In my situation my main concern revolved around the possibility of heart related issues and living with MD. What didn't help me was seeing Facebook postings about other people having issues related to their hearts. Seeing this automatically had me jumping to the conclusion that the same thing was going to happen to me. Eventually this led to issues with anxiety which started affecting my sleep this wasn't a good mix as this allowed me to get stressed out more easily. Being overly concerned one day actually led to an early morning trip to my local emergency room. I felt as if my heart was racing plus I was experiencing a bit of chest pain. Long story short I had a chest x-ray done then some blood work as well and when the results were in they said everything was perfectly fine. That same day an appointment was set up with a heart specialist who I would see in just a few weeks. They completed an echo-cardiogram and I was also required to wear a heart monitor for a 48 hour period of time. Just like at the hospital when the results were in everything was perfectly fine. So as you can see I allowed the things I was reading online to affect me which eventually led to issues with anxiety. Which already isn't good for anyone's heart. Sure we can all admit that those of us living with Becker Muscular Dystrophy may face issues related to our hearts but everyone's story is different. For all the people I have met who have heart related issues I have to remind myself of the large number of people living with BMD who do not.
My Advice for those living with BMD or any type of physical disability
My advice to everyone affected by Becker's Muscular Dystrophy or other conditions is to take it one day at a time, if you have concerns, it is always best to speak with your doctor. If it takes a quick check up to set your mind at ease then great. I think we all have to be very thankful that we live in a day and time when many of the issues we may face can be treated and even easily corrected with medication. Another good thing is that thanks to the many Becker Muscular Dystrophy related group pages that exist is that we don't have to go through any of the challenges we might face on our own. Like I have said many times before we are all in this Together.
My Advice to parents of children living with BMD or other conditions
If there is any advice I would like to give to the parents of children living with Becker's Muscular Dystrophy is to follow your doctor's advice. If they suggest regular check ups then great. As a child I had many check ups with specialist and they never found any issues of concern. To help ease your mind I am close to 40 years old and have no heart related issues. Now it is certainly ok to be a little concerned especially about your child, that is understandable I just don't want you to spend all your time in a constant state of worry. As we all know worry can also have negative affects on our health as well. In my situation being overly concerned led to issues with anxiety which I am currently still trying to overcome. I certainly don't want any of you to have issues of dealing with issues of anxiety. Now if you find yourself becoming overly concerned it certainly doesn't hurt to speak with your family doctor. Again you are also not in this alone we all have to be grateful that we live in a time when help is never that far away.
In life all any of us can do is our best, we need to try and remain positive and relay any concerns we have to a specialist or family doctor. If I have learned anything through this experience is that even though others may face certain issues, it doesn't necessarily mean that the same thing is going to happen to us. In the end all we can do is take things one day at a time.
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