Jeff Redekopp's Story

What were the steps leading up to your diagnosis?

I was at home on the night of December 30, 2011. I just returned from work and was finishing off supper with a bowl of ice cream topped with frozen blueberries. I'd had a fairly stressful day and week and was quite tired. Suddenly my heart started racing and I felt dizzy, weak and short of breath, and had tightness in my chest and neck. At the time, I was working in a hospital cardiac rehab department, and was very familiar with cardiac arrhythmias. I was fairly sure that I was having either atrial fibrillation or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. I had my wife drive me to my office at the hospital immediately, and I hooked myself up to the EKG machine to see what type of arrhythmia my heart was in. My heart was beating at about 190 bpm, and it was difficult to tell whether it was atrial fibrillation or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. I quickly made paper copies of my rhythms, printed them out, and took them with me to the emergency room. Once there, I presented them to the triage nurse, along with my name badge, told her what was happening, explained my symptoms, and was immediately taken back to a room.

Once the nursed hooked up the EKG equipment and the doctor came in to take a look, he confirmed that I was in fast atrial fibrillation. He proceeded to tell me what he and the emergency room nurses were going to do to try to convert my heart back into a normal rhythm, and because of my professional background and education, I was familiar with everything in the treatment regimen and was completely comfortable with it. Unfortunately, the treatments were unsuccessful and I had to spend the night in the intensive care unit under observation until my heart rhythm converted back to normal eight hours later. Even though I knew what was happening, I was scared and spent most of the night.

What lifestyle changes have you needed to make?

There really weren't many lifestyle changes I needed to make, as I've always been pretty cognizant about taking good care of my health so that I would be a good and credible example to my patients. I learned my atrial fibrillation triggers fairly early on after my first episode. Taking a hot shower, sitting in a hot tub, and eating or drinking extremely cold foods or beverages would consistently flip my heart rhythm into atrial fibrillation. Caffeine is another trigger that I discovered much later because I don\'t generally drink caffeinated beverages and don't eat very much chocolate. Emotional stress coupled with fatigue is my other trigger; I found that if I was under a lot of pressure at work and having difficulty sleeping, I would be more prone to having episodes. I have since changed jobs and been able to manage my stress much more effectively and I've made a concerted effort to work on practicing good sleep hygiene. I didn't really change my exercise habits, as I am a registered clinical exercise physiologist and have always exercised regularly at least six days a week lifting weights and doing aerobic exercise.

Who has been there for you? How?

I feel extremely fortunate that I've been able to receive the psychosocial support I've needed to be able to manage this condition. My wife is also a healthcare professional and she has been a great source of encouragement. My parents and sister have also been great sources of support. I have another close family member that has been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation within the last five years and so he and I have been able to have good conversations about our experiences and share our struggles with each other. My pastors from church have been great about praying for me and helping me to see the positive things that continue to happen in my life, so that I don't get depressed or feel anxious very often. I was very uncomfortable at first sharing my condition with my coworkers when I was still working at the hospital, because I didn't want them to think I was going to be limited in my ability to perform the duties of my job. It took me quite a while before I was able to feel comfortable enough to share with them, and they were very understanding.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

The accomplishment I'm most proud of is simply being able to learn how to effectively manage my condition so that I don't have recurrent episodes. My cardiologist and I decided it was best for me to have a cardiac ablation, so I had this procedure performed in November 2015. The recovery was difficult, as I had some complications, and it was over a year before I felt like I was starting to return to normal. Since then, I've had no further episodes and have made sure to eliminate my triggers and follow the healthy lifestyle habits I know work well.

What's your advice to someone else living with AFib?

The best advice I can give anyone living with atrial fibrillation is to seek medical attention immediately when the first episode occurs. After that, make sure to look at your care from the perspective of a partnership. You and your healthcare team are partners, and you do have options and choices. The best treatment plan is one that you develop together with your healthcare team. Don't be afraid to reach out to your physician when you have questions or concerns, especially when you're experiencing symptoms or if side effects crop up from any medications you're taking or any procedures that you may undergo. Listen to your body closely.