I was put on propranolol as a migraine prophylaxis in Spring
08. While working as a call taker for South East Coast Ambulance Service, I
noticed my heart skipping beats and I felt faint when when I stood up. I
ignored it and put it down to stress and tiredness. Everything came to a head
in the middle if July 08. My mum was away in Romania, so it was me, my dad and
my brother all week. I had 3 rest days and I joined my dad and big brother
James, then 24, on a journey to Ebbsfleet International Station to see my brother off to Brussels where he lives. In
the car on the way back I felt terrible and lost consciousness 3 times. I
booked an emergency appointment with my GP. Before the appointment I had a lie down, but when I stood up to get ready
I blacked out and fell in a heap on the floor.
When I got into the doctors office he felt my pulse in my
wrist. He looked concerned and sent me to have an ECG* in the nurse’s office. The
doctor came in and read the ECG. Again, he looked concerned and asked the nurse
to do another one. I got dressed and the doctor took me back to his office.
He sat me down and said “How do you feel about spending the
weekend in hospital?” I was actually quite shocked. Until this point I had
naively convinced myself that I was fine; that the doctor was just being
cautious. But he went on to explain that the ECG had revealed that I was
suffering from heart block. This floored me. I had dealt with patients
suffering from heart block in my work for the ambulance service. But they were
all elderly! I was a (relatively) fit 20 year old – surely this had to be a
mistake? Stunned, I went to the waiting room to break the news to my dad. By
now it was gone 7pm so the room was empty. After explaining the diagnosis to
us, the GP phoned the hospital and booked me a bed.
Dad and I spent the journey home in silence, both trying to
digest the news. I had just enough time to pack a bag, grab a quick shower and
a bite to eat before we made our way to the Conquest Hospital in Hastings, East
Sussex.
TO BE CONTINUED……………
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