Welcome to the CaringBridge website for Lexie Fullgrapp - We are using the page to keep family and friends updated in one place.
Lexie is battling giant cell myocarditis which has compromised her heart and she will be going down the path of a heart transplant. At age 32, the news has been hard to process but Lexie is still staying positive and preparing for battle.
Lexie went to her GI doctor last Thursday (November 15) at the University of Michigan and they did some routine blood work. The next morning, Lexie and her mom Cindy were on their way back home to Port Huron and the GI office called Lexie stating her potassium was low and she needed to go to the emergency room. Lexie and Cindy drove to McLaren Hospital in Port Huron, and after more tests, doctors found fluid on Lexie’s lungs and on her heart. With Lexie’s complex medical history the doctors at McLaren decided to transfer Lexie to the University of Michigan for care. Lexie was transferred via ambulance from McLaren to the University of Michigan where she was admitted into the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.
On Monday (November 19) Lexie had a heart catheter which said she does not have any blockages. On Tuesday she had another heart catheter and she also had a heart biopsy that day. Wednesday morning the heart biopsy results came back and they said she has a very rare disease causing an inflammation in her heart. It is called Giant Cell Myocarditis, the exact cause of this is unknown because of how rare it is however it has been linked to autoimmune disorders in other people who have had this, so it is most likely related to Lexie’s autoimmune issues. Because of the diagnosis, Lexie will need a heart transplant. Lexie remains in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit where she is in the process of getting evaluated for the transplant.
We will be providing updates on Lexie’s journey as we have them. A GoFundMe has also been setup to help support Lexie and her family through this difficult time.
http://gofundme.com/lovingonlexie (
http://gofundme.com/lovingonlexie )
We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
