Two heart conditions

Being diagnosed with two heart conditions can be both frightening and overwhelming, especially when you’re not familiar with what they are or how they might affect your life.

After finding out I have hemochromatosis, I had to have a lot of further testing done to see if the extra iron had done any damage to my organs. So far it looks like there hasn’t been damage, I’m very lucky. However my cardiologist found two conditions with my heart unrelated to hemochromatosis. Again, I am very lucky this was caught early.

Before diving into the mental aspect of my diagnoses, it’s important to understand what an atrial septal aneurysm is. The heart has four chambers, two on the left and two on the right. A wall called the septum separates the left and right atria. In people with an atrial septal aneurysm, there’s an abnormal bulge or “aneurysm” in this wall, the septum, which can cause the tissue to stretch or move.

I also have ectopic beats. These are extra heart beats that happen and when they do it feels like my heart stops. Thankfully they are not dangerous - just annoying.

When you go through multiple diagnoses in a very short time you really reflect on life, what is important, what isn’t, and things you need to change both within your lifestyle and within yourself. You learn it’s not only okay and not selfish to take care of you first but insanely important. For me, it was a lesson on my need to stop people pleasing.

Whatever comes next, I’ve learned that being diagnosed with an ASA is just one chapter in the larger story of my health — and I’m determined to make the most of it.

Thank you for being here 💕