I walk because now I have my own story to tell.
In October 2023, five months postpartum with my son Ryan, I was diagnosed with Supraventricular Tachycardia with aberrancy-a condition that caused sudden, irregular heart rhythms. I had been battling extreme nausea, dizziness, palpitations, and overwhelming fatigue. I could feel something was wrong-like a fish flopping in my chest.
Most of you know I've always been a runner and fitness enthusiast. As a new mom, I was slowly returning to exercise when I first felt it-heart flutters, nausea, and near-fainting during a run. I brushed it off as being out of shape. But the symptoms didn't go away. They started happening during everyday tasks, like carrying Ryan up the stairs.
One October night, I asked my husband Zak to take me to the ER. I was scared and miserable. That ER visit led to an echocardiogram and a treadmill stress test. Structurally, my heart looked fine-but my stress test came back abnormal. I was referred to an electrophysiologist.
On December 21, 2023, I had my first electrophysiology (EP) study. A catheter was inserted through my groin and into my heart to map its electrical pathways. The goal was to find and ablate the arrhythmia-but they couldn't reproduce the irregular rhythm that day. I went home defeated, trying to stay strong through the holidays.
In the following weeks, I wore a Holter monitor for two weeks, hoping it would catch an episode. Thankfully, it did-and I was scheduled for another procedure.
Finally, on August 23, 2024, nearly a year after my diagnosis, I had a second EP study. After 90 minutes of pacing my heart, my doctor finally found and ablated the abnormal electrical pathway. He still jokes that I was his "biggest pain in the ass" because I didn't present like a textbook SVT patient.
Today, almost a year post-ablation, I haven't yet returned to running or high-intensity workouts-but I feel like me again. I've come to appreciate walking, lifting weights, and riding my stationary bike. Most importantly, I no longer wake up with the anxiety that my heart may go into an arrhythmia while I care for my boys. I can finally enjoy the wild, chaotic, beautiful moments of life-and that's what truly matters.
This year, I'm proudly walking and fundraising with The Finn Fanatics-a team that means a lot to me personally.
Finn, the son of my close friends Amanda and Adam Lacks, was diagnosed at just six months old with pulmonary artery pinching-a condition where his artery was wrapped around his trachea. He underwent major heart surgery to correct it.
Today, Finn is a vibrant 11-year-old and a star on the hockey and lacrosse fields. His strength and spirit inspire all of us.
Every donation to the American Heart Association supports lifesaving research, treatment, and stories like ours.
Thank you so much for your support!