NEW ORLEANS, La. (KSLA) – Camellia Abbott has lived with congestive heart failure for 16 years. Doctors diagnosed her in 2011 after she started feeling short of breath while working.
“Shortness of breath. I couldn’t walk an inch. I was out of breath — anything that I did, I was out of breath. Feet and ankles just swole like elephants,” Abbott said.
Condition runs in family
Abbott said the condition runs in her family. Her mother, grandfather and great-grandmother all had heart problems. Doctors said there is no blockage to fix with a stent or bypass. Instead, her heart is pumping at 15 percent of normal capacity, known as her ejection fraction.
“This has been a fight. Do you hear me? I’ve been fighting for my life. I’ve been on IVs, on all kind of heart medicines,” Abbott said.
Transferred to New Orleans
After brief hospital stays in Homer and Bossier City, Abbott was sent to Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans…