Bit of a random one and quite niche, but hoping it reaches some healthcare posters who can help!
I have AVNRT, I understand it affects people differently but unfortunately I get it quite badly and usually have to get shocked for it. I've had ablations/EPS etc in the past which were only partially successful but cannot get another without almost definitely needing a pacemaker and that is NOT something I want so I don't want to ever get another ablation again unless there's no other option. Thankfully with the right combination of medication it seems to be under control now. At one point I was at a&e multiple times a week for cardioversions so it’s a relief to have it better controlled now.
But at a previous admission recently I overheard a nurse telling a new student nurse that avnrt is just a glorified panic attack and that nobody can be bothered with the drama of it because it's not serious and basically discussing how it was just attention seeking young girls who get it
It got me wondering and it's played on my mind ever since- is that how it's viewed by healthcare professionals? That it's just anxiety and it's not serious? Everytime I've had to go to hospital, is that what they've been thinking about me?
I've had friends with conditions which are notoriously seen as being anxiety related and they have awful stories about being disbelieved and fobbed off (like IBS etc) but I didn't think this would be seen as that because they can quite literally see it on the ECG?
I mean sure, anxiety doesn't help it, but it's not caused by that. I've had episodes where my heart was 220+ for over 10 hours and it was utterly horrendous. Obviously it's not as serious as some heart conditions but it's still very unpleasant and absolutely not just a glorified panic attack or attention seeking. but ever since hearing that it's just been in the back of my mind that I'm sort of wary to seek help with it again if it happens in the future in case that's how it's seen?
It doesn't really make a difference because either way if you need to go to hospital then you need to go, but it's just been in the back of my mind, is it just that individual who was ignorant or is that generally the consensus about it and that's how the condition is seen?