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Gary McElkerney
SVT |
I had gone from being a regular gym enthusiast, fit and
healthy, an international athlete for Northern Ireland and Ireland,
University Sports Scholar, first pick wide receiver in American Football for
Carrickfergus Knights and had played for Team Ireland; to struggling to run
the length of myself.
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Julia Hubbard
RVOT-VT |
In March 2009 I came off the
medication as I was so unhappy with the effect it was having, and my
symptoms returned even more severe than before. I decided to try and
live with it, which turned out to be impossible.
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Russell Goodman
Unknown condition - ICD |
My
life-saving and truly courageous partner performed CPR on me until the
ambulance arrived, whereupon I was shocked several times with the on-board
defibrillator by paramedics. If it wasn’t for her immediate actions and
quick thinking......
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Fraser Thomas
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
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Gary and Devin were also playing football that day and came to Fraser's
aid immediately when he collapsed while in the middle of a match. Gary and
Devin, who were 1st and 3rd year medical students, realised right away that
Fraser had stopped breathing and had no pulse.
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Hayley Brown
Long QT
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Since
then I have had no further attacks. I maintain a healthy lifestyle
and I am a keen kick boxer. I climbed Snowden for charity last year
and I was determined that long QT wouldn't stop me reaching the top
of that mountain!
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Jonny Goode
Long QT
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The way I discovered I had the syndrome was by complete
chance. I had been out surfing in Cornwall and that evening had really bad
chest pains. At the time I thought I was having some kind of heart attack as
the pain was so severe.
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Stacy
WPW |
One day whilst in hospital I started to feel very drowsy and this was
the start of my first proper Wolfe Parkinson White Syndrome episode. My
pulse went very high, my sats dropped and I started to lose consciousness
and the doctors were called and stopped the episode.
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Scott Fleming
WPW |
I was 27 when I collapsed whilst playing Sunday league
football. Little did I know I had been living my life with WPW. I survived
this collapse and resulting coma and awoke to find the doctors still never
knew what was wrong with me.
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Steve Jackson
Myxoma in left atrium |
In the summer of 2008 my world was
turned upside down. I started to experience breathlessness and chest pains,
particularly noticeable following exertion. Combined with unexplained
weight-loss, the period culminated in a couple of sudden fainting episodes.
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Claire Herridge
Left ventricular wall abnormality |
A year and a half ago, when I was 34, I was out running
when I experienced heart palpitations, chest pain and shortness of breath. I
was taken by ambulance to Southampton General Hospital.
This was a shock to me as I am a PE teacher and have always lead a
reasonably healthy and active life.
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Lyndsay Morton
WPW |
On New Year's Day in 2001 I collapsed with a severe chest pain and
palpitations of 228 bpm. I was rushed in to hospital where they had to
stop my heart beat and revive me. After several days of very frightening
tests I was finally diagnosed......
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Ellie Brogan
WPW |
I was diagnosed with Wolfe Parkinson White
syndrome and had to stay in hospital to be monitored. After this I had
regular visits to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool and throughout
the course of my many visits, was fitted with various heart monitors and a
cardio call to take home with me.
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Brother Kevin Leahy
Sudden cardiac arrest resulting from Amyloidosis |
After the doctors were about to give up, the priest told them that maybe
it seemed awkward but he insisted that they would not stop their efforts to
bring me back to life. At that moment the German priest administered the
sacrament of anointing of the sick.
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Lucy Patey
Long QT |
During the Summer 2005 I had a series of
blackouts or what were also thought to have been panic attacks onboard the
ship. My colleagues, along with myself, put this down to working and playing
too hard, a poor diet and the tough summer holiday season taking its toll.
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David Hillson
Suspected ARVC |
After a MRI, EP studies and consultation between the cardiologists they
advised I have an ICD fitted as they could not rule out the risk that I
could be in for further arrhythmias. The doctors feel that I may have the
condition known as ARVC and the ICD would act as the ultimate safety net.
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Paul Cooper
Atrial Fibrillation |
I was out with some mates one
night, when I felt a funny 'butterfly' feeling in my chest - it felt like my
heart was racing. That night I went to the hospital with my mate and
they did an ECG.
My heart was doing 188 and was all over the
place. more |
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Joseph Tanner
Brugada Syndrome |
It took me
over a year to put back on my running shoes, I was finally able to find the
courage after attending a couple CRY Surgery Supporters Network meetings.
The only barrier in life is yourself, the moment you say "can’t" is the
moment you fail.
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Kelly-Marie Pearce
Congenital Heart Block |
On November 16th 2006 the day started out normally and I got up to go to
school. I wasn't feeling ill at all until I arrived at my first
lesson. I started feeling dizzy and lethargic and I got sent to the
medical room where it was eventually decided it would be best to call an
ambulance.
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Jenny Justice
WPW |
After we finished the appointment he basically told my father and I that the
next time I had an episode where I blacked out like I had been doing, I
could easily slip into a coma and not come out.
It was then we decided to have the ablation done.
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LeeAnn Walpole
WPW |
It wasn't until I found out that I was pregnant that I was finally diagnosed
with WPW. I was about 6 weeks along when I had one of the worst episodes
yet. I felt like I couldn't breathe and like I was going to pass out.
