I’m usually a positive person but after struggling with AF for more than three years, life was not about living, it was just about existing. My condition is characterised by an irregular heartbeat. It is associated with increased risk of heart failure, stroke and even cardiovascular mortality.

You never know whether medicines will work or not, so you are constantly living in fear. In a few seconds, your heart rate could go down to 80 and then shoot back up to 130. It’s so hard to tolerate!  

My physician advised me to see an expert in complex cardiac arrythmias at a large hospital in the Moscow region. That’s where I learned there about radiofrequency catheter ablation – and it was the only chance for me to stay alive.

The minimally-invasive procedure took almost four hours, as my case was really difficult. The thin catheter was administered through a vein to deliver a frequency that treated the abnormal signals causing the palpitations. No anaesthesia was used but I didn’t feel anything.

The effects were immediate – my quality of life improved dramatically. No more palpitations, no shortness of breath. I just wish there was greater awareness and access to these advanced treatments.