TUCSON, Arizona — For Todd Holthaus, the fear of leaving his family too soon has lingered since childhood. His father died of a massive heart attack at the age of just 50.
“It was definitely scary, out of the blue,” Holthaus recalled. “You don't really know what's coming. And so I've always had in the back of my head, I don't want to leave my kids early or my wife early.”
That concern drove Holthaus to never miss a routine physical. But last spring, during a weekend getaway in San Diego with his wife Jennifer, something unexpected happened.
“Jennifer and I were away for a weekend last month and she was laying on my chest, and she said, your heart beats funny,” Holthaus said.Heeding her observation, Holthaus asked his doctor to perform an electrocardiogram (ECG) at his most recent physical.“He literally came back in the room and said, ‘Your heart is in AFib,’” Holthaus remembered. “And I'm like, I don't even know what that means.”
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a condition in which the heart's upper chambers beat irregularly and often rapidly, increasing the risk of complications like stroke or heart failure if left untreated.Holthaus underwent a cardioversion procedure—a controlled electrical shock delivered under sedation to restore normal heart rhythm.
“A few minutes later, while I was still under, it went back out of rhythm, so they did two cardioversions for the price of one,” he said.Complications from medications led to a hospital readmission, and a third cardioversion also failed. Ultimately, a cardiac ablation—a minimally invasive procedure to correct the abnormal electrical signals in the heart—succeeded.“Since June 16, I've been back in rhythm. I'm off all meds,” Holthaus said.
Now, during American Heart Month (February), Holthaus is opening up about his experience to raise awareness.
“I'm glad Jennifer said something that night in San Diego. I'm glad I did,” he said. “There is a lot of peace of mind knowing I'm OK. It was just kind of a whirlwind summer, you know—God willing, I have a clean bill of health, and probably feel better than I have in years.”
Holthaus encourages others to listen to their bodies—and to the people who know them best.His story highlights the importance of routine check-ups, paying attention to subtle symptoms, and acting quickly on heart-related concerns.
