Newly Diagnosed With Cardiovascular Disease

Receiving a diagnosis can be shocking and very difficult to deal with. Like most people, we all have plans and goals that we want to reach and are currently working towards. Things like career goals and life goals come crashing down when you receive a diagnosis that may or may not be life-threatening.

Whether you were diagnosed when you were young or old, we all remember that day. I remember feeling overwhelming hopelessness and depression, and anxiety flooded my mind. My heart began to sink, followed by racing at the news.

The shock of my cardiomyopathy diagnosis

I remember being diagnosed with heart disease when I was 25. I was shocked and confused as to why this was happening to me. Being a former athlete and a personal trainer, this wasn’t supposed to happen to me. I had been preaching about healthy diets and how vital living an active, balanced lifestyle was. Yet here I was, diagnosed with a form of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy.

Accepting your new reality

After the shock of your diagnosis fades away, or if it ever does, the next discussion is usually about which tests you need to take and what the treatment options are. I think that people underestimate the amount of stress your body goes through during this period and how long it takes to accept that this is your new reality.

This is one of the hardest things that people don’t talk about. It's like you are grieving for who you were before the diagnosis, and because you start to believe that your days on earth are coming to an end. It’s a mix of different emotions, and you have your down days and up days, trying not to dwell on your situation.

Negative emotions around diagnosis are common

When I was diagnosed, I started to feel anger after feeling sadness. I began to blame my father because his side of the family is the one who has heart disease, and I thought he gave it to me. I was mad and looking for someone to blame for my shortcomings.

This is very common during the period of acceptance. I started to feel envious of everyone else because they weren’t dealing with heart disease. Remember, I was 25 when the diagnosis came, so I wanted to be doing what other 25-year-olds were doing.

Difficulty learning what worked for me

It was hard to learn the medications that I was taking and what they were used for. Being on a heart-healthy, low-sodium diet is what a lot of us who are diagnosed with heart disease are recommended. The only reason why it wasn’t hard for me to switch to a low-sodium, heart-healthy diet is because I’ve always been used to eating a rather healthy diet, but not everyone has that.

Doing your own research can be empowering

You should always do your own research when you are diagnosed with something, whether it's a medical journal, organization like the American Heart Association, or a reputable site that has real information on whatever cardiovascular disease you’ve been diagnosed with. I remember when I was diagnosed with heart disease and going on Google, a.k.a. down the rabbit hole. I saw everything from the life expectancy of someone diagnosed with heart disease to treatments and reading about people who have died from heart disease.

It can be scary or depressing, but you need the real information about your condition just so you are aware of it. Asking your doctor questions is another way for you to learn about your condition. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor. Even if you think it's a question you should already know the answer to, ask it.

Lean on your support system and self-care

Having a strong support system is also vital in your heart journey. Not only will it help you, but it becomes necessary for recovery purposes, especially for the down days when you aren’t feeling your best or when you receive a disappointing test result.

This is a good time for me to talk about self-care. Self-care is important when you have heart disease. It can be something as simple as taking a walk outside, reading a good book, taking a bath, or cooking a meal for yourself. Just take care of yourself and make sure you are taking your medications as prescribed by your doctor.

Do things that make you happy

Being diagnosed with heart disease is easily one of the hardest things that I have had to deal with. You will have those hard days, but the best advice that I could give anyone who has been newly diagnosed with cardiovascular disease is to listen to your doctor's directions and to take every day 1 day at a time. Think positively no matter what you are told, and make sure you do the things that make you happy.

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