My Heart Story: Why I'm Walking on November 14th
My journey with heart disease began in 2009, and it's a journey that has been part of my life for more than 17 years.
I live with two heart rhythm conditions: Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) and Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT). Both affect the electrical signals that control how the heart beats, causing episodes of abnormal and sometimes dangerously fast heart rhythms.
Over the years, I've undergone three cardiac ablations, procedures designed to treat the electrical pathways responsible for these abnormal rhythms.
Three procedures. Seventeen years. And a lifelong awareness of just how important heart health really is.
Living with heart rhythm disorders means being mindful of things many people never have to consider. Even something as simple as altitude can affect my health. During a trip to Colorado in 2022, my oxygen saturation dropped to 85%, a reminder that my medical history can influence where I travel and even where I can safely live.
Having AFib and SVT has taught me that heart conditions aren't always visible. You can look perfectly healthy on the outside while managing something significant on the inside.
But my heart conditions do not define me. They are simply part of my story.
I'm grateful for the advances in cardiac medicine, the electrophysiologists and healthcare professionals who treat these conditions, and the research that continues to improve the lives of people living with heart disease.
On November 14th, I'm participating in the American Heart Association Heart Walk because this cause is deeply personal.
I'm walking for the millions of people living with heart rhythm disorders.
I'm walking for continued research, better treatments, and greater awareness.
And I'm walking for myself — because after 17 years and three ablations, I know firsthand how precious every heartbeat truly is.
Every step matters. Every heartbeat matters.
#HeartWalk #AmericanHeartAssociation #AFibAwareness #SVTAwareness #HeartHealth #HeartWarrior #MyHeartStory