In February 2020 I was preparing myself for the second of three 500 meter dragon boat races when without warning I felt something was wrong, I became dizzy and passed out, plunging to the ground and coming to a minute or so later. Many thoughts passed through my head – did I overdo it? was I dehydrated? Did I eat enough breaky that morning? I knew about exercising in the heat, staying hydrated and fueled and I was sure to stay I had done all the things I needed to. I have diabetes type 2 – so had I eaten enough and of the right thing. I didn’t feel overtly sick prior. I had proven myself to be match fit up to now – so what the hell was going on??
What I felt my heartbeat racing and irregular! One of my racing companions was a recently retired emergency department nurse and she and the onsite first aid attendant came to my aid. It was immediately picked up from my pulse that my heart was misfiring, and they acted to manage the situation until the ambulance arrived and the ensuing trip to the emergency department.
The urgency of the trip entry to emergency and attention from cardiologists left me stunned and concerned – what are they talking about? Did I break my heart dragon boat racing? I was fortunate soon thereafter to become a patient of Dr Rajeev Pathak – answers to my questions and future came quickly! Dr Pathak and his team at Canberra Heart Rhythm Clinic have done a mighty job in clearing my fog over this condition, stablising the situation with procedures, rehabilitation advice and medication and putting me back into a situation where I can live my life reasonably well post procedures and treatment.
My top tip to you is to not delay when you are unexpectantly feeling unwell in the heart region and if you are susceptible or have a family history get check-ups frequently with your GP.