[Woman #1] My heartbeat just takes off.

It feels like a stampede of animals in my chest.

For a long time I didn't know what to do. How do you control a heartbeat?

I had no clue when I'd have an episode.

That really stressed me out. I was scared to do anything.

I started to feel alone and depressed. That is no way to live.

I needed to make a change.

[Man] I was so tired.

Everything was an effort.

I didn't have any energy.

I used to get together every weekend with my friends.

And I just kinda stopped doing that.

I thought I was tired because I was older. I guess my wife noticed. She set up an appointment with my doctor.

[Woman #2] One moment I felt fine.

And then I was at the hospital. With a-fib. Getting my heart shocked.

Having a-fib was like being in a really bad movie.

But a really scary movie.

Things stopped. I was thinking "what just happened?" My life was really shifting.

The big thing was ... I was afraid of having a stroke.

What would happen? Could I care for my family? What would happen to them?

[Woman #1] I talked with my doctor.

We talked about staying calm during episodes.

And to remember that episodes always stop.

They don't last forever.

She taught me some ways to relax.

And it worked!

I had an episode while driving.

I pulled over ...

closed my eyes, and took some deep breaths.

I began to feel better.

[Man] My doctor told me that a-fib might have something to do with how I felt.

I guess I never connected the dots ... a-fib and being tired.

Knowing why I was tired made me feel better.

And then my doctor talked about little things I could try each day, like walking around the block ...

going to bed and getting up at the same time each day.

She also adjusted my medicines.

[Woman #2] I saw my doctor.

I told him how I felt.

"I'm young. I have a family. What was the best thing I could do?"

My doctor prescribed a blood thinner for me.

This medicine makes a stroke much less likely.

[Woman #1] So, I have a plan.

And it will help me get back to living my life.

I really feel like I'm getting control.

[Man] So I have some things to try.

And just thinking about doing them makes me feel better.

I'm ready to get my life back.

[Woman #2] And now I know that I'm doing all I can to prevent a stroke.

And that really helps my fear.

I'm doing the best I can for me and my family.

And that makes me feel good.