Appointments, appointments....and more appointments!

We were lucky enough to get in to see our family Dr the following week. I really had no clue as to what was going on or what to expect. He told us that Anna needed to go for another ECG and would need to wear a 24 hour holter monitor to monitor her heart. Perfect. I just wanted answers. We went for the ECG the next day and she was booked for her holter a couple of weeks later. Her ECG results came back fine. While we were waiting for her holter, Anna continued on with daily life. She still participated in sports and all other activities. Unfortunately, every time she played soccer, she was being pulled off the field because she was almost collapsing. To see a girl who, a couple of weeks prior, was playing a full game without being subbed off, to a girl who could no longer do a couple of runs up the field, was devastating, frustrating and so confusing! The time came for her to wear the holter. I was praying that she would have an episode while wearing it, but of course, she was completely fine the whole 24 hours! We get the results, and everything came back perfectly. We were of course happy that the test came back clear, however, we felt at a loss. We did not have any answers and we were desperate for them! Fast forward a few weeks, and Anna's episodes seemed to be getting worse. She was collapsing weekly. I was getting calls from her school to come pick her up and she was barely functioning. I was scared to have her leave the house because I never knew when she would collapse. We had an appointment to see a pediatrician. I'll never forget sitting in his office, him looking at Anna, and saying 'Are you sure it's not all in your head?" I was in shock. Here is a 14 year old girl, whose world has been turned upside down, having to listen to a comment like that. We did not go back to see that pediatrician.
At this point, we were either in Emergency or the Dr's office every other week. It was exhausting and beyond frustrating! Every time we were in Emergency, she was hooked up to an ECG machine and every time, borderline prolonged qt showed up. I wanted to scream!!! I just wanted a Dr to tell me what was going on and why she was having these episodes! Nobody could give me any answers.
It is now November and time for basketball tryouts. If you know Anna, she is an athlete and a competitor. She was named MVP last year for the basketball team and was so excited for tryouts. Unfortunately, near the end of practice, we get a call that Anna had an episode and they had called 911. I rushed out the door to meet her at the Abbotsford hospital. She looked beaten and broken down. My heart broke. Thankfully though, this is the point where a referral was made to a cardiologist for B.C. Children's Hospital. I was ecstatic. Finally!