This is a blog post from 20 April 2012 when I officially received my cardiac condition diagnosis. I’m leaving it exactly as I wrote it 13 years ago, with some reflections from the current version of me at the end:

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Before I tell you about my past, my present life – or what I am working toward in my future with God’s assistance… Let me tell you about today…

 This morning my alarm went off at 4:30am… And I let my mind wander for about 15 minutes and just lay staring at the wall (like I sometimes randomly find myself doing recently – coz my head is JUST too full) until B’s snoring just drove me bonkers and I nudged him to wake up 🙂

Then we got ready for my appointment – lol as usual – I ran late and we only arrived at 6:30am… To a waiting room full of people…

We patiently waited (at least I did – B randomly complained in my ear lol) and we were out of there an hour later and waiting for my set of tests at Cardio. If I had known how many times I was going to take my top off today – I would have worn something more practical!

I met another heart patient and he told me his story: he had a hole in his heart from birth but only discovered it when he had stomach issues and they did a full body scan. He had an operation to fix it and it took 6 hours… He was in ICU for 1 week thereafter and 1 week in general recovery. For 6 months after – his body was STILL in recovery and he said it even hurt to fart *closing eyes with hands* – he showed me his scar from the operation. At this moment it all suddenly felt very real for me…But I’m a very positive person and the type that finds solutions immediately – I already decided the type of tops I could wear to hide the scar if I had to have surgery without losing cleavage hehehe 🙂

At about 11am I finally see the cardiologist, Dr. C – Head of Cardiology at GSH. This is after the ECG (Electrocardiogram) – I had to lie on an examination table, and 10 electrodes (or leads) were attached to my arms, legs, and chest with cold gel and weird suctions. The electrodes detect the electrical impulses generated by my heart and transmit them to the ECG machine. The ECG machine produces a graph (the ECG tracing) of those cardiac electrical impulses. The electrodes were then removed. The test took less than 5 minutes to perform); being weighed (YAY I lost 4kgs in the past 2 months) & chest x-rays (which was really weird – like a photo shoot with different poses). 

The Dr. sits me down and does his assessment and listens to my heart with the stethoscope… that part was kind of strange as he asked me to lie down – then stand up – then bend down and touch the floor!? Then he says… he doesn’t think it’s a hole (YAAAAAAY!!!!), he just thinks it sounds like it’s a common condition but my sounds are very rare and unusual – almost musical – because at every position there is a different beat (o_O) – this is so super ironic considering how much I love music and you can hear the music from my car from around the corner hehehe. Also mine is special because of the fact that it is so audible and people can actually hear it by just standing next to me sometimes.

He then sends me back to B in the waiting room – they need to prepare the Echocardiogram and thereafter he will be able to confirm his assumptions…

Oh, forgot to add that Dr. C asked if I was okay with his students coming to listen to my murmur once I am in the Echo room as mine is unique and they probably wouldn’t get a chance to hear this again. Needless to say, I said yes – would be a bit weird having a few people looking at my breasts – but I understood the educational benefits.

(lol NOW I know why I can’t run!!! They tortured me at boot camp pushing me for more laps but I always had mini panic attacks when I try to run)
I could live like this for many many years and nothing would happen, and in some cases, it even disappears – but it needs to be monitored. 

So to end off my post… I am officially a heart patient with Mitral Valve Prolapse – Barlow Syndrome. I need to live a healthy lifestyle but at least don’t have to take any medication! 🙂 I need to go to GSH every 6 months for a check-up. =D

Present day addition: That x-ray that I had done, was so important… I didnt know it at the time but in 2020 that x-ray helped me catch the cancer early. I continued those check-ups – it was always a highlight for the students to see me because cardiac murmurs detected by the human ear alone without the use of a stethoscope are very rare. There was a catch that they didn’t make me aware of at my first check-up though… Turns out that I was always just on the verge of having open-heart surgery where my echos were concerned, but they couldn’t operate because I’m asymptomatic and they can’t guarantee my quality of life after the operation. But the second that I showed symptoms, it would be a go. In 2017, I was told that we needed to operate… But that’s a story for another episode. 

Final Thoughts from 2025 Me:
If there’s one thing I want you to take from my story, it’s this: Listen to your body. Honor it. Nurture it. Your body is always communicating with you, whether through a diagnosis, a sensation, or even an intuitive nudge. We are not meant to just survive—we are meant to thrive.

If you’re facing a health challenge, don’t let it define you—let it empower you. Seek answers, prioritize self-care, and surround yourself with people who uplift you. Healing isn’t just about the physical—it’s about alignment, mindset, and trust.

You are stronger than you think. Keep following your heart—in every sense of the word. ❤️