Warning: This article discusses drug abuse, which may be distressing for some readers.
A young mother, aged 22, discovered the severe damage drugs had caused to her heart after using them to extend her day, allowing for more study and leisure as a student.
Mandi Masterpole from Hamilton, New Jersey, was trying to manage multiple responsibilities during her college years.
She was studying to become a mortician while balancing her time with work, academics, and social activities. Mandi found that drugs could help her stay awake, postponing sleep to fit everything in.
It’s clear that this approach was unhealthy, and by the time Mandi recognized the toll the drugs were taking on her health, the situation had become critical.
Her experimentation with Adderall and Ritalin began at age 17, with increased usage during her college education.
These medications are sometimes prescribed for ADHD but are often misused as ‘study drugs’.
Mandi described her experience: “I remember my eyes lighting up, and colors appeared brighter. Everything seemed vibrant… I realized work would pass swiftly. By forgoing sleep, I used the nighttime hours for study and subsequently work.”
Convinced she was achieving more, Mandi increased her drug use, eventually snorting the substances up to four times daily and spending her entire $600 weekly earnings on them.
In addition, Mandi neglected her insulin regimen for managing type 1 diabetes, diagnosed when she was 15.
A turning point occurred when, at 21, Mandi became pregnant—a dream she had held for ‘the longest time’.
She expressed: “I was probably at my lowest just before my pregnancy… I convinced myself this would correct my path. I would cease drug use and care for my child.
“Believing a baby would give me a reason to stay clean, all I wanted was someone to remain sober for.”
The pregnancy proceeded smoothly, but during labor, Mandi experienced chest pains, later identified via an EKG scan as a heart attack.
She remembered: “During labor, I told my mom, ‘something’s not right’. The doctors inquired if I had taken anything, and I admitted to drug abuse. They concluded my heart had been severely damaged.
“The drug use, combined with diabetes, had so weakened my heart that it couldn’t cope with labor.
“[The doctor] explained that drug use on top of neglecting insulin made my heart extremely fragile. He said bluntly, ‘you just shattered it.'”
While in labor, Mandi’s heart stopped twice, and she recalled a ‘dark’ experience.
Fortunately, both Mandi and her daughter, Shae, survived. Mandi was placed on life support for a week before undergoing surgery to implant a mechanical heart pump. She now has a pacemaker and defibrillator and is on the transplant waiting list.
Given her weakened heart, Mandi often requires a wheelchair for outings and has been advised against having more children due to the potential strain on her body.
Hoping to alert others to the dangers of drug misuse, she shared: “I would advise everyone to avoid these drugs entirely. They’re not worth it. While they might make you feel good temporarily, they ultimately cause destruction.”
“It’s not the easy solution I believed it to be. Everyone should be aware that it leads you down a path you don’t want to follow.”
If you need confidential advice about drugs, you can reach out to American Addiction Centers at (313) 209-9137, available 24/7, or visit their website for more information.