Giant Cell Myocarditis: A Rare Cause of Heart Failure

Recovery was not easy. After surgery, it took three people just to help Ramsey stand up. And at rehab, she had to walk with a harness because she couldn’t put any weight on her legs — the same legs that were scaling glaciers just a few months before.

Ramsey, who had to retire after her illness, still doesn’t have the best balance, but is walking on her own now, even chasing around her grandkids. “I’m still pushing every day to try to get back to 100 percent, but not taking for granted where I am, that’s for sure,” she says.

Her advice to others: Take care of your health, no matter how busy life gets. She says one thing that helped her get a new heart so quickly was being up to date on her mammograms and colonoscopies. (Doctors have to evaluate a patient’s overall health and their health habits — like whether they will take their medications after surgery — when determining if they’re a good candidate for a transplant.) And she credits eating right and exercising with helping her recover so well from the traumatic ordeal.

Finally, Ramsey stresses the importance of not brushing off concerning or persistent symptoms — advice that the experts echo.

“Be mindful of symptoms that may seem out of place from what they normally are,” Lam says. Feeling short of breath or like you might pass out could point to a heart issue, Cooper says. The same goes for tightness in the chest. “And seek care sooner rather than later,” Lam adds.

With ongoing therapy, Ramsey says she’s getting progressively stronger and is doing everything she can to “earn” her new heart. “Let me tell you, every day is a good day,” she says. “Even if it’s a bad day for the leg or if I didn’t sleep, I’m here. My family and I have a brand-new perspective on life.”

Rachel Nania writes about health care and health policy for AARP. Previously she was a reporter and editor for WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C. A recipient of a Gracie Award and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, she also participated in a dementia fellowship with the National Press Foundation.

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