Living with atrial fibrillation

My story began 19 years ago – I am 39 now.

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. I was kept in for 6 days on the cardiac ward.

They found the problem – atrial fibrillation. Since then I have been in hospital with this 6 times. Last year they took me off the medication, but within a year I was back in hospital again with the same problem and I am now back on the medication.

But despite this, I want to let other people who have the same problem know that you CAN lead a normal life.