Welcome to My Low/No Salt World: My Story

In May of 2013, I was taken to the emergency room unable to breathe.  I had been having trouble with a cough and shortness of breath for awhile but I thought it was just a lung infection of some sort and would go away.  But it didn't.  It got worse to the point where I couldn't breathe at all.

Once I got to the emergency room, I discovered that I was suffering from congestive heart failure. My EF (ejection fraction) was 10%.  That means that my heart was pumping at just 10% efficiency.  Within days, I had a heart catherization and then a pacemaker/defibrillator inserted.  And my entire life changed.

Once the dust settled, I was told that I had to limit my sodium intake to just 2000 mg a day.  I had never given much thought to how much sodium I was eating.  I did love my salt though.   And, I was put on several medications and sent home from the hospital with the instructions to take my medications, weigh myself and take my temperature every morning,  monitor my blood pressure and  limit my sodium to less than 2000 mg a day. 

As I started to check the sodium content in the foods I ate, I realized that I had to have been eating 8,000 mg of sodium a day.  It's in absolutely everything.   I began reading labels and looking for low sodium and sodium free foods.  They are out there, but for the most part you have to look for them.  Lesson #1 that I learned is that Heart Healthy foods are still loaded with sodium.   Lesson #2 that I learned is that almost everything contains sodium.  I mean, what is sodium doing in eggs still in their shells, celery and jello????



I have had other challenges and have been back in the hospital twice due to problems with medication.  The first time, I thought I had found the perfect drink.  I love orange juice and there's no sodium in it.  So, I was drinking a lot.  I also found some Healthy Choice frozen dinners that were low in sodium and I was enjoying them.  Then I had my first blood test and got a frantic call from my doctor to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

Well, it seems that my potassium level had risen to 7.8, which is in the danger zone.  The medications that I was on, including Spirolactone, lisinopril, and potassium were causing a major back up of potassium in my body.  So, after this hospital stay, they sent me home with just lisinopril and coreg and cut the other two meds out.  I had to now watch my potassium along with my sodium.  This isn't all that easy, because most of the low sodium foods use a potassium based substitute for sodium so many of the low sodium foods are high in potassium.

What makes this whole thing even harder is that I love to cook and I have a family that loves to eat.  I cook for anywhere from 4 to 8 people daily, depending on which of the kids are off work on any given night.  There are some favorite recipes that I can't change that aren't low sodium and so when I make those, I just make myself something else.   But, I've been finding a lot of new things to make for the family that they like just as much as the high sodium counterparts, which has been very gratifying.  I've found ways to lower sodium in some other favorites so as not to be noticeable to the family. 

At this point, I have to mention that I have the most wonderful husband in the world who has undertaken this challenge with me and has made it easier on my by helping to look for low salt alternatives and doing everything he can to make it easier on me.    I can't express how much his support has meant to me. 

This is a journey that I'll be on for the rest of my life.  I'm attacking it with gusto and will post my victories and my discoveries on this blog.  I know that there are well over 5 million people in US with congestive heart failure and so I am not alone.    I hope by writing this blog  I can help others who are struggling with having to eat a low sodium diet survive just a little easier.  Welcome to my Low/No Salt World.