My Story: Interacting with My Cardiologist

TC explains her first interaction with her cardiologist after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

Transcript:

OBOS Today: So, you speak about, you know, this just something that’s really affected yourself and your family. And the huge role that so many different doctors played in your diagnosis. Was there ever a specific health care provider who was specifically very good and really helped you or the opposite really failed you during that process?

TC: Yes, it was just a blessing because I did not have a cardiologist at the time, and the one that was assigned to me, is still my cardiologist to this day and he’s one of the top cardiologists in the world, his name is Jackie George.

And when he first came in, of course, I was like, why am I seeing a cardiologist for upper respiratory infection? And you know, he was very directly to the point, you know and just basically said, this is what you have, and this is what we’re going to do to treat it.

And we do have a really good up professional relationship because like I said I had to quit my job, and that was not something that came easy for me, but he basically told me what I needed to know and, once he told me what I needed to know, I did what I needed to do, you know it wasn’t a matter of me saying I can’t quit my job, you know.

And I’ve heard a lot of people say I can’t, but you have a choice. You either can, or you cannot live. I choose to live, so I did whatever I needed to do. I did not think about the finances, and you know other what ifs.

I just knew, I’m a woman of faith and I just knew that if he told me to do this, I just knew once he told me to do what I needed to do once I did that, I would be fine. And I mean you know; I believe that, and I did what he said I needed to do I’m not going to say it wasn’t rough. It was.

You know, when I first got placed on the meds, my body didn’t necessarily respond to the meds like I thought they should. I was tired all the time, I slept all the time, and didn’t have any energy to do anything, but I understood that those are the side effects of meds. And I had a choice again either to take them, and live or not take them, and die. And I choose to live.