As a cardiac nurse with nearly 20 years of experience, I’m very familiar with the signs of heart disease. When I began experiencing symptoms of an irregular heartbeat several years ago, I knew right away something was wrong.
I often felt like I just needed to stop and catch my breath, but as a single mom of two young children and a busy nurse, I chalked up these symptoms to stress, lack of sleep, and dehydration.
My symptoms escalated, and so did the fear
Over the next year, however, I noticed erratic heart rhythms and palpitations that started to become more frequent. I knew I needed to see a cardiologist. My doctor asked me to wear a Holter monitor, but it didn’t catch anything significant.
So I kept searching for answers as my condition worsened. Soon, I experienced syncopal episodes and would occasionally lose consciousness. Increased fatigue and dizziness were the first signs that I was about to faint, and then I would feel tingling in my fingers and toes that traveled upward, throughout my body.
Fainting, fear, and a life-changing wake-up call
These episodes became so frequent that I had to teach my children how to check whether I was breathing and call for help if needed. Unfortunately, this became routine for my family, and I eventually had to stop activities I loved, like riding my bike and visiting the beach.
Things changed after I went on a vacation to Las Vegas with my fiancé. As we stopped by a casino lobby in our hotel, I suddenly fainted and was rushed to the hospital. At the ICU, doctors said I experienced tachycardia, which required them to shock my heart back into rhythm three times. I returned home and immediately set up an appointment with my electrophysiologist.
How technology gave me answers and changed my life
Without a clear treatment plan in place, my doctor recommended that I get an insertable cardiac monitor (ICM), which is placed just underneath the skin of the chest in an outpatient procedure to monitor the heart continuously for up to several years if needed.
Having that monitor couldn't have come at a better time, as I soon had another fainting spell while helping my son pack for an out-of-town baseball tournament. This time, a nurse called to tell me the event was captured by the monitor. She informed me my heart had stopped for nine seconds, but she knew I was still alive because the ICM was still transmitting data. I was terrified that I could have died right in front of my son.
The device showed that I experienced systolic arrest, which could cause cardiac arrest. Given this, my cardiologist recommended that I receive a leadless pacemaker. Just one-tenth the size of a typical pacemaker, the pacemaker I was given is comparable in size to a vitamin pill. It’s implanted directly into my heart, which, for some patients, can reduce the chances of complications while removing any physical reminders that I even have a pacemaker at all. Since receiving my pacemaker, I haven’t had a single fainting episode.
Today, I’m back to loving life again.
Why you must advocate for your heart health
Too often, women, especially younger women like me, brush off the risks and symptoms of heart disease and blame it on stress or anxiety, leading to symptoms being ignored. And too often, medical professionals like us do that, too.
Now, I’m eager to help my patients and other women like me advocate for themselves and seek answers. When something doesn’t feel right, don’t stop asking questions. Remember that you’re your best advocate, and if you know something is wrong with your body, never give up. As nurses, we can help our patients find the right path to an answer, too.
Of course, you should always talk to your doctor about risks, diagnosis, and treatment information when you might be receiving therapy with a medical device. Today, I’m lucky to have a pacemaker protecting my heart, and if I hadn’t pushed for answers, I may never have known what was wrong with me.
