Aimmy

When I was 11 years old, I passed out in school. I was taken to the emergency room and many tests were done. The doctors were suspecting that it was my brain but after many tests everything was normal. I went back to my normal activities. When I was 13 years old, I had a seizure when I was running in gym class, and I went to the emergency room again. The doctors said since I already went through the testing for my brain and it was normal, it was probably my heart. After going through EKG, echo, 24 hour  machine and a stress test, I was diagnosis with long qt syndrome. It was a very scary feeling because I did not know what was going on and so many doctors were surrounding me. I was told I needed to have an ICD put in right away and needed to be put on medications. I was then hospitalized while awaiting for my surgery. I had to translate for my parents as to what was going on with me because they did not speak much English. After my ICD was put in, I went home from the hospital and went back to my normal life of going back to school. One day in school, my ICD shocked me, and I didn’t know what it was since I had never experienced this and went to the doctor. Doctors told me I had a very fast heartbeat and that’s why it shocked me. After the first shock, I was shocked three more times, so the doctors did some tests and gave more medications since I was having problems with both the upper and bottom part of my heart. I haven’t been shocked since I was 15. I also had an ep study done when I was 15. I went to school and graduated with my class even thorough I had missed so much school.  I went to routine follow up throughout the years and I had two battery replacements for my ICD. I went to college and graduated with my Bachelor’s degree. Now, at the age of 28, I was at my routine check up and found out I had a fast heartbeat. I was sent to the emergency room and my medication dosage was changed and then was told to follow up with my doctor in two weeks. I had an ep study done recently and was diagnosed with CPVT. I continue to go to routine follow up for my ICD. Now, I am currently working full time at a Community College and a master’s degree in labor studies and also have an advanced certificate in Health Administration and Policy. I have been to many SADS conference and it is nice to get to meet other who have the same condition as me. I am also on the Steering Committee for CPVT.