Fitzgibbon Hospital

Michelle's Story

     Someone who takes care of their health by eating right and exercising regularly would not expect to have heart trouble. But for longtime Marshall resident Michelle Porter, the trouble she developed could have been very serious. Thankfully, the caring staff at Fitzgibbon Hospital were able to help her to a speedy diagnosis and full recovery.

     “I started having heart palpitations and irregular heartbeat,” said Porter of her experiences in the spring of 2015. “It continued for a couple of months, and I finally went to the doctor. My doctor said that I needed to go to Fitzgibbon Hospital to have an echocardiogram. They called me right away and told me that my mitral valve problem was going into severe stage.”

     Porter, who was just 53 at the time of her diagnosis, was suffering from a genetic condition called mitral valve regurgitation, which causes blood to leak backward through the mitral valve of the heart each time the left ventricle contracts. According to the American Heart Association, if regurgitation is severe, increased pressure may result in congestion or fluid build-up in the lungs. Many people who suffer from mitral regurgitation feel no effects whatsoever. As it progresses, however, they begin to have shortness of breath, coughing, congestion, swelling of the legs and feet and many people develop pulmonary hypertension.

     “While I was waiting to get into the cardiologist, I had a panic attack, so I went to the emergency room at Fitzgibbon. That’s when the nurse there really helped me. They kept me overnight and explained to me what I had and that it was very important that I have it taken care of right away to prevent any sort of further damage to my heart,” said Porter. “They caught it early, and the Fitzgibbon nurse was able to push up my appointment. I was in to the cardiologist within a week.”

     Porter noted that during such a frightening experience involving her heart, the Fitzgibbon ER staff were key in putting her at ease.

     “They were very kind and compassionate. I felt comfortable with their decisions. Fitzgibbon kept me all night and monitored my heart and did some more testing. The nurse came in and explained everything that was happening,” she said. “She was terrific.”

     The diagnosis of mitral regurgitation was quite a blow to Porter, who leads a very active lifestyle, tries to eat healthy and exercises regularly.

     “It was pretty devastating, to be honest. It was very scary. My mom had this condition when she was in her 60’s. I knew that she had it, but I didn’t really know that it was genetic until this happened,” said Porter, whose heart condition was ultimately treated surgically via a mitral valve repair.

     Following her open heart surgery in Columbia, Porter was referred back to Marshall, where she visited the Buckner Wellness Center at Fitzgibbon Hospital for cardiac rehabilitation. This involved trained rehab staff monitoring her closely while she slowly resumed exercising and rebuilt her physical strength. Her positive experiences with Fitzgibbon Hospital continued all the way through this aspect of her recovery.

     “Buckner Wellness was super great. They were very helpful, and they were really nice. While you are exercising, your heart is closely monitored. They come around and show you what to do and what you should not do so that you don’t overdo it,” said Porter, who has since “graduated” from cardiac rehab to doing vigorous exercise classes at the Salt Fork YMCA.

     “Buckner Wellness was a very positive environment, and they are very knowledgeable there. They are very willing to help you in every way possible.  It’s such a friendly atmosphere when you go in, and they try to make it as fun as possible. It was really fun to get to know different people and hear their stories and see how they are getting along. It was really a good experience and they definitely deserve an A+. I was very impressed.”

     National Heart Health month is observed every February to coincide with Valentine’s Day. It is a great chance to plan a visit to your primary care physician to talk about your blood pressure and any other symptoms that could lead to heart attack or stroke. If you do not have a primary care physician, the caring staff at Marshall Family Practice are taking new patients. To make your appointment, call (660) 886-7800.

     If you find yourself in need of cardiac rehabilitation, ask your provider to refer you to the Buckner Wellness Center, located on the campus of Fitzgibbon Hospital. You can learn more by logging on to www.fitzgibbon.org.