Shane was diagnos
ed with Brugada Syndrome in March of 2021 after ending up the E.R. for a stomach bug. He had an ICD installed two months later.
“I had asked my doctor for some medicine for my stomach bug, which just wasn’t going away,” says Shane. “They did an EKG as part of my workup – and that’s how I learned I had Brugada Syndrome.”
After the Brugada pattern was seen on Shane’s EKG, he was sent for an ECHO – which came back clear; but an EP study induced the Brugada pattern again. Genetic testing confirmed his diagnosis.
“For the first few months, I was walking on eggshells with this new diagnosis,” he says. “But then my life went pretty much back to normal.”
Shane found the SADS Foundation while looking for peer support for Brugada Syndrome. “I was curious to talk to someone else who actually had it,” he says. “Your doctors only understand so much. There’s nothing like talking to someone who’s actually been through the same thing.”
For those who’ve been diagnosed, Shane emphasizes the importance of getting back to your routine as soon as possible. “You’ve been living with this condition your whole life but just didn’t know it,” he says. “You don’t have to change that much about your life. Besides staying hydrated, and following the guidelines of living with Brugada, life is pretty much the same.”