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Valerie Macias
AV
Node Tachycardia |
I’m now on the road to recovery
and I feel wonderful! Recently I’ve been working on my pre-med courses and
studying for my MCATs. I plan to pursue a career in Emergency Medicine and
musical composition. I enjoy rollerblading, playing softball, piano and
violin.
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Tracey Duncan
RVOT |
Physically the body has
healed remarkably quickly but mentally the battle continues. It has taken me
a while to park the memories of how good an athlete I once was and,
honestly, sometimes these thoughts still haunt me.
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Francesca Maretic
WPW |
I got home
and just lay on the sofa. My mum knew something was wrong so she
called the doctor, who called the ambulance! I was so scared. I had never
been in an ambulance before - what were they going to do to me?!
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Debra Whiting
RVOT Tachycardia |
Then one day in October
2005 when I was 23 I had just finished riding my horse and my heart started
feeling like it was skipping a beat. This carried on into the evening and I
started to get worried. I went to the doctors and they told me it was
nothing to worry about and I should just ignore it.
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Claire Graham
Tetralogy of Fallot |
I was born
with Tetralogy of Fallot in 1983, which meant that I was very ill indeed; I
gather that I was given a 20% chance of survival as a baby. I couldn't move
very much, I was permanently out of breath, so instead of walking I learned
to talk and to read. more |
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Ian Tunnell
WPW |
He
went to a lecture on Monday around lunchtime and mentioned to a friend,
Jenny, that his heart was beating in an odd way, sort of going in 3's, but
was not in any degree of pain. She insisted that he go and see the College
nurse, and accompanied him there.
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Andy Perry
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy |
At that time
very little was known about this condition. My mom was called into the
side room with the doctor - she was alone as dad was at work - and she was
told that I wouldn't see my 20th birthday.
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Alex Archer-Todde
Acute Myocarditis |
That night
I experienced the worst physical pain I have ever felt and became delirious
from the pain, thinking that my body was in halves and that I was wrapped in
bandages. It was as if there was a person in my chest, kicking to get
out every time my heart beat.
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Barry Hooton
Unknown condition - ICD |
This story comes from two
people - me, Anna (aged 17), a.k.a. "the girlfriend" and Barry (aged 23),
a.k.a. "the mystery." Its a long story, but perhaps may give hope to those
who are also undiagnosed just like Barry. more |
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George Ranger
Supraventricular Tachycardia |
As a mother I knew that things
were not right with his heart, so I was getting more worried and frustrated
every time I was told that there was not a problem. The day I found
that CRY rugby ball outside George's bedroom and called you was the best
thing that I could have done. more |
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Jack Wright
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy |
His heart had become enlarged due to a condition
called Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardioyomyopathy or as it is knows in
medical circles HOCM. The walls of the heart become too thick, affecting the
electrical conductivity required to allow the heart to pump properly.
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Louise Bees
WPW |
I had suffered with palpitations for years, but
nothing was done about it. Then, whilst I was pregnant, the attacks
became more frequent, and when I told my doctor I was given a 24-hour heart
monitor to wear. After wearing the monitor, I was told that I was fine,
so I just carried on. more |
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Rob Jackson
ARVC |
I am a 31 year old Sergeant in the Army Air Corps,
and until recently was a Lynx Helicopter pilot and aircraft commander
operating in Northern Ireland. I joined the Army at 18, and have spent the
past 12 years living an active, healthy lifestyle as a soldier.
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Sharlene Brown
Dilated Cardiomyopathy |
My son Colby, who is only 13
months old, was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Jun 2006. This
condition is one of the main causes of 'sudden death syndrome'. This was
obviously very shocking news, but at the minute he is here with us and on
medication. more |
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Louise Dee
Long QT |
Hi, my name is
Louise. It all started when I was 8 yrs old in 1990. I woke up
hearing an alarm clock and realised it was my mother's for work, so I got out
of bed and went to turn the alarm off. When I went into her bedroom I
turned the alarm off and tried waking my mother up...
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Raychel Patrick
WPW |
Hey,
I'm Raychel Patrick. I'm 14, and I'm from south east Kentucky. I was born at
Paul B. Haul Regional Medical Center in Paintsville, Kentucky. I was born a
healthy baby, nothing appeared to be wrong...
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Catherine McGough
Endocardial
Fibroelastosis |
My name is Catherine, and I thought I would tell my story so that maybe it
will give others a bit of hope. I am now 24 yrs old. When I was 7
weeks old back in December 1979, I was rushed into the Leeds General
Infirmary in heart failure... more |
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Bradley Farrow
Brugada Syndrome
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I did not realise
that anything was wrong with me. Occasionally I would notice that my heart
seemed to be going fast like it does when you've just been running, but I
would not have been running. I didn't think anything of it as it didn't
bother me... more |
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Julie Mills
Viral Myocarditis
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My story began in August
1998 when, in
my third year of a four year teacher
training degree, I felt unwell and
left my holiday job early.
I was in the middle of my shift and I
had a pain in my chest and a headache and I thought I just had a virus.
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Antony Eames
Long QT
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I had my first episode of fainting at 4 years old. From then on I passed out regularly. Sometimes I passed out several times a day. During this time I was not allowed to do any school sport or go out in the playground.
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