When I was 38 years old, I was working as an accounting consultant and in good health—or so I thought. But in October 2020, I started feeling off. It came as a surprise, considering I exercised, ate well and did all of the things you’re “supposed” to do. But I found myself experiencing heart palpitations, shortness of breath and lightheadedness. At first, I thought maybe it was a hormonal issue. I didn’t know exactly what was happening, but I knew something just wasn’t right with my body. And though I had no idea at the time, these were actually early symptoms of ventricular tachycardia (VT), or V-tach.
I suddenly passed out in my kitchen
One evening, when my husband was traveling for work, I picked up my two boys from soccer practice and got them ready for bed. I remember telling them to brush their teeth and say their prayers—the normal routine. I kissed them goodnight and said, “I’ll see you in the morning.”
A short while later, I began experiencing the same heart palpitations, shortness of breath and dizziness I’d been feeling on and off all month. Only this time, it was much stronger. My heart began racing in my chest, so much so that it took my breath away. I started lowering my body to the kitchen floor, but before I could even sit down, I fell backward and passed out.
Doctors discharged me without a diagnosis
When I awakened, I was disoriented. I didn’t understand why I was on the kitchen floor or how long I’d been out. All I knew was that my head really hurt. I called my neighbors for help. One of them stayed at our house to be with the boys while they slept and the other drove me to the emergency room.
At the ER, doctors ran all the tests and blood work they could and checked for a heart attack, but everything came back normal. The ER doctor didn’t know why I passed out, but because the test results were normal, he discharged me and recommended I follow up with a cardiologist.
When I got home, I was unable to sleep. I was terrified that if I closed my eyes, I wouldn’t wake back up and my kids would be left by themselves. It was a horrible feeling.
Seeking a second opinion
I made a cardiology appointment the next day. Even though I’d just had a whirlwind night in the ER, the cardiologist said my heart was fine and didn’t run any tests. He said, “You’re young, active and healthy. I don’t see anything wrong with you. It’s probably stress and anxiety.” I tried to push back, but he kept talking me out of my concerns to the point that I almost felt silly for thinking it was something more.
Desperate to find someone who would actually listen to me, I reached out to a friend who put me in touch with an electrophysiologist.
When I told him everything that happened, he wasted no time putting a heart rate monitor on me so that he could track my heartbeat while I was going about my everyday activities. Just a few days later, while my husband and I were in the carpool line picking up our kids, I got a call from the doctor.
A heart rate monitor alerted my doctor to V-tach symptoms
I immediately knew that if a heart doctor is calling your cell phone, something is very wrong. He told me the monitor was showing signs of ventricular tachycardia symptoms, or V-tach. He urged me to go to the emergency room right away because my condition was life-threatening.
When I got to the ER, they ran a cardiac MRI and found a little bit of scarring on my heart from a murmur that I’ve had since I was young. Murmurs are relatively common children, though, and doctors ultimately weren’t sure what caused my V-tach.
On the fourth day of my hospital stay, they decided the best way to prevent my heart from continuously going into V-tach—and potentially taking my life—was to surgically implant an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The device constantly monitors my heart rate and sends an electric shock when needed to stop an irregular heartbeat.
What is V-tach?
Ventricular tachycardia “is a dangerous, abnormal heart rhythm that arises from the bottom chambers of the heart (the ventricles),” says Mohanakrishnan Sathyamoorthy, MD, Chair of Internal Medicine at Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. “It is so rapid that it does not allow for proper filling or ejection of blood from the heart, creating a life-threatening situation.”
V-tach symptoms
Dr. Sathyamoorthy says someone with V-tach may experience symptoms such as:
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Chest pain
- Rapid heartbeat (a healthy resting heartbeat is about 60 to 100 beats per minute)
- Difficulty breathing
- Blacking out or fainting (syncope)
While anyone’s heart can go into V-tach, Dr. Sathyamoorthy says the condition is uncommon. V-tach is most often associated with heart attacks, but also “certain types of cardiac disorders like advanced coronary artery disease (blocked heart arteries), cardiomyopathies (weakened or scarred heart muscle) or inherited electrical conditions of the heart called channelopathies.”
Dr. Sathyamoorthy says treatments for ventricular tachycardia includes procedures called ablations, defibrillators and medicine. An ICD can “detect V-tach with their sensors and can literally pace the heart out of the abnormality, but if not successful, then deliver a shock to reset the heart back into regular rhythm,” says Dr. Sathyamoorthy.
The importance of trusting your gut
When I went into the hospital, I thought I’d be there for a couple of hours. I ended up staying five days. Emotionally, I was in survival mode. I wanted to stay as strong as I could and let the doctors do whatever they needed to make sure I could get back home to my family. I went home the day after getting my ICD placed, and I was ready to see my kids, start healing and learn how to live with a device inside me.
Today at 43, I’ve done a lot of work to accept the ICD as part of my body, something there to help my heart if it needs extra support. Aside from the ICD keeping my heart in a normal rhythm, I also take metoprolol twice a day. I make myself, my family and the things that make me happy a priority and take things day by day.
I partnered with the American Heart Association (AHA) pretty quickly after my incident, and I’ve been sharing my story with different groups through luncheons like Go Red for Women and other events. I’ve found a lot of support through my involvement with the AHA.
I hope that by sharing my story, women will trust their gut more often. I think we know when something isn’t quite right with our body, and it’s important to find a doctor who can properly assess you. It may not be the first or second doctor you see, but it’s important to find someone who will listen if something doesn’t feel right.
As told to Cailey Griffin
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.