Story submitted by Lisa:

I am a 38 year old wife and mom of 2 children. I had an experimental pfo closure done on my heart at one of the best hospitals in Wisconsin in 2001. I had to have it done, because like you Bret I had a small stroke and this was the cause a tiny hole in my heart that they never detected. In 2006 I woke up and felt like it was hard to breath, my throat hurt, and pain in my jaw, so I immediately went to the er telling them I thought I was having an allergic reaction. Little did I know the Clip they used eroded and came through one of my valves in my heart. In Waupun Hospital I had a seizure and flat lined due to having cardiac tamponode (bleeding out of my heart it was drowning). Somehow I came to and then they sent me back to the hospital that did the surgery on Flight For Life. On the Flight I flat-lined again and came to. Then I got to the hospital and while they were doing tests it happened again so finally they decided to do open heart surgery and fixed the valve with cow skin. While in surgery they let my family know i might have major brain damage when I come to due to all the times oxygen was not getting to my Brain. However I am alive and I have no brain damage. I am a diabetic, but I take pills not insulin. This was traumatic for me, but now being 7 years later I just graduated with a Cosmetology degree Feb 26th. You have to believe in yourself, accept things you cannot change, and know what your mental and physical limits are. Believe me I know it is not easy, but you can do it if I did!