Cardiac Sarcoidosis is “a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body overproduces immune cells, which clump together into ‘granulomas’ that can build up in the heart, disrupting heart rhythm, blood flow, and normal heart function” according to the Mayo Clinic. The cause of Cardiac Sarcoidosis is ill-defined, but the symptoms, which mimic that of heart failure and heart attack, certainly aren’t. And they’re just as lethal.
She Had a Bad Feeling About This One
“I am in the 2% in the world where the granulomas formed around my heart, and cardiac MRI showed a cluster hiding on the back of it, affecting the electrical signal,” says the Hamilton, Ontario native Michelle Hoad (see Strava profile). This was determined after months of testing brought upon after a feeling she had during her 45th birthday party in 2015. Her heart was racing, but not like all the other times over the past 2 years. Those times, her doctors had explained it away with a diagnosis of anxiety after a myriad of inconclusive tests.
“After 13 hours of pretending nothing was wrong, my family called an ambulance as I had trouble walking to the bathroom due to exhaustion,” Michelle recalls. When paramedics arrived they found her heart beating an astounding 242 bpm and the hospital had to shock her back into normal rhythm. “Then life got hard,” she explains.
Michelle had a pacemaker and defibrillator surgically implanted and began treatment with heavy-duty immunosuppressant medications with the aim of shutting down her body’s own immune system. The treatment wreaked havoc upon her physically and thoughts of confusion hijacked her mind. She had always lived a clean and active life. “Why me?”
Michelle’s Doctor Puts it All Into Perspective
Her physician made it more clear when he said, “Autoimmune diseases are like the lottery, you just get selected. But make no mistake, the ONLY reason you are alive is because you are fit. Not many people can sustain a heart rate of 242 for over 13 hours.”
The lifesaving choice to pursue a healthy lifestyle was made by chance when an old boss bet her she couldn’t beat him during any stage of several triathlons he challenged her to enter. Michelle had never attempted one before.
“I deposited $2,400 into my account in October of that year,” she says when describing the reasons why she was hooked. “Three challenging sports and I loved the sweat, competition, and being outside.”
Michelle’s Tips For Staying Motivated While Battling Illness
- The realization that you are still alive and many others don’t have the same privilege.
- Knowing that there is so much more to do in life and I wasn’t going to let a near-death experience stop me from doing those things.
- The belief that adversity makes us stronger. Tough times are like hills, some are long, some are steep, some are fast, and some are slow, and if you remain focused eventually you will get to the top.
Making a Withdrawal From Her Fitness Bank
It is also why, despite the heavy toll the treatments were taking upon her physically, Michelle had to stay mentally committed to cycling. “I can either get busy living or get busy dying,” she remembers telling herself when most rides ended in tears and exhaustion. Every time she was through, however, she always felt better.
As was true of her introduction to triathlon, Michelle stumbled upon the life-changing world of Zwift in 2019 through two fellow triathlete friends. “I tried Zwift in December and then proceeded to ride almost every day in January. I couldn’t get enough,” she exclaims. Zwift provided Michelle a sense of purpose and comfort in knowing that there were others riding indoors like her “who enjoy pain, just like me. Yes, yes there are, and there are thousands of them!”
Three Zwift Things That Keep Michelle Motivated
- Thousands of riders doing the exact same thing I am, when I am.
- The opportunity to be competitive with yourself and meet and exceed PRs on every ride.
- So many different riders of vastly different abilities, experience, and backgrounds. Watching riders pass me at double and triple my w/kg gives me hope that I can get better and stronger.
A Better Perspective
“Zwift has given me a chance to experience my old life, but in a new way,” states Michelle when describing how fortunate she feels. “We are the lucky ones, because we get to wake up and ride. Many don’t get the privilege.”
Michelle is truly hooked on Zwift. She rides a Stages SC3 Smart Bike an average of 50 miles per week, working her way towards 60. “I just rode my longest ride of 40km to get that badge,” she says with satisfaction, “and I am working on completing all the route badges.”
Zwift has provided her with the strength to achieve a much more important and momentous milestone, one which doesn’t come with a badge, nor can you put a value on it. “I got the clear to stop my meds for March!” I bet she will stay off them for good.
Ride On Michelle!
I Bet!
Have you ever placed a fitness or cycling bet on yourself? Tell us! I bet mine is better than yours.
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