A little more...

   My family was in a car accident when my Mom was only a couple of months pregnant with me. We speculate that the accident is the cause of my heart condition, but there is no way to know for sure. When I was not even a full day old, I had to be rushed by air ambulance to Toronto's Hospital for Sick Kids for emergency open heart surgery. I had another surgery at 4 days, another at 13 months, and when I was 10, I had a pacemaker implanted. I would have regular check-ups with my cardiologist and at the pacemaker clinic, and was ALWAYS given a great report.
   As far as I knew, I was as 'normal' as anyone, and the biggest issue in my life was dealing with the trials and tribulations that having a sibling with Prader Willi brought (which perhaps I will get into later on or you can  look up the book, The Way Life Is by Richard Johnson).
   When people would ask me about my heart, I always just told them that I was totally fine, and it was no big deal. Honestly, I felt fine; it really was no big deal. People always felt bad for me though and I got a lot more sympathy than I ever asked for.
    I was never teased or picked on due to my health (or for any other reason! Besides from my brother, but that is typical). One of the worst things I ever experienced regarding my heart condition was someone telling me that they were jealous of it. I remember it like yesterday. She said to me that if she had something like that wrong with her, she would use it to get people to feel sorry for her, and use it to her advantage. I was stunned and disgusted, as I had the exact opposite opinion. The last thing I had ever wanted was to have anyone feel sorry for me, or to stand out from my peers!
   Physically, I blended in no problem. But overall, I felt like I did stand out, in a big way.