Quitting my Job because of SVT :( Anyone else done this?

Posted , 9 users are following.

Anyone had to quit/change their job because of SVT? Title says it all, really. I'm a 20 y/o female, fairly healthy. Been at university for a while.

Found myself a nice job this summer, working with kids in a camp. It pays very well. It's my dream job, at this point in my life.

The only problem is that the camp is located by a lake in the middle of nowhere.

The nearest hospital is a 9 HOUR drive away.

One could fly, in about 50 minutes, but, seeing as I am already an anxious flyer, the thought of flying whilst having an SVT attack scares the heck out of me.

There is a small village with a small GP clinic, but they can't treat SVT.

There's also a small hospital 3 hours drive away, but it doesn't seem very good. Also, I don't have a car whilst I am here, so I wouldn't be able to get there.

So, I'm in this predicament:

1. I am happy and excited to work in this camp, in lovely surroundings, beautiful nature.

2. I know there is a pretty big chance of me having an SVT episode, which would just ruin my time here.

If I get SVT, the local doctors - who cannot treat SVT - told me I should have to call for an ambulance. The ambulance would take me to the doctors, who would confirm that my condition is untreatable by them. They would then call for an emergency airplane to take me to the city - 9 hours away by car, 50 minutes by air.

(Yes, I would get a small airplane to myself. This is one of the remotest areas in Europe. Critical patients get flown out on an airplane. Apparently, this is more cost-effective than running a proper hospital in a village that has fewer than 1,000 people.)

Being shortsighted, I didn't spot the problem when I applied for the job.

I just thought it would do me good to work in the countryside for a change, plus I've been getting tired of the city. But, now that I've arrived here in this extremely remote area, I am panicking. And we all know that anxiety only increases the chance of an episode.

My SVT always requires Adenosine to convert. Otherwise I'd be perfectly happy to be far away fro a hospital. But knowing that I could need Adenosine at the drop of a hat scares me - knowing that so far away from it.

As of now, it is my first day in this remote area. I find myself panicking at the thought of an SVT, and having to go through all that s**t, just to get to the hospital.

One part of me wants to just get on with this job and stop worrying about SVT,

whilst another part of me - logically - keeps reminding me of the fact that I do get severe SVT episodes, frequently, and that they are only getting worse. I am waiting for ablation. And that if I were to get an episode, it makes sense to make it as easy as possible, instead of placing myself in this extremely remote area. 

I could easily find a summer job in the city. There are also anxiety triggers for me, there, but knowing I am only 15ish minutes from my hospital always puts my mind at ease.

Anyone got any advice for me?

Anyone got experience of quitting a job because of your SVT?

What would you do in this situation?

Would you "toughen up" or would you go back to the city?

Does it make any sense at all to put myself in such a difficult situation?

Also, I am worried that my co-workers at the camp won't understand my SVT.

I definitely have to avoid certain activities in order to stay away from SVT triggers, such as overexercise, over-stress, etc. You all know it. I wonder if I'll be perceived as "lazy" or "incompetent", when in reality I am trying my best to be a high-functioning human in spite of SVT.

Anyone have experience of co-workers' reaction to your SVT?

What should I do? smile

 

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  • Posted

    Hi agy26775, I'm a 58 year old male, and I've been dealing with SVT for over 50 years. SVT does get in the way, but it doesn't have to stop you. I did avoid High School sports because I didn't want to deal with an episode in the middle of a football or baseball game. But I did stay active, went into the Marines right out of High School, and have been a very successful business and family man.

    The big thing about SVT is knowing how to control it. I refuse to use medicines and I would only do an ablation if all other methods didn't work. First, you must learn how to stop them once they start. My first and foremost way is holding my breath in the crouched position, or, by just sitting very still and concentrating on my heart rhythm. I've also splashed cold water on my face.

    Now, this is probably the most important part of my post. STAYING AWAY FROM TRIGGERS! Triggers can start and make the episodes much harder to stop. Abstain from ALL caffeine, which includes chocolate. Avoid pain relievers, such as Advil. Stay away from all medications if possible. I'm 58 and I take no drugs whatsoever. I'm also an avid cyclist, and keeping my heart in shape is vital to my SVT problem. The more out of shape I am, the more frequent they are.

    You must be VERY proactive in your approach to SVT.

  • Posted

    i've had svt 18 years, first 17 years was treating it with vagal manoevers. then the 18th year last december my svt deteriorated episodes were running 10-15 hours, having the adenosine daily. hospital doctor told me its time for meds, on metoprolol tartrate 25mg twice daily and have had a huge improvement. got my life back, you may not want to take any medication for it but for me its made me feel normal again. yes theres some side effects like tiredness but I'm finally in control of my svt and can now go out without stressing that I'll get an attack

  • Posted

    don't let svt dictate your life , had it 6 years ago , at the time i was scared as you would be , anything to do with the heart . Had all the tests done associated with the heart but nothing wrong found .Unlike you i was not healthy , overweight by 4 stone and doing hardly any exercise and eating all the wrong things , seen a Cardiologist who said a link between svt and the Vagus nerve was a possibility as i would get an svt episode after eating , but not always .So my treatment first was a Beta Blocker, Bisoprolol 2.5mg  twice a day , for about two months and down to one 2.5mg for about 6 months and after that 1 .5 mg for a year , they really helped me get on with my life and as i changed my diet and lost 3 stone over a year and started exercise on a rowing machine which i thought i would never do in 2012 . a diet rich in potassium and magnesium also helped after i had came off Bisoprolol  . say to yourself this not going beat me . Keep a Healthy mind and Body and you will beat this.Good Luck.

  • Posted

    Hi!

    I'm a 27y/o mother of a 3y/o little girl. I have svt for about 8yrs now. Long story short, I'm a stay-at-home mom, I'm too afraid to start working from my condition. I was on antidepressants for 1.5yrs, now taking Xanax. All bc of svt. It's ruining my life. I'm more anxious now bc a week from now we will going to live abroad (hubby's new job), where I don't speak the language, and I'm nervous bc I don't know how will I explain my condition to the docs there. Also, we will going to be in a smaller town where's no ER (the only good thing is that we will going to be near the city, around 20mins from a hospital, by car). So I have a similar fear like yours...

    Also, Annie! You are my hero! Can't believe how calm you are - I want to be like you!

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