Shock diagnosis for Calderdale mum and teacher of heart condition that makes her five times more likely to suffer a stroke

For Vikki Arthur, 35, her diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) came out of the blue after she had her first episode in December 2020.

"Up until then, I just considered myself to be a normal, healthy and fit person,” she said. “It was a Saturday and I was getting ready to go and do my weekly shopping when my heart just felt really strange.

“It felt like it was ‘trapped’ for a few seconds, like it wanted to beat and it couldn’t, and then my heart was just beating like crazy. I felt really light-headed and had to sit down, and then I started getting pain in my jaw and was terrified that I might be having a heart attack.

"I genuinely thought I was dying.”

Vikki called her partner Wayne for help and, after phoning 111, he took her to the A&E department at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

After an ECG, a doctor explained she was having an AF episode. She was given beta blockers to bring her heart rate back down and by the next morning it was back to normal and she could go home, and an appointment was made to see a cardiologist.

Vikki, who is mum to seven-year-old Aniah-Rose, said: “My cardiologist confirmed that I have AF. I was told that it would never go away but they couldn’t predict how many episodes I’d have, how frequent or how bad they’d be.”

After her first episode, Vikki had several smaller episodes, followed by another larger one in January 2022.

That summer she fell pregnant but in September 2022 she experienced another AF episode which left her in hospital for three days.

“It was the worst I’ve had,” said Vikki. “I was with my head teacher on a training day and they had to take me to A&E. That episode lasted 36 hours before I reset and I was told I’d need to take beta blockers every day.”

Tragically, Vikki started bleeding while at hospital and it continued when she got home. She went back to the hospital a few days later where they confirmed she had miscarried.

“The last six months have been really tough psychologically,” she said. “I’ve had time off work to recover from that last episode, having the miscarriage and getting use to having beta blockers in my system permanently.

"I’m only 35 and I’ve struggled to come to terms with having to take tablets every day for the rest of my life.

“My approach to life has changed and I don’t take anything for granted. But my life is far from over. I just have to adapt and live it in a different way but make the most out of every day.”

The most common symptoms are palpitations, breathlessness and dizziness. However, many people do not experience any symptoms.

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “What remains troubling is the sheer number of people who are undiagnosed and unaware that they are living with a heightened risk of stroke. Finding people with this hidden threat must remain a priority.”  

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