Got some bad news recently and your prayers would be greatly appreciated - UPDATE pg 10

Okay, fellow baws and bawettes. I never do this and usually try to keep the most personal aspects of my life off of here but in this case, I'm making an exception. I recently received some bad health news and am panicking. Your prayers, if you're the praying kind, would be sincerely appreciated.

I went to the doctor recently for an abnormal EKG thinking it's just the occasional PVC's I was diagnosed with years ago. Back then, my cardiologist didn't think it was anything to be concerned with and said there was no need for medication. Well, this time the EKG came back much more abnormal than before. Went do a stress test, echocardiogram, CT angiogram, and wore a holter monitor for a couple days. The results came back pretty alarming. I am only 35 years old, weigh 160lbs, no blockages whatsoever, but have been diagnosed with a signifcant case of cardiomyopathy. My heart is enlarged and weakened. My ejection fraction is only 35%, much lower than it should be, meaning my heart is only pumping out 35% of the blood inside of it.

The doctor says it is serious but he's hopeful that since I'm young and otherwise healthy, that the medication he has me on will strengthen my heart and allow for it to get stronger. That's not guaranteed, though. Says it could be due to a virus I've had at some point that ended up attacking my heart or it could be genetic. Either way, if medication doesn't work over the next few months, I may be a candidate for one or two surgical procedures to help regulate and manage the problem. If those don't work I could be looking at being placed on the transplant list. I'm too young to have these issues and to be staring down a potential transplant in the years to come if intervention today doesn't work.

Started the medication and ended up blacking out. 911 was called and I was brought to the hospital. Blood tests came back that indicated I had had a heart attack. After a very scary day in the ER, additional tests came back a little more normal and they ruled out a heart attack, but there is still damage to my heart, which caused the enzyme levels to be elevated in the first place.

If you've never sat at your computer and created a document for your wife that entails all of your life insurance information such as policy numbers, company, and coverage amount, along with your wishes for what she is to do with the money as it relates to your very young children (who don't deserve to lose their dad anytime soon), it's a terrifyingly huge mind-frick of an experience that I hope you never have to go through. Two very good friends of mind lost their dads when we were in middle and high school. I witnessed the incalculable pain that caused them and the last thing I want is for my children to go through that as well. I have to teach my son how to be a man and my daughter what it means to be respected by a man. I have to watch both of them grow up, get married, and have children of their own before I check out. I can't go yet.

One thing is for sure and that is this has taught me to worry less about things I can't control and take more time to just be in the moment with family. I suggest you all do the same as you never know when an appointment to the doctor will lead to a life-changing diagnosis. I'm panicked, I'm terrified, and I'm more vulnerable to things out of my control now than I ever have been before.

If you're the praying kind, I humbly ask that you say a prayer for me for my heart to strengthen and heal. Also, if you could say a prayer for the strongest person I know, my wife, who waited until the kids were away to finally break down but otherwise is my rock during this, that would be appreciated, too.

Thank you