Special Episode: With Gratitude…Happy Thanksgiving.

Literally two years ago to the day, I was sitting in a hospital room at Stanford wondering what my life was going to be like going forward. I was wearing a Zole Life vest, which is a protective vest that would shock my heart into rhythm should I have an episode of sustained ventricular tachycardia. I was there to see if it was a myocardial bridge that may be causing me all these painful heart attack-like symptoms. I'd met with cardiologists, electrophysiologists, and thoracic surgeons, and needed to know definitively what my options were going to be to relieve me of the debilitating effects of what was thought to be coming from the bridge. My provocative test was going to be with Dr. Tremel the next day. As my wife and I celebrated the holiday with a veggie lasagna and chicken taco from room service, we discussed our family, what we would normally be doing for Thanksgiving, and we couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of what was going on. It was totally surreal. I know many of you are at a space in between. In between knowing something is terribly wrong, yet uncertain what it is, in between a diagnosed bridge and next steps to surgery, in between surgery and healing. I've been in all three places myself, and uncertainty sucks. But the upside is this at every point in between, there is something to be thankful for. Thankful you're making progress if you're just getting started and now know you have this thing called a myocardial bridge. Thankful you're about to get tested and formerly di informally diagnosed so you can clear the uncertainty and have options for healing. Thankful you had your surgery, and the only question now isn't, will I live, but how will I greet my new life? Every step of the way, there's gratitude on this journey. It's easy to let it get to you and wear you down, depress you, but take the time to find the good things, the positive, the things to be thankful for, and write them down today so you can remember them. Remember that things will happen, that you're unique, and you're gonna have a different journey than the rest of us. Thankful that you're making progress and you now know more today than you did yesterday about your condition. Thankful for the friends you've made on the Facebook group page or your YouTube channel. Thankful you're teed up for provocative testing or better yet, surgery. Thankful for your surgery and how your life has now changed. Thankful for all the people with you on this journey. Keeping in mind over time, not overnight, pressuring on and finding hope in so many different ways, giving back to others in need in so many different ways. For me, all of the above and more. And for you, I am thankful. Here's to a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday from deep inside one imperfect heart to another. With grace, gratitude, and appreciation, happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for listening to Imperfect Heart. It's my hope that this information helped in some way to improve your situation or will help you better understand this condition. More importantly, that it gives you hope through stories that there is help and you most certainly are not alone. If you've been diagnosed with a myocardial bridge, please be sure to join the private Facebook group, Myocardial Bridge Support Group. For more information about our program or to reach me directly, visit the website myimperfectheart.com. If you like what you heard today, please give a positive review, thumbs up, high five, whatever your app likes. And be sure to share with everyone important to you so they understand what it is you're dealing with. Please subscribe as well. Welcome each day with gratitude and positivity. The views and opinions expressed in this program are solely those of the host and the guest and are not intended to provide, nor are they a suitable substitute for professional care by a doctor, therapist, mental health professional, or other qualified medical professional. Imperfect Heart is a production of Hear Me Now Studio.