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I am the youngest of six children, none of whom has syncope. My first attacks happened both at school and at air training corps camps. At first it was thought that I was having a bad asthma attack or an epileptic fit. I was taken to my local hospital where I recovered and was sent home. My mum then took me to my family doctor.
I was told at first that it was just teenage hormones and nothing to worry about. The attacks carried on happening and became more regular and my mum started to worry and doubt the doctors decision. She then made another appointment with a different doctor. The doctor then decided to send away a series of blood tests. At this time my school refused to have me in the school as I was at risk of falling down the many flights of stairs, I was absent from school for two months. The doctor found the tests inconclusive and decided to send me to a paediatrician for more specialist tests.
I was then sent to cardiology because of my unusual fast heart rate. I was given a twenty four hour heart monitor to record any attacks that occurred. Unfortunately no attack happened. I was then sent back for a second twenty four hour monitor, on the second recording it was found that my heart raced at up to 175bpm during normal everyday activities. There was also signs of ectopic beats. That was when I was sent to a consultant cardiologist, who sent me for a tilt table test, in which I had an attack and it was confirmed that my heart rate dropped dramatically, I felt dizzy, warm and it felt as though people were far away from me.
In the last year or so I have been experiencing seizures of which ambulance crews and doctors in the A&E departments have assumed that I had epilepsy until told otherwise by friends or family. It was also thought that it was diabetes because of my feeling of hunger afterwards [always for sugary products]. It was then finally decided by my cardiologist that I had Vasovagal syncope.
My life has totally changed as I have now always get the fear that if I go anywhere on my own something will happen and no one will be there to help me, or that the next time I have an attack it will be at the top of a flight of stairs or in the middle of the road. My family have also got the fear of me going out on my own and worrying.
My mum then found the STARS website through an article in The Daily Mail newspaper. We received lots of information and I felt at ease that I wasn’t the only one with syncope. Finding this information has also made life easier and put my friends and family at ease knowing that finally they all know what to do. I only now need medical assistance when my asthma has been triggered. My condition is also complicated by the fact that I am allergic to Atropine, one of the preventatives when under anaesthesia. I am glad I have a diagnosis and that the doctors still think that I might grow out of it in the future.
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