Redlight Greenlight: My Life with a Turbocharged Ticker
By Anette Beebe
In 1983, at the sprightly age of 3, I was diagnosed with paroxysmal atrial tachycardia — a subtype of the zippy heart condition known as supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). My childhood saga with SVT began under the gentle care of a now-retired pediatric cardiologist in Phoenix, Arizona, whose kindness and office staff with lollipops made medical visits far less daunting.
My early memories are flecked with the image of my mother’s worried face during my SVT episodes — her fear palpable as my tiny heart thrummed wildly, often surpassing 200 beats per minute. Unlike her, I was blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situation, too young to understand but old enough to sense the urgency during those moments. I didn’t experience daily episodes, but each occurrence etched a deeper line of concern on my mom’s face.
Treatment in those days was a concoction of Digoxin, routine blood draws (which kickstarted my still-active dislike for needles), and some rather unconventional home remedies that seemed plucked from a sitcom. The most memorable? Attempting to teach this young one to “bear down” to manage heart episodes — a task as comical as it sounds. “Bearing down” is also known as the Valsalva Maneuver, which is a drug-free way to quickly return an abnormal heart rhythm to normal. People may perform the maneuver regularly without knowing it. For example, they may use it when they push to initiate a bowel movement. When that proved futile, the alternative was plunging my head into ice water, which was as unpleasant as you might imagine and spectacularly ineffective for me. I quickly decided against reporting my episodes to my mom, preferring them over an icy facial.
It wasn’t until much later in life that the once-baffling advice to "bear down" finally clicked. After nearly four decades of thinking it was just a bizarre suggestion, I gave it another shot, this time with a clearer understanding and more patience. To my surprise, it worked! This revelation was a light-hearted reminder that sometimes techniques need the right timing to click. Adding this now-effective maneuver to my toolbox reinforced an important life lesson: Never give up on exploring different strategies to manage challenges, no matter how odd they may seem at first.
By the age of 10, I'd turned into a mini cardiologist out of necessity, learning tricks to self-manage my SVT. This included everything from lying down with my legs up against a wall to pioneering my own quirky breathing techniques that I still use to this day.
Aside from these heart hiccups, my childhood was vibrantly active, in large part due to encouragement from my doctor. I embraced every opportunity to jump rope under the banner of the “Kids Heart Challenge” initiative, where I first honed my skills with the elementary school’s “Jazzy Jumpers.” When we moved to a new town, not only did I dive into soccer, but I also sparked the formation of a new jump rope club — the “Jumping Jackets,” inspired by our school mascot, the Yellow Jackets. Sports became my arena, proving that my heart, albeit quirky, could handle the sprint.
Despite the hopes pinned on outgrowing my PAT/SVT, it remained a steadfast companion through puberty and into adulthood. But rather than slowing me down, it fueled my determination to live uninhibitedly. I've since played in co-ed soccer leagues, trained in martial arts, tackled marathons, pedaled through cycling events, taught group fitness classes, raced speed boats, jumped from airplanes and dived into oceans. My adventurous spirit scoffed at the notion of limitations.
Navigating a high-stakes legal career as an attorney adds an interesting layer to managing my SVT. The demanding pace and stressful environment of legal practice could easily send a heart into overdrive. Yet, it's here, among the maze of statutes and high-octane matters, that I've fine-tuned my stress management techniques. Whether I'm preparing for court or negotiating settlements, I've learned to harness the adrenaline, channeling it into focused energy rather than letting it trigger my heart's race mode. Balancing this challenging career with SVT has not only made me more resilient but also a master of maintaining calm under pressure, turning potential heart hiccups into a powerful asset in my legal toolkit.
Interestingly, I’ve managed to keep emergency room visits at bay, with one memorable exception(ish) after a strenuous half-marathon in Ft. Collins, Colorado. My heart monitor died just before the race started, and I completed the race in full SVT flare. Curious about my heart rate (I’m always fascinated by the numbers), I went to the EMT station. Let’s just say the local EMTs got a crash course in SVT when their initial attempt at manual heart rate readings fell wildly short of my actual pulse of 223 bpm — a humorous, if educational, encounter for everyone involved.
I’ve come to view living with SVT akin to hitting every red light when you’re already running late. It’s frustrating, and often requires a full stop more frequently than you’d prefer, but eventually you get to your destination. This perspective has not only helped me handle the inconveniences with a bit more grace but also reminds me that progress isn’t always linear. Even with the unexpected stops and starts, I keep moving forward, navigating each hurdle as it comes.
Before the digital age connected me to others with SVT, I felt isolated in my experiences. It can be hard to explain to those who don’t have the condition. Social media changed that, introducing me to a global community of fellow fast-heart bearers. Becoming a moderator for an SVT group on social media has not only broadened my perspective but has also allowed me to support and educate others. Our stories differ, yet our shared condition forges a unique bond.
To those recently diagnosed, remember: You are far from alone. SVT doesn’t conform to a one-size-fits-all prognosis; each journey is uniquely personal. But within this vibrant community, support is plentiful, and a fulfilling, “normal” life — with a few extra heartbeats — is not just possible, it’s probable.
Here's to embracing life's full spectrum — heart hiccups and all!
Milestone is a proud supporter of the American Heart Association's supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) education initiative. For more information on this initiative and SVT, visit www.heart.org/svt.
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