I am 40 years old with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Considering that many guys with my disease do not survive past their twenties, I really can’t complain. Now beginning my fourth decade, somewhere I never imagined to reach, I find myself in rarely chartered territory. But I will adapt, as always.
At 40 with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, it is now crunch time, and I know I will have some big decisions to make in the coming years. I was faced with one recently. My disease has done significant damage to my heart. The old ticker is not pumping strongly, and my cardiologist has concerns that it can go into a dangerous rhythm, or stop beating at any time. He suggested that I have surgery to implant a device into my chest that could ultimately save my life. The device, known as a defibrillator, would attach to my heart and zap it with an electrical charge if it detects a dangerously erratic pulse or stoppage. The device would thrust a high electrical voltage into my heart to either restore my pulse to a more stable rhythm or completely jumpstart the heart bringing me back to life.
In theory, having the defibrillator would be of significant benefit to me. However the surgery and/or recovery period could kill me because my current health condition deems me a high risk. So my choices boiled down to risking my neck by facing potentially deadly complications during and/or following surgery, or not tampering with my body and maintaining a status quo. My decision was rather simple: do not rock the boat, forget surgery, forget the internal defibrillator, and take my chances.
I leave you with this question. Is it worth risking your life to possibly preserve your life? The answer is a tough one, very subjective. For me, at this stage of my life, the answer is no.
