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APA Citations: Jaha. (n.d.). https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/JAHA.122.028938
Pericarditis. Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment. (2024, January 9). https://patient.info/heart-health/pericarditis-leaflet
[’Andrew Xanthopoulos’, ’John Skoularigis’]. (n.d.). Diagnosis of acute pericarditis. European Society of Cardiology. https://www.escardio.org/Journals/E-Journal-of-Cardiology-Practice/Volume-15/Diagnosis-of-acute-pericarditis
Pericarditis: Symptoms, diagnosis, and why timely management matters. MedStar Health – Healthcare Provider. (n.d.). https://www.medstarhealth.org/blog/pericarditis-diagnosis-treatment
Dababneh, E. (2023, August 8). Pericarditis. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431080/
My name is Lily Lowry, and I want to share my personal experience with being diagnosed with pericarditis and why I decided to incorporate it in my final project for this semester. Pericarditis is a condition where the sac-like tissue around the heart becomes inflamed, causing chest pain, difficulty breathing, and other symptoms depending on the severity. This diagnosis was a shock to me, as I had never experienced any heart-related issues before and have lived a pretty normal life since birth. After many days of having no idea what was going on with me, I was shocked to have been told I had a heart condition because I was always under the impression growing up that it is so rare for young people, especially women, to have problems with the heart.
It all started one evening 2 and a half weeks ago when I was driving home from a delicious dinner at Chicken Town off South Cushman in Fairbanks with my boyfriend after a long day at work and class. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my chest that left me breathless and I immediately started to feel dizzy and lightheaded. At first, I thought it might be just indigestion or anxiety since I have a history of both, but the pain persisted and even worsened as my drive home continued so I decided to pull over on the side of the highway because I was feeling like I was going to pass out or faint. When I safely pulled over, I decided to look at what my heart rate was at then and it said my heart was beating 170 BPM. I knew that wasn’t good at all but I decided to take a few big gulps of my water and decided to drive the 3 extra minutes on the road to my house. When I arrived at my house I was still feeling the pain and dizziness so I decided to call my mom and take her advice on just laying down, elevating my feet and putting a cold cloth on my forehead to see if my heart rate would lower any or just progress still. I decided to go to the emergency room an hour after laying down and relaxing because no matter all that I tried to help lower it, weren’t working but only making them feel worse to me, where I was for hours and examined by a doctor who suspected pericarditis.
I was admitted to the hospital for further tests and observation because even with multiple beta blockers and anti inflammatories through my IV, they weren’t helping . The doctor explained to me that pericarditis is often caused by a viral infection, and that in my case, it was likely triggered by a bacterial infection I was still fighting from a week prior to this incident. The thought of having a condition affecting my heart was terrifying, and I couldn’t help but worry about the implications it might have on my health and well-being in my future years until the doctor reassured me medication is the cure and healthy cardiac diets until it goes away. During my hospital stay, I underwent various tests such as an echocardiogram and blood tests to confirm the diagnosis. I was put on medication to reduce the inflammation and manage the pain. The treatment plan also included plenty of rest and avoiding strenuous activities to allow my body to heal which I thought would be the end of the world because of how much class I would be missing but in reality I was keeping up with classwork still on my worst days.
The days in the hospital were long and challenging to say the least. I felt scared and overwhelmed by the uncertainty of my condition. However, I was lucky to have the support of my family and friends, who visited me regularly and offered words of encouragement to help cheer me up. Their presence gave me strength and hope during this difficult time and my mom, boyfriend and grandma were there to visit me at least once a day each. As the 4 nights passed, I noticed a gradual improvement in my symptoms and a ability to actual get comfortable sleep without hunching over to even be moderately okay. The chest pain began to subside, and I could breathe more easily. I started to feel like myself again, and the fear that initially consumed me slowly faded away as I realized my long day and nights were coming to an end. I was discharged from the hospital with a follow-up plan to monitor my condition and ensure it didn’t worsen.
Recovering from pericarditis wasn’t easy, and I’m still fighting it gradually. It took time and patience to fully regain my strength and energy. I had to make lifestyle changes, such as reducing stress and taking better care of my overall health. I also had to continue taking medication and attending regular check-ups with my cardiologist and primary care physician. Looking back on my experience with pericarditis, I am grateful for the support and care I received during those challenging days. It was a wake up call for me to prioritize my health and well-being, and not take my body for granted. I learned the importance of listening to my body and seeking medical help when needed. This whole experience really drove me into the perfect STEAM project idea so people can know more about pericarditis and how it works and acts with conjunction to my experiences with it as a young healthy girl who hasn’t had any problems in the past or leading up to it.
Living with a heart condition like pericarditis has made me more aware of the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing every moment because you truly never known when it’ll be your last day, minutes, or even hours of life. It has taught me resilience and strength in the face of adversity and the importance of putting myself out there to socialize with more people on my level. And most importantly, it has shown me the power of love and support in times of need. Someone may br dealing with this issue 2 blocks away from where I live simply because not enough people know about it.
Being diagnosed with pericarditis was a life-changing experience for me. It challenged me both physically and mentally, but it also taught me valuable lessons about health, resilience, and the power of human connection. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my story through my creative STEAM project on Pericarditis and hope that it can inspire others facing similar challenges to stay strong and never lose hope because most likely the worst outcome is the thing that is stuck on your mind the entire process and never actually happens.
In her STEAM project, Lily Lowry explains the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Pericarditis, as well as sharing her personal testimony of diagnosis. Pericarditis is the inflammation of the pericardium, which is the sac like tissue around the heart. This is pointed out on the diagram of the heart Lily included on her poster. The inflammation of this sac causes chest pain, difficulty breathing and Beck’s triad. There can be many causes, as outlined in her poster, but in Lily’s case it was likely triggered by a bacterial infection. In her poster she also outlines the four stages of ECG changes in Pericarditis.