Nicole McKelvie

Hi, I’m Nicole. I am the Chairwoman for Heart Failure Warriors. I’m 45 and was relatively fit and healthy with no under lying problems except mild asthma so this diagnosis was a complete shock to the system.

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For well over a year and a half I had been having problems with my breathing and the GP practice kept putting it down to my asthma just getting worse and no longer under control or well managed. (I’ve had mild asthma since childhood.)

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I was struggling with walking short distances, with climbing stairs, holding conversations and I couldn’t sleep lying down. I just couldn’t get a proper breath. Although I was still working away and just getting on with things. I’d been referred to a respiratory consultant.

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At the beginning of January 2023, I had an x-ray which came back to show that my heart was enlarged and I was now on a waiting list to see a cardiologist. But one day towards the end of January I just felt peculiar, my vision blurred and the room spun so my husband insisted on taking me to A&E, which in turn saved my life.

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Long story short, I had endured a suspected mild heart attack where I’d felt none of the usual symptoms attributed with heart attacks that everyone talks about and was also told that I was in acute Heart Failure with an EF (Ejection Fraction) of between 5-10%. The next shocker was the diagnosis of Dilated Cardiomyopathy to accompany being in heart failure.

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Hence my world was just turned upside down in the space of a few hours. Lots to process.

I thought I was dying and spent just over 2 weeks in Craigavon Area Hospital in the coronary care unit. I’m now on the 4 pillars of heart medication and was discharged after my EF rose to about 26%.

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I continue to be under the care of the amazing heart failure nurses and consultants in the southern trust and a recent echo showed my EF is up to 32%. I’m not out of the woods yet, but I am starting to feel a little more optimistic about the future again. I’ve just started cardiac rehab to help give me my confidence back and improve my fitness as my muscles have weakened.

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It’s all a bit of a rollercoaster ride that I can’t get off. I felt very overwhelmed when I got home from hospital and just felt I had no-one to talk to who would understand. My family have been amazing. But I was still missing someone in the same boat as me who would just “get it.” Any research I did on Google (NOT ADVISABLE) scared the life out of me.

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When the Heart Failure Nurses mentioned starting a patient led group, I jumped at the chance as I wanted to meet people who would share my journey and in turn, I could help them.

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This group will help others facing a diagnosis of heart failure feel in control and not so alone. Together we can help change the lives of patients with heart failure and their families.

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#StrongerTogether