LET’S GET JOE BACK TO EVERYDAY LIVING

On December 10, 2009, Joe was 48 years old. On this day he was diagnosed with Myocarditis (inflammation of the middle layer of the heart caused by a virus) after experiencing his first ventricular tachycardia (VT), racing of the heartbeat to life threating numbers. Since then, Joe has been put on heart medications and has an ICD (Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator). This has been helpful for the past 13 years. Due to multiple VTs and shocks to the heart, the heart has gotten much weaker. An unhealthy heart prevents blood from pumping blood and oxygen to organs in the body so it can function properly. The heart muscle becomes weak and cannot keep up with the body’s need to pump out blood. Also, fluids build up in other parts of the body causing heart failure. Joe is now 61. In order for Joe to sustain a better life, a heart transplant is now required.

Before this traumatic heart condition, Joe was physically fit and ate a healthy diet. This habit helped him to enjoy the things he loved; the outdoors, camping in different areas of the state, hiking for hours at a time, running and participating in an occasion road race, bike riding around Highland Lake or traveling out to Colorado, Florida, Utah and other states. His family and friends are a big part of this life. Joe enjoys having Sunday dinners or barbeques with them or getting together with his friends for lunch and drinks. All these things now have limitations or not done at all due to an unhealthy heart.