SUCCESS STORY
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About Your Health Be Proactive
Melissa Cappuccilli ran her first half-marathon after having a heart transplant — and is inspiring women to protect their hearts
I have been a cardiac patient for 19 years. When I look back on what I’ve been through, I could be very depressed and stay in the sick-patient role. But I make the choice to begin each day with a grateful heart.
At age 37, while on active duty as a Navy nurse, my heart started racing. I was neither dizzy nor short of breath, but I was concerned. I went to my primary care provider, who took me to the emergency room. I was in ventricular tachycardia, and my heart was beating 180 to 220 times per minute (normally a heart beats 60 to 80 times per minute). The next few hours and weeks were a nightmare. After a month, I finally got the diagnosis of arrythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), a type of cardiomyopathy, which weakens the heart muscle. I received an implanted cardiac defibrillator (ICD) and was told I needed to retire. Single mom, four kids, no career and a healthcare team that could not tell me what my future would hold.
During the next 14 years, I underwent several ablations and heart mappings, multiple medication changes, five ICDs, one lead extraction for a fractured ICD lead, one recalled ICD, several shocks and two years in congestive heart failure. Finally, on November 13, 2013, I received my heart transplant at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego. My hero heart donor, Nicole, was a 19-year-old nursing student. Eight weeks later, I volunteered to work the Donate
Life booth at the Carlsbad Marathon and Half Marathon. My transplant coordinator Kristi Ortiz said, “You can be running next year!” I was exhilarated, went to their website and noticed a box: Lucky 13. That was for me: I received my transplant on November 13, 2013, and I was the 13th transplant that year. I applied and was accepted for the Tri City Medical Center Lucky 13 running team. Each year, 13 people who have overcome a medical condition are selected to train for the half-marathon. And 431 days after my transplant, on January 20, 2015, I completed my first. I have since completed my sixth and am training for my seventh. I have lived more in the past five years than the previous 14. I follow a heart-healthy diet. I do what my transplant team says. I take my medications and monitor my blood pressure, heart rate and weight daily. I exercise a minimum of three times a week for an hour. Actually, I do some exercise every day. I enjoy hiking, walking, jogging, paddle-boarding and CrossFit. I am a registered nurse, I work full-time and I volunteer. I recently became a WomenHeart Champion after attending the WomenHeart Symposium at the Mayo Clinic. I feel that sharing my story can inspire women to become more involved in their health and change their lifestyle to protect their hearts. People are amazed at what I can do on “spare parts.” And I say, “Just think what you could accomplish with the original equipment, if you take care of it.”
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