Maddie

Who knows if it was just anxiety, but... I've been told it was a real heart problem, I had surgery for it, so how much is it anxiety? But I went over to the side of the track after seeing them together and I was like, hey, my heart's acting up, can you take a look at it? And they hooked me up and I was beating at 325 beats per minute. I had AV nodal reentrant tachycardia.

Who knows if it was just anxiety, but... I've been told it was a real heart problem, I had surgery for it, so how much is it anxiety? But I went over to the side of the track after seeing them together and I was like, hey, my heart's acting up, can you take a look at it? And they hooked me up and I was beating at 325 beats per minute. I had AV nodal reentrant tachycardia.

And so what that is, is you're born with wires and there's 12. So like one, two, three, four, four sets of three. Okay. And then one wire breaks off whenever you're born. So you have two and two by the time that you're two years old. Okay. So one of my wires didn't break off. So I had two, two, two, and three. And so this one was causing interference with the other two.

And so what that is, is you're born with wires and there's 12. So like one, two, three, four, four sets of three. Okay. And then one wire breaks off whenever you're born. So you have two and two by the time that you're two years old. Okay. So one of my wires didn't break off. So I had two, two, two, and three. And so this one was causing interference with the other two.

And so that was what was making my heart race dramatically. So I had AV nodal re-entrant tachycardia, like I said. And then I had a catheter ablation to fix it, which is they just go in through underneath your collarbone and then right here in your groin. The reason I'm telling this story is because about a week after surgery, I still had the bandages underneath here and here.

And so that was what was making my heart race dramatically. So I had AV nodal re-entrant tachycardia, like I said. And then I had a catheter ablation to fix it, which is they just go in through underneath your collarbone and then right here in your groin. The reason I'm telling this story is because about a week after surgery, I still had the bandages underneath here and here.

And I went out to a little party with my friend from the house party years before, and I drank. And on our way back, she was driving, we got pulled over. So that was kind of my first experience with getting pulled over after I'd been drinking at 16 years old. And he was like, have y'all been drinking? I can smell alcohol. And we were like, no. Like, of course, tonight, everything.

And I went out to a little party with my friend from the house party years before, and I drank. And on our way back, she was driving, we got pulled over. So that was kind of my first experience with getting pulled over after I'd been drinking at 16 years old. And he was like, have y'all been drinking? I can smell alcohol. And we were like, no. Like, of course, tonight, everything.

And we both got out and did sobriety tests and both passed it. I don't know how, what was going on. But somehow, by the grace of God, I passed. like got out of that. And I think it was because I could show him that I had just gotten out of surgery. I honestly, I think that's the only reason we got out of it. But that was kind of like my first interaction with the police.

And we both got out and did sobriety tests and both passed it. I don't know how, what was going on. But somehow, by the grace of God, I passed. like got out of that. And I think it was because I could show him that I had just gotten out of surgery. I honestly, I think that's the only reason we got out of it. But that was kind of like my first interaction with the police.

and me knowing that I messed up and that I was potentially going to get in trouble for it.

and me knowing that I messed up and that I was potentially going to get in trouble for it.

Okay, that's good. They said that I could take beta blockers afterwards, like if any problems arose. But the reason they cauterized it is because... They said no problems will ever occur. You may feel like you're going to get into that again, like where your heart's going to start like crazy racing and you're going to hyperventilate. But what they cauterized will fix it. So I felt it before. Yeah.

Okay, that's good. They said that I could take beta blockers afterwards, like if any problems arose. But the reason they cauterized it is because... They said no problems will ever occur. You may feel like you're going to get into that again, like where your heart's going to start like crazy racing and you're going to hyperventilate. But what they cauterized will fix it. So I felt it before. Yeah.

That's scary. Yeah. Yeah. But the surgery fixed it and I was back drinking a week later. After that run in with the police, I kind of started focusing on a different friend group and really got into the sport I was in, which was cheer and really fell in love with that. It was a healthy habit. And so from like 16 to 18, I really didn't drink.

That's scary. Yeah. Yeah. But the surgery fixed it and I was back drinking a week later. After that run in with the police, I kind of started focusing on a different friend group and really got into the sport I was in, which was cheer and really fell in love with that. It was a healthy habit. And so from like 16 to 18, I really didn't drink.

I was hyper focused on cheer and where I could go to college and doing it competitively and doing it for my school. And I was in the best shape of my life and I had a community, you know, around me and I just fell in love. So around my senior year, I started trying out for different colleges, and I tried out for a college two hours north of my hometown in Dallas.

I was hyper focused on cheer and where I could go to college and doing it competitively and doing it for my school. And I was in the best shape of my life and I had a community, you know, around me and I just fell in love. So around my senior year, I started trying out for different colleges, and I tried out for a college two hours north of my hometown in Dallas.

My hometown is a small hometown two hours south of Dallas. It's small, but it's also next to a Army base. So we also had a much bigger population on our school. Like, I graduated with 711 kids. Wow. So, I mean, we were still big considering the size of the town.

My hometown is a small hometown two hours south of Dallas. It's small, but it's also next to a Army base. So we also had a much bigger population on our school. Like, I graduated with 711 kids. Wow. So, I mean, we were still big considering the size of the town.