After enduring chemotherapy and radiation therapy during three bouts of cancer over the course of 14 years, Stake Simpson sought control over her body. She started training to run a half marathon.
Her body couldn’t handle it well. She started coughing and at night her breathing became difficult, but these problems did not seem to be related to her training.
She went to the emergency room twice. Doctors attributed her symptoms to pneumonia. She was given steroids and antibiotics.
The medication didn’t work, so she went to the ER a third time.
“Has anyone checked you for heart failure?” the doctor asked Simpson.
“No, why would I have heart failure?” Simpson, then 44, replied.
She had been told about the many side effects of harsh cancer treatments, but she didn’t know they could include heart problems. She later learned that certain chemotherapy drugs she took could cause heart failure.
Echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis.
Heart failure means the heart is not pumping blood properly to other parts of the body. It is measured by something called the ejection fraction. Usually at least about 50%. The Simpsons was about 30%.
Thanks to medicine, she recovered. In fact, a month later, Simpson’s doctor cleared her to resume half-marathon training. (She has since completed her 5K many times.)
The following year, Simpson was hit by a truck while riding his bike while training for a triathlon. She fractured her vertebrae, tore her rotator cuff, and tore ligaments and cartilage in her right knee.
As she recovered, her ejection fraction dropped to 10%. Doctors implanted a defibrillator and placed Simpson on the waiting list for a heart transplant.
When she was hospitalized on Valentine’s Day 2012, doctors warned her then-boyfriend Michael Simpson that she “might not last long.” He got down on one knee and proposed to her. The two got married on different important dates. It’s February 29th of a leap year.
After obtaining a defibrillator, Simpson worked to participate in a University of Miami study on heart failure and stem cells. In December 2014, doctors transplanted stem cells into Simpson’s heart. I discovered a blockage during the procedure. She required double bypass surgery.
Simpson underwent surgery five months later. After various interventions, her heart function reached 47%.
In March, Simpson, who had been in good health for many years, was exercising when he noticed a rapid pulse and began to feel dizzy. This led to the discovery of another blocked artery. Doctors were able to make a hole by inserting a stent.
Simpson is currently 57 years old and lives in Miami. She owns a gymnastics studio and teaches parent-child Zumba classes about five hours a week. She is grateful to be alive and prepared for any other challenges life throws at her.
“I truly believe that a positive attitude influences the outcome of everything you face,” she said. “One thing I’ve heard over and over again is that I will never give up.”
Dr. Joshua Hare, Simpson’s heart failure and transplant specialist, said he was impressed by Simpson’s resilience.
“I think the fact that she’s been through so much and achieved so much is a testament to her determination to tackle medical issues,” Hare said. “Not only did she receive her conventional treatments, but she also participated in research studies that improved her own health and advanced the state of her medical care.”
Stories from the Heart chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers, and supporters.
