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My breathing was erratic, my mind was racing, and the conversation I was having with myself was a form of bargaining. Okay, just let me finish this last lap. The whir of the treadmill was keeping my pace. It had taken me a long time to get me to this point, and I was determined to grind it out. Keep breathing, keep moving.

It all started in November when I had a heart palpitation. That turned into multiple heart palpitations, which then led to three more days of continuous palpitations. I’ve had on and off palpations several times over the years, but not like this. They’d pop up maybe twice a year, and never last longer than a day. This was different though, and it unnerved me. I began feeling a little desperate to have this taken care of and have it go away for good!

Lap number three was complete. I can do it. One more lap is a mile. I had run a mile for the first time less than a week before. I checked my heart rate, and everything was looking okay. Keep on pushing. I can get there.

After those three days, I went to the doctor for some answers, and walked away with a prescription for a beta blocker, along with assurances that it wasn’t anything to worry about. Easy for him to say! He told me that since it only happened when I was resting, it wasn’t that serious. “Just stop thinking about it.” he said. Stop thinking about it? Hello… that’s all I can think about.

Four laps led to five. One more lap is a mile and half. I can do it! My breathing was feeling more manageable now.  I finally found a rhythm that was working. My heart rate wasn’t too high, and I was in a groove.

My three days of palpitations turned into three weeks, and after another doctor visit, more blood drawn, and another test run, nothing. Was it something I was eating? Was it because I was dehydrated? Not enough sleep? Too much stress in my life? Not enough exercise? Was it Seasonal Affective Disorder? Too much time in front of the computer?  A vitamin deficiency? Well, I tweaked each of these dials and still, no improvement. I researched and researched. Still nothing. I kept thinking that I know I can fix it if I can just turn the right dial.

Hey, didn’t the doctor mention that maybe I have too much blood in my system? Maybe that explains why I look flush all the time. How about a little bloodletting? So, I made an appointment to give blood with the Red Cross. This was my first time giving blood, and I guess that eating a full meal beforehand is more than just a good suggestion.  Who knew that breathing into a paper bag and trying to remember your name are part of the fun as you lay there delirious on the table? After thirty minutes of recovery, all the while trying to see if my sea legs still worked, I was able to leave. Oh yeah, and the palpations - still there.

Just passed six laps. Only one more lap. I’ve never ran this far, and I know I can make it to 1.75 miles. My heart rate is elevating, but I am still okay. I wanted to quit running and just walk for a little while, but I wasn’t going to stop. One lap at a time, one lap at a time. I was determined to finish. Breathe. Push through it!

Four weeks of heart palpitations passed, and no relief in sight. I lifted my plight up to the Lord, made some changes in the natural, and still, nothing changed. Looking for the magic bullet didn’t produce any results, so now what? Lord why I haven’t been healed from this? I was stumped.

I needed to make some lifestyle changes. I’m not a fad kind of guy. I don’t do diets, and I don’t get gym memberships. I find it tough to get enough exercise during the winter season because I get too idle by spending so much time indoors. So, I made the decision to eat better overall by eating more REAL, whole foods, and cutting out some evening snacks. I am not way overweight, but my “ideal weight” is about 10 pounds less than my current weight, so dropping a few pounds was also in order. So, that is what I did. I began to make some lifestyle changes.

Walking is something I can do regularly, so I decided that 10,000 steps a day is a good goal. My 10,000 steps are made up of thirty minutes of walking at lunch and thirty minutes on the treadmill at home. It’s at home that I began to add a little running into the routine. I’ve never been a runner, and have never liked it. You would think age 50 is an odd time to start. So why am I doing it? With my heart acting a little wonky, my thought was that strengthening it could only help the situation. I started out slow, and didn’t want to overwork my heart, so I got a heart rate monitor to assess where I was at. I was able to steadily increase my running-to-walking intervals.

As I passed seven laps, I was determined to hit the two-mile mark. I didn’t start out to do this, but I wasn’t going to quit. By this point, my heart rate was pushing 95 percent of my max heart rate. As I rounded the bend and was closing in on the last few seconds, I extended my hands to the Lord and thanked Him. I did it! I finished—exhausted and triumphant! I completed two miles without stopping, which is for me, a major accomplishment.

After six weeks, the heart palpations slowly stopped. A week later, they started up all over again. Now, for the last week, I haven’t had any, so I cannot be sure if this is permanent or not. I’m just thankful that TODAY, I haven’t had any.

During this whole ordeal, I haven’t lost hope that God is looking after me. I know that my reliance on myself to fix everything is too easy to do. Why did they start? Don’t know. Why did they end? Don’t know. Are they gone for good? Don’t know, and I don’t care anymore. Having heart palpitations evoked a fear in me that I refuse to let grip me from now on. They may come back, and they might not, but I believe that the Lord is always looking after me. My reliance is on Him. I won’t be fearful of them anymore. In the meantime, as I get healthier, I will have a healthier, happier house that the Holy Spirit can dwell in. It is a win-win! Praise the Lord!

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things
come up when the time comes."
Matthew 6:34 (MSG)