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In the spring of 2021, I was running my usual pre-race warmup for a local 5-mile race. I was suddenly unable to breathe. I dropped to my hands and knees and panted furiously, wondering why the simple wind sprint that I had done hundreds of times warming up for hundreds of other races had incapacitated me.
Over the following weeks, the condition persisted. I could hike and jog easily, but anytime I tried to run I would immediately be breathless. I had what is called Atrial Flutter, which basically means you have a short circuit in your heart and it beats erratically. It's one of the few heart conditions that is actually more prevelant in endurance athletes than the general population.
Fortunately, thanks to advances in treatments, it can be fixed with a relatively routine surgery. Unfotunately, "relatively routine" still costs nearly $100,000. Being gainfully employed at a company with good health benefits, this wasn't a problem for me. But, for some, it would be a choice between degraded activity for the rest of their life or financial ruin.
Aside from funding research new treatments, the AHA also works to bring down the cost of existing treatments. Since getting an ablation that summer, my heartbeat is normal and I have gone on to run another ten races of 100 miles or more as well as many shorter events. I hope you will help others return to their quality of life by contributing to this year's Hear Walk.