Warrior's Call: Regina woman credits fight training with helping her through recovery

Adrienne Mahoneyis still getting used to living with a heart implant after a rare condition put her in a Regina emergency room.

In October a device was implanted in her body which assisted the function of the left ventricle in her heart, after it was attacked by a rare disorder which puts her white blood cells into "overdrive" and attacks vital organs in her case it was her heart.

"I think I'm feeling great but I know I still have a long road ahead," Mahoney told CBC Radio'sMorning Edition."We still have to carve out a bit of a treatment path to deal with my autoimmune disorder."

Back in September, Mahoneybegan feeling ill. For years, she said she thought she had asthma but it turned out to be a rare autoimmune disorder known asEosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitisorChurg-Strauss Syndrome.

The Morning Edition - Sask0:01Regina teacher recovering after heart procedure

CBC Morning Edition host Julianne Hazelwood spoke Dec. 27 with Regina teacher Adrienne Mahoney.

There are less than two people in one million who are diagnosed each year and there is no cure.

"It's been really, really busy for the last couple months," Mahoneysaid.

Mahoneyrecalled how one of the first things she was tasked with when she woke up in an intensive care unit was standing up, because she hadn't movedin a while.

She said her training in Muay Thai and kickboxing helped her through the treatment by providing her with some "mental grit."

Around October, she was attached to a short-term ventricular assist device. Medical staff had asked her to focus on healing herself with the hope her heart would recover on its own but that did not happen.

"I think that process reminded me so much, as a fighter, of the process you go through week after week in a fight camp," Mahoney said.

As her heart did not fully recover, the device she has now was implanted. Mahoney will be in Edmonton for a while and doesn't know when she'll return, describing the timeline for as "vague."

"I just want to give back. As soon as they clear me to go back to the community and do some work ... just as much as I can, volunteering in the community, anything like that."