Lisa Felicilda’s Heart

My mother, Lisa, started having very intense, very sudden heart arrhythmia. An event that could turn simple things like grocery shopping into an emergency situation in a matter of seconds. She was seen by her doctor but told that nothing was wrong due to the fact that every part of her body was completely healthy. About a week later the doctor called and said that what she had been experiencing was called ventricular tachycardia (V-tach). It is a very serious condition and put her at risk of sudden death. She was rushed to the hospital and admitted for several days, where they performed her first heart ablation. It seemed to have worked for a while, keeping the V-tach at bay. But unfortunately, what was hoped to be “fixed” by that first procedure has never really gone away.

Today, as of January 2023, Lisa has had 4 heart ablations at Methodist hospital in St. Louis Park, MN. The most recent being in August of 2022. While these actions help short term, the issue keeps coming back. And despite her team’s best efforts, the severity of her v-tach has increased. Together, they decided that my mom needed to be referred to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Because hers is a very complex and unique case, Mayo has decided to take it on. My mom has gone through numerous extreme tests and trials to figure out what exactly this is and why it keeps happening. So far, the results of these tests have yielded little answers, other than that she continues to be in seemingly great physical health.

This info is a blessing overall as it has given her doctor at Mayo the confidence in her to proceed to the next step of her treatment.

On February 9th she will be having her 5th (!!!) cardiac ablation. The difference this time is that her doctor will be operating inside AND outside of her heart, performing what is called an epicardial. It is an intense procedure that could take up to 9 hours in the OR, can cause serious issues.

It is never easy to share challenges. But this is our current reality. As it stands today, our family’s medical balance is around $12,000. That number will increase with the upcoming ablation and possible future care. Insurance is not covering some of my mom’s tests and procedures, Simply put, our family does not have the funds to cover this. The stress of the whole situation is sharply felt and I would love for my mom to just be able to focus on her care.

If you feel so inclined, our family would be incredibly touched to have your support. It would mean the world to Lisa, me (her daughter Malia), our friends and family, and so many more. Every penny helps to lift this financial burden and we are so grateful for your kindness and generosity. My hope is that by sharing this, it might allow us to better focus on what is important; my mom and her incredible heart.