Early one December morning, my husband called 911 because my heart was beating so fast, we couldn’t count the beats. It wasn’t going away.
Fire-fighters arrived. They asked some questions and placed 12-lead wires on my body for an ECG. My symptoms were gone by the time they arrived, but they saw something. I would need a cardiologist and soon. I had a normal sinus rhythm, a non-specific ST abnormality, and a prolonged QT. They consulted the hospital and left it up to me if I wanted a transfer to the ER. They warned me that because I was presenting with no symptoms (at the moment) I would be low on the list and most likely released with a referral to a cardiologist. I declined to go, promising I’d get a referral to see a cardiologist as soon as possible.
I didn’t sleep, afraid I could have another episode and sleep through it and die. When the sun came up, I called my primary care doctor the moment they opened. I had to fight for an appointment through tears. I invoked my status as a mom with 8 young children and something wrong with my heart. MY HEART! They magically found an opening.
Not My Heart
The doctor referred me to a cardiologist who specializes in electrical issues. I saw him a few days later. My hernia surgery was the following week and he wanted me to be cleared before with a stress test and an echocardiograph—an ultrasound of my heart—first. The surgeon wanted these tests, too. I passed, so my surgery went ahead as planned. A week after getting out of the hospital, I was to start wearing a cardiac event monitor for 30 days to capture the racing heart and palpitations I described.
But while in the hospital, I experienced several bouts of tachychardia, including one that lasted for hours. I was put on telemetry monitoring for the remainder of my stay, thankfully. I was glad to be in a place where if something went wrong, help was right there. Still, I was scared. Plus, I had a lot of other issues going on related to my surgery that had nothing to do with my heart.
The cardiologist was told of my episodes. I saw him in the hospital, too. He wanted me to start using the monitor immediately and not wait a week. The day after being released, I visited the cardiologist and was given a LifeStart monitor. I was taught how and where to place the leads and given a small black box to clip to my pocket. It looks like a pager from 1991. It is cumbersome and bothersome, but my heart continued to feel like it shuddered, sputtered, and raced so I knew it was an annoying necessity. I push the ‘record’ button when my heart starts misbehaving. With our home phone, recordings are transmitted to a call center where they are read by technicians and forwarded back to the cardiologist.
My Jewelry
At my follow-up appointment, I was told I have paroxysmal atrial tachychardia. It’s more bothersome than serious. It can get so bad it interferes with life but I wasn’t at that point. There was nothing to do but live with it. Medications could be introduced later, but only after it was serious enough. Extremely serious cases require an invasive procedure called ablation. It was good to have an answer. I kept the monitor for another 30 days because I had stopped wearing it a few days before my follow-up. The adhesive was making my skin burn and swell. They gave hypoallergenic electrodes to me. I took more readings and transmitted them.
Late last week, I got a call from my cardiologist. He was changing his diagnosis, based on the newer readings. I have atrial fibrillation. This is more serious and he wanted to see me in clinic.
When I signed in, I was given a bag full of information for women with heart disease. Uh, thanks. I remember getting gift bags at my OB when I was declared pregnant. It’s really not as much fun, people, to get the bag with the red handle.
I am 40, a mom, a woman, and I have atrial fibrillation. It’s not hugely uncommon…if you are over age 70. I have a 5-17 times greater risk for stroke and must take daily aspirin for prevention. It will get worse as I get older and the risk for stroke grows with each passing year. My grandma Alice died from her stroke. But how does an electrical heart defect cause a stroke? I was confused, too. Here’s a good answer:
Depending on the age of a person, and the specific cause of chronic atrial fibrillation, the incidence of stroke in people with this disorder can range from 5 to 17-fold higher than that of people without atrial fibrillation. Most commonly, atrial fibrillation causes cardioembolic strokes — those caused by a clot that escapes from the heart and blocks a blood vessel in the brain. Blood clots are known to form whenever blood remains static for prolonged periods of time, or as a result of turbulent blood flow, both of which are likely to occur during the erratic and disorganized heart beat of atrial fibrillation.
I will continue to wear my monitor until late next week when I pack it up and send it to the monitoring company. I will see my cardiologist in 3 months. I might change from aspirin to a different medication, but I have asthma so my choices are limited (which is why I’m starting with aspirin). And I will work to prevent strokes, heart attacks, and blood clots in myself and in others. Please consider learning about heart disease risk factors. Nobody is immune.
Heart disease is the #1 killer of women. I don’t want to be one of them. I’d rather go out sky-diving at age 115 clutching Roman candles, singing Amazing Grace at the top of my lungs.
