Over the past 15 years has seen an explosion in arrhythmia-related diseases. I think there are two reasons. First, there is the rapid rise of technology that allows us to offer increasingly sophisticated treatments for people suffering from diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, long QT syndrome, short QT syndrome, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and many others. Secondly, the average person is suffering a lot more stress now15 years. If you had said at the time of sudden death syndrome for adults (SADS), most people would have laughed and thought that you probably are a joke. Now almost everyone has heard of sudden cardiac death (although the term does not mean nothing to them SADS).
Imagine my surprise when, in 1992, suffered a cardiac arrest, said the consultant at St George's Hospital Tooting I did not know what was happening to me, except I was in danger of sudden death. "You suffer," heI said, "Sudden Adult Death Syndrome." (Actually, a few years later I was found to suffer from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC)). I thought I had an attack of "simple" heart.
This article is not about medical or professional service available today. It is also not for the changing world and the whys and wherefores of increasing stress we all find ourselves. Rather it is intended for an individual account, the targeta growing number of people who are affected (directly or indirectly) by the possibility of sudden death. It 'the first of a series of such articles.
I was 32 years old when I suffered my first heart attack. It 'all came out of nowhere, as I had never had heart problems so far.
And 'success in the emergency department at East Surrey Hospital, but my problems had emerged an hour before the track Sandown Park. I wasalone in the race and only my way to the parking lot when my heart suddenly speed up to 200 beats per minute (ventricular tachycardia, otherwise known as VT). This speed sounds like an exaggeration, but it must have been near as fast as I was very close. The truth is that I was incredibly happy. If my heart had accelerated rapidly into ventricular fibrillation (VF) (shaking and trembling, loss of control power) gone, and I would likehave suffered a cardiac arrest there and then. Given my situation (alone in a strange evening, very late winter car) would almost certainly have died.
This article is not told about the details that follow then, we just have to say I made it to East Surrey Hospital, where I finally suffered a cardiac arrest (the nurse asked me to lie on the hospital trolley and I immediately stopped - wake-up call-off and the truck crash hoohah). Rather, the main subject ofthe sense of betrayal that sprang from that first accident (and subsequent events). This may seem strange to those who have not experienced a major failure of the body, but I'm sure others like me have such an experience to know exactly what I'm talking about.
The truth is that the body is an incredibly complex system, but most of the time it does not think that way. In fact, we take it for granted. It 'a matter of trust. We trust that all the fundamental principles thathe has done every day for many years as we can remember, just because it has always done. Then suddenly something does not work. In our case the heart. Suddenly, we lose confidence in our ability to do simple things - there were times when I would not climb the stairs to go to the bathroom, because the slight shortness of breath made me feel as if I was going to go into ventricular tachycardia ( VT) again. Once your heart is 250 beats for no good reason, has accelerated and agree to followCardiac arrest, can not be seen again in exactly the same way. For years after my experience I was holding my wrist, and count my heartbeat every time I thought I could feel it tremble.
And in my experience this is the price of what I collapsed heart, this complete loss of confidence and a sense of the word betrayal. In many ways it was worse than the fear (inevitably, as the loss of faith will result in fear), how it changed my outlook on life completely. Before this event, I livedin the knowledge that my body was strong, that was reliable, which was permanent. Of course he was weak, but these were not serious enough to take care of every day. November 25, 1991 was a turning point in my life. I went to be vulnerable, to a conscious survivor is a victim. I felt sorry for me, with knobs.
However, there is good news for all, where is this fear and betrayal for the first time, all those who, like me when youRisk of sudden death (SADS). My experience has taught me that if we like, we can apply these probabilities in our favor, and actually improve our quality of life (I will discuss in a future article). That sounds a little 'trivial (I laugh at my first heart attack have) the truth is that you do not know what you are made to dig deep enough. It 'amazing what courage is also the weakest among us, (and I would have considered a licensedMember of the weak by the club). Now I have a defibrillator implanted in my abdomen. That was many times (in a later article that will be a terrifying experience in my heart stopping for 57 minutes three did say - the way in which the defibrillator detects this as a successful treatment).
Whenever I write an article like this, I come to the same conclusion - if I can find a full, satisfying and safe cardiac surgery after collapsethen so can everyone.
