[Intro — spoken]

Margaret taught third grade for thirty-seven years...

She knew every child's name, every parent's face...

But lately she couldn't make it up the stairs to her own classroom...

Something was wrong with Margaret's heart...

[Verse 1]

Margaret retired at sixty-eight with a garden and a plan,

Tended to her roses every morning — life was grand,

But somewhere around seventy the stairs got really steep,

Had to stop halfway up just to catch her breath and weep.

Ankles swelling by the afternoon — shoes wouldn't fit,

Woke up at two in the morning — couldn't sleep a bit,

Had to prop herself up on three pillows just to breathe,

Something in her chest felt heavy — hard to believe.

[Pre-Chorus]

Margaret had high blood pressure since she turned fifty-two,

Heart attack ten years ago — stents put in — she pulled through,

Never really changed her diet — salt was everywhere,

Didn't think the swelling and the breathlessness were there.

[Chorus]

Margaret's heart is struggling — can't pump like it used to,

Fluid backing up in places fluid shouldn't go to,

Legs and lungs and belly — filling up with extra weight,

Margaret's heart is struggling — almost left it too late.

[Verse 2]

Doctor listened to her chest and heard a crackling sound,

Pressed her ankle — left a dent — fluid all around,

Neck veins bulging — liver tender — belly getting wide,

X-ray showed a big heart shadow — fluid on the side.

They measured how her heart was squeezing — number came back low,

Below the normal range — the pump just couldn't go,

Said the muscle's weakened — can't push forward anymore,

Blood is backing up — that's what the swelling's for.

[Bridge]

They admitted Margaret — gave her medicine through a drip,

Watched the fluid pour off — pound by pound — quite a trip,

Breathing easier by morning — ankles back to size,

Doctor sat beside her bed and helped her realize.

This condition doesn't go away — it's managed every day,

Weigh yourself each morning — watch the sodium — that's the way,

Fluid pills to help the kidneys flush the extra out,

Heart medications to protect it — that's what it's about.

[Outro]

Margaret's back in her garden now — roses looking fine,

Weighs herself at seven every morning — that's the sign,

Three pills on the counter — takes them without fail,

Margaret's heart is struggling — but Margaret will prevail.

“Margaret’s Story”