Alyssa, don't let it get you down. Your heart may be stronger than the doc thinks it would be at this point, maybe you should ask for a stress test and a scan to be able to prove, one way or the other, how much it can take. A friend of mine had a heart murmur all while he was growing up, and yet when he was in his twenties, the doctor told him it had since gone away, and his heart was now normal. Ask the doctor what the warning signs would be were anything to happen, and promise to be cautious and never do anything just to prove you can.

And it's wise of you not to drink too much, and in fact, I can attest to the fact that if you decide to not drink at all, that can be fine, too. I made that decision for my own reasons when I was in college, and so was always the one who was sober and able to make sure my friends got home safely. And I had a perfectly good time at bars and parties, and never threw up on anyone, unlike many people I knew. I usually drank ginger ale, or sometimes asked for a mix of ginger ale, orange juice and cranberry juice, and folks would assume I was drinking some fancy cocktail and not bug me about it.

When I was a kid, my friend Robin's brother died on the playground at school, because he had a heart condition, and was not supposed to run and play, but he ignored that aide, and was playing kickball with his friends at recess. He was in third grade, and died on the base path.

Do get stuff checked now, so you know, as an adult, what you can and cannot do. And hopefully, you can have a cardiac specialist explain why is or is not up with your ticker, and live life accordingly!

When one of your friends wants you to not do something "because of your heart problem" but you know it is perfectly okay for you, just tell them "I may have a heart problem, but my brain works just fine. Let me decide for myself, please!"