One Firework from a Hospital Window: A Nursing Experience

One year ago today, in a moment that deeply shaped my nursing experience, I watched the Fourth of July fireworks from a hospital window in Orlando (actually 1 firework, it was really cloudy and rainy).

It had been a crazy week.  My husband had already been hospitalized once after multiple episodes of his heart rate climbing above 200 beats per minute and was diagnosed with SVT. Just three days later, on the Fourth of July, he called as he was leaving his overnight shift at work and said, "Meet me at the hospital."

As I walked in, I heard the overhead page: "STEMI Alert” and he was already being taken back to the cath lab.

Thankfully, his cardiac catheterization was completely normal. His arteries—the "plumbing"—were clear. The problem was his heart's electrical system... fitting for someone who works at a power plant.

Two weeks later, he underwent a cardiac ablation and was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a rare electrical disorder of the heart. That procedure was truly life-changing, and thankfully, he's been in a normal rhythm ever since.

How This Shaped My Nursing Experience

As a wife, this experience reminded me how quickly life can change. As a nurse practitioner, it reinforced something I tell my patients every day: not every health condition looks the same, sometimes the biggest health problems aren't the ones you can see coming, and you have to pay attention to your own symptoms and changes. You know your body best, but sometimes you ignore what your body is telling you. These symptoms are often blamed on stress, aging, or working too hard instead of recognizing them as potential clues that something deeper deserves attention. Sometimes there are no signs or symptoms, or genetics play a role that you have no control over, which just means you have to take care of your body as well as you possibly can.

My point is, this experience reminded us that tomorrow is never guaranteed. Pay attention when your body is trying to tell you something, and don't ignore changes just because life is busy. Take the trip. Schedule the appointment. Go for the walk. Laugh a little longer. Hug your family a little tighter. Invest in your health before you're forced to fight for it. Good health isn't something to take for granted—it's what allows us to fully enjoy the life we've been given.