects of secondhand smoke and the effects of smoking on heart attack risk can be found at www.heart.org.

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