Every morning at 6 a.m. I text my sister and brother to let them know I’m awake and starting another day. I’ve sent that text each morning for the last 675 days and counting, not only to express my love, but to let them know I’m awake and alive. Two years ago, they were uncertain I would wake up one morning after I landed in the ICU.

 

At the time, I was in excellent shape, eating healthy and getting plenty of exercise. While at the gym with my trainer on a quiet Sunday, after a moderate amount of exertion, my chest began to squeeze. I dropped to my hands and knees, challenged to talk or breathe. My trainer called 911 and EMTs responded within minutes. I fell unconscious and was paddled twice on the ride to the ER.

 

Plaque in the heart’s main artery (LAD) had ruptured, resulting in a blood clot and a 100 percent blockage. A stent cleared the blockage, and my good physical condition and strong heart contributed to a positive outcome. However, the doctor’s attention turned to another concern.

 

A separate, pre-existing arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation) of my heart’s electrical function, not related to the blockage, was uncovered. When I was queried about any prior sensations with my heart, a light bulb went on. For years, I would experience palpitations and shortness of breath that I associated with anxiety. When they occurred, I would use conscious breathing and meditation to calm the anxiety, which I believed was the cause, unaware it was arrhythmia caused by an electrical imbalance. With subsequent cardioversion and ablation procedures, those imbalances are now corrected.

 

I’m extremely lucky on two counts. Being at the gym, I was in the right place at the right time, and surviving a 100 percent blockage was a blessing in disguise. There are many who did not and will not share my outcome. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a public health crisis, claiming the lives of more than 350,000 Americans each year. Here are two. Greg Moyer (GregAED.com) died at age 15, playing basketball. Peyton Walker (PeytonWalker.org) died at age 19 while away at college. I’m honored to know Rachel Moyer and Julie Walker. They have been an absolute force in getting AEDs (automated external defibrillator) out into the public and training communities in CPR. They continue to achieve wonderful things in their respective children's names... truly remarkable!

 

Don’t take your health or your heart for granted. Stay in shape, eat well, see your doctor regularly and love your loved ones every day while on the journey toward feeling good, living simply and laughing more.