The Real Deal with Tommy D ' Aprile
Some years back , I took my son to an outof-state race . After Friday night qualifying , we traveled to our hotel , or should I say the middle of nowhere , it seemed . We got checked in and soon went to bed as it had been a long day . Around 2:30 a . m ., I awoke to what felt like a stampede of cattle running across my chest .
I quickly got up but could not figure out what was going on . My heart rate was probably at 150 beats per minute . Being so far away from anything and my son being very young at the time kept me from doing anything but keeping calm and waiting for this episode to pass . It did and the weekend went on as planned .
This episode really frightened me , and to not know what had happened was puzzling . Some months later it happened again . The high heart rate and what felt like being on a treadmill at high speed for an hour or so was more than concerning to me .
I decided to make an appointment with a heart doctor and the tests began . There seemed to be no real reason why it would happen . One minute you are fine and the next your heart rate is sky-high . They had put me on a heart monitor and at one point I registered over 200 beats per minute for over two hours . Talk about being exhausted . The episodes were sometimes twice a week or sometimes twice a month . All of my tests came back great . No blockages or anything .
One surprising fact was that I was diagnosed with sleep apnea . It turned out I would stop breathing like 35-40 times a night . We got that under control and the episodes of my heart racing decreased dramatically , although still prevalent . I was then directed to an electro physiologist . They measure the electrical impulses in the heart and look for abnormalities . Sure enough , I was shorting out . In automotive terminology , I was misfiring terribly at times .
Most of us have had race car misfires . They can drive you nuts . Imagine that in your heart . Through prayer and discernment , I made the appointment to have the electrical issues repaired . On July 12 , 2022 , I went in for the procedure to get the problems fixed . I am thrilled to say the procedure was a success .
Here is the real deal I want to get across to everyone reading this . So many people today are having issues that they are ignoring . I feel I have gone through this to encourage others to take action against things that may be ailing you . I am healthy and in good shape , but I still had an issue I couldn ’ t fix myself . It took many advisors and guidance to make correct decisions .
The issue I had affects hundreds of thousands of people , but few take care of it . Without help , these issues can lead to strokes and more serious issues . Trust me when I say I am the last person who wanted to have surgery , but sometimes we have to do things we don ’ t want to for the good of our well-being .
If there is anything you need to seek medical attention for or you know something is not quite right , please get help . The biggest killer we have in this country is pride . Don ’ t let pride get in the way of a healthier lifestyle . As always , the choice is yours to make . DI
July / August 2022
D . I . COLUMNIST
Email Tommy at tommyd @ dragillustrated . com
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