I’m so glad you got an answer. I suspect you will be put on a blood thinner that is more than aspirin at some point. Oye! Sorry you’ve been through so much, but so glad that you took the symptoms seriously and found out what was going on…now take good care of yourself, please.
Gretchen – I have thought about you often over the past few months. I’m so glad you finally have answers but they aren’t the ones you wanted. You are strong and determined and I know you will take this on with grace and a fighting spirit. Take care of yourself. Please let me know if you need anything.
Oh gawd, how scary! Were you having any other symptoms besides the racing heart? So many of us dismiss symptoms as indigestion or what not and it would be good for people to know what to look for.
Praying for you, sis. Love you.
So sorry to hear this, although I’m glad that the doctor took it seriously and gave you a diagnosis. I hope it magically disappears. That happens, right? 🙂
Hi Gretchen – What you have sounds fairly common for the general population. A problem of the heart’s electrical system.
I am a heart rhythm meditation expert and coherence expert. I have studied and practiced something called for quite some time.
If you are not familiar with this I would encourage you to check out my link included here to my website.
Heart Coherence is a state you create through breathing and visualization (simple) which makes your heart rhythms very regular and smooth. This does several key things that could apply to your situation:
It slows your heartbeat down slightly and your heartbeat becomes MUCH more regular. This significantly reduces stress on the heart and it is scientifically proven to improve immune function, brainwave activity and creates a physiological state of well-being.
Let me know if you have questions or comments about this.
Wow, that’s not a fun thing to find out at any age. Glad they were able to give it a name–sometimes that’s half the battle! May you daily receive the “peace that passes understanding” as you live with this. 🙁
No fun no matter how serious to have heart issues that limit your activities. Especially as a mom of 8. So sorry, Gretchen. But, this is what sons are for, right? 🙂
Oh, Gretchen. Such a lot to process, but as usual you are doing it with grace and humor.
FWIW, I disagree with you cardiologist. I think you have a supremely good heart 🙂
Gretchen, knowledge is key here and you are on the right path. You are showing your jewelry, dealing with something scary and unknown with humor and you have a goal. I love your goal. Skydiving at 115, I’ve got some years on you but I hope to be in the audience that cheers you on ‘grab another roman candle, Gretchen, I can’t see your face!’
There are some gift bags that are seriously just not the gift any of us are after. Oh my friend, that is an awful burden for you to bear. I have to say that since I became a mum one of my consistent prayers is that I should have good health, our little people need us. What a horrible experience for you to go through and how brave you have to be. I pray now that you know what it is that your doctors will be able to help you and that you are soon rocking and rolling at full strength. Amazing Grace to you on the far side of the world. I am praying for your peace of mind as you deal with this.
Gretchen – I’m sure this has been scary to deal with. Wow – you are about the last person I would have guessed would get Afib – it’s very rare in someone so young. All my afib patients are very unhealthy and old. Glad you found it before it caused any issues, and that aspirin is the only blood thinner you need for now. This is a great post because so many women spend more time worrying about things like breast cancer – which, though it is serious, is much less common than heart disease.
Wow I am so glad you are okay, and maybe I’m thinking of something else but do you watch Parenthood? I swear they talked about this very thing in last night’s episode!! Will be thinking of you. What a year you’ve had!
Steph
Wow, Gretchen! I am so happy that you are okay and that the doctor was able to give you a diagnosis. I will be praying that you don’t have any more episodes and that I get to see you skydiving at the ripe old age of 115. I’d offer to tag along, but I’m afraid of heights. 🙂
Gretchen, I am sorry to hear this, it must be so scary to get that diagnosis. Because of you, I will be checking that link to see what the risk factors are. Thank you for sharing your story.
I’m so glad you have answers. At least answers help you cope and plan and give you a direction. Although I wish these answers weren’t your answers. I’m keeping you in my thoughts.
Whoa Gretchen! This has been a busy few months for you. I’m sorry you have to even know what this is. I hope your health is as good as possible for a long, long time.
YIKES! That must have been so frightening. Glad you have the tools and knowledge to deal with it. Looking forward to reading about your 115th birthday in the papers, or whatever we have then.
Gretchen, I can’t imagine how worried you must have been when all this started. I hope that the affirmative diagnosis and development of a treatment plan (along with a healthy dose of prayer) has given you some peace. Thank you also for the reminder to take care of our hearts! I will go and look at the link you posted since heart disease, unfortunately, runs in my family.