Breathing Through the Journey

How I was Feeling Prior to Diagnosis

I’m going to start sharing pieces of my journey prior to where I am today—starting with what it was like for me before going to the hospital.

Yeah…so things started to change for me early in 2025.

My mom says she noticed a change in me when we were working out while getting wedding-ready. I didn’t think anything of it. I thought I was just out of shape. Even when going on walks with my cousin, we all joked about how out of shape I was—until we realized that wasn’t the case…a whole year later.

However, I am going to start from the beginning. When I first noticed a change.

In 2023, I lost 10lbs and felt great! However, then 2024 hit.

I was still eating the same way. Still drinking the same amount. I did everything the way I normally would.

But I began to gain weight.

Then winter came, and my wedding was approaching. I got really sick prior to the wedding.

After that, I started noticing some issues.

My cough was lingering. I was getting out of breath more easily during walks. It SUCKED.

I escalated things to my doctors a few times, but they didn’t seem concerned. I got bloodwork done, and it came back normal, so nothing happened after that.

I continued to go on walks and do light workouts.

Concert season arrived and… shocker, more issues.

Walking around the pavilion felt like an arm and a leg. Instead of joining my cousin in the pit or walking around like I normally would between bands, I stayed on the lawn (and got a gnarly sunburn too).

It was getting out of hand.

I got sick in July, and we’re pretty sure it was COVID. I lost my sense of smell and taste.

Again, I had a lingering cough— this time sticking around for over a month. In fact, it lasted all the way until I was in the hospital.

I went to the doctor again and was provided an inhaler.

September came, and we found out I was pregnant.

We went to my mom’s Savage Race and planned to tell her once she finished. However, I was so burnt out. I couldn’t walk. Brandon had to run and get me multiple water bottles to survive the event.

I was struggling.

We even started thinking, “OMG, are we having twins?”—just because of how much energy was being taken out of me and how quickly my body was changing.

In October, I brought up how I was feeling to the Nurse Practitioner. She checked my heart and found a heart murmur.

That’s when all the doctor appointments started getting scheduled.

We were invited to a few events that Fall, and we had to leave early. I couldn’t walk. It felt like I was always going to pass out and like my legs would give way.

I was scared. I knew something was wrong, and I had a feeling the results weren’t going to be good.

There were two moments that Fall where I remember thinking, I don’t know how I am going to take one more step.

I remember Brandon getting very worried. He had to start taking care of a lot around the house from that summer on, especially in the Fall. I was barely moving. I was out of breath just getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom at night.

Recently, I decided to check what my Oura Ring captured from when I first got it last winter.

No surprise—my heart rate was around 140 during the day. However, my sleep resting heart rate was still in the 70’s.

By the time I was in the hospital, my heart rate was still in the 140’s when walking, but my sleep resting heart rate was around 110 from what I remember (I was not wearing my Oura Ring at that time). It was very scary.

This is just one piece of my journey. Thankfully, I am breathing better now. I feel so different from how I did before. My pressures are still not where they need to be, but progress is progress.

I am hopeful, and I am thankful.