Hi Joanne no problem I myself enjoy sharing . Just for a quick history what started my issues was a flu virus that effected my Heart. What happen was the sac around our Heart and Lungs started filling up with fluid. This was 2008 and when due to the heart trying to pump blood against all that water it got enlarged. Well the heart is one organ we don't want large and that's what started my journey. When they finally got me dried out my heart was at 5% EF and a pacemaker was recommended at first just as a percaution. From 2008 until 2010 my heart regained strength and at its peak was about 50%. My biggest problem was electrical as later I found out when I got my first shock in 2011. So it did drop to about 30 % towards the days of transplant but that wasn't the main reason for the transplant. I was on 2 drugs Amiodroine and Mexiltine mostly to control my rhythm and with a couple of successful ablation was doing well. But it was one not successful ablation by a new doctor who I found out did not give me the greatest advice, that was 2015. He wanted to try and get me off the meds but it didn't work and I don't really want to dwell on what could have been but that's when the shocks and arrhythmia made life more challenging. Was alcohol the problem or an over zealous doctor I may never know but ultimately I'm kinda glad I went thru it and now with the new Heart my life is pretty good. The other factor was the Amiodroine. It was the goto drug for VT arrhythmia but with long term use can become toxic. And that did have just after I was put n on the transplant list. I finally got listed about December 26-28th I believe but on New Years eve I had what they thought was a stroke. Come to find out it was the heavy IV type Amiodroine that caused me to go into this very strange dream like state. So that incident raised me from level 2 n on the list to 1b. There are like 7 levels with the top one split from 1a and 1b. So I was put at 1b. Jan 5th my heart became available and so basically I was on the list less than a week. I won't elaborate unless you want me to on how much of that period strengthen my faith.
So moving on to what i did, I was a communication Technician for the power industry and it was felt that with the transplant and the recovery from that I would not be able to meet the requirements of that job anymore. The job description ment I had to be able to climb up to 300 ft towers. And work mostly alone on the road all the time. I really loved the job but now I'm convinced it was all in the plan to be exactly where I am now. So based on that I got an early retirement from both my employer which was the federal government and disability from social security. So I have to go for now Zoom meeting with my grand kids but can continue later.