About Kelly

Cardiomyopathy

In July 1992, Kelly went to her general practitioner with complaints of isolated episodes of heart palpitations. After an EKG test which appeared quite normal (just a few skipped beats), the doctor diagnosed her as having "stress" and referred her to a psychiatrist! She tried to ignore the periodic palpitations until September when she again stopped by his office for an EKG. This time the doctor captured her resting heart rate at 187 beats per minute (Kelly’s normal heart rate was 50). Based on her sustained and dangerously elevated heart rate, she was immediately sent to a cardiologist for further tests. The cardiologist performed an echocardiogram that indicated her left ventricle was enlarged. Due to the severity of Kelly’s condition, within a matter of hours, she was airlifted to a hospital in Los Angeles to be treated by a specialist in electrophysiology.

Upon arriving at Good Samaritan Hospital, several test were performed which indicated her heart was not only enlarged, but had significant and widely spread scar tissue, most likely the result of an unknown virus. The scarring caused an interruption in her heart's electrical system, thus causing life-threatening arrhythmias. At this time, the source of the virus was not the issue; the problem at hand was to control her fast rhythms. Over the course of a few months, multiple drugs and dosages (cocktails) were used in effort to find a therapeutic dose as well as a drug combination Kelly could tolerate. At that point it was necessary to have an AICD (Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) implanted. At the time, the device was a primitive model and was the size of an early generation Walkman. Because of its large size, it was implanted in the subcutaneous tissue of her abdomen with connecting wires threaded to her heart. The device was designed to act solely as a safety net in the event the medication was overridden by a particularly fast rhythm. She had the device for a little over 3 years (including 3 change outs due to battery depletion). Kelly describes the experience as “bittersweet”, the feeling of a ticking bomb that could go off at any time, however, the same “ticking bomb” saved her life on more than a few occasions. It was clear that with time her heart was failing. Even though it was a downhill ride, she surprised her physicians by delaying an inevitable transplant a year and a half longer than they thought possible. Looking back, she gives a great deal of credit for her success to having an organized approach to managing her illness, being compliant, and most of all, having a terrific support team.

*The AICD is similar to a pacemaker, however, instead of pacing the heart if the rate is too low, it fires a shock in the event the heart rate gets too fast. The effect is similar to that of external paddles paramedics use only the device is internal.