Life after a heart attack at 33
How technology saved my life after a heart attack at 33, and why it inspired me to create this newsletter.
Have you ever faced death? Before November 23, 2020, I had never been forced to face my mortality. Then, at 3 am, my life changed forever while fast asleep. I woke up to a blockage in my Left Anterior Descending artery, the same artery that’s called the widowmaker, as most people do not survive a blockage in this artery while asleep.
I was fortunate – and am forever grateful – that I survived this (and ACDF spinal fusion surgery just 9 months later), and now I want to help others change their lives using technology.
Death's door the day after Thanksgiving
From the earliest age, I'd been a chubby child. An Indian vegetarian diet until the age of 16, coupled with inherent laziness and feelings of inadequacy, meant I searched for solace in food. These actions led to the inevitable, especially with my familial history of every major killer.
The result was a trip to San Francisco General Hospital at 3 am (in an Uber, no less) and my day off recognition: I had had a heart attack while I was asleep. Thankfully, my body woke me up, and what followed was the most personal, intense journey I've ever been on.
I'm Nirave, a tech journalist of 18 years who's now focused on technology and its impact on our mental, physical, and emotional health. I hope you'll join me on a journey to discover how technology has saved and will continue to save our lives.
1. (Thirty) Three years in the making
I've always known I was high risk when it comes to health. Between my parents, I've got a familial history of every major killer, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and more. Yet, I ignored my mortality, believing that it wouldn't happen to me, even after my brother had a heart attack years earlier at the age of 26.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing (as they say), and looking back, I had known the heart attack was coming for the few months that preceded it. After losing my dad in June 2020 (and moving back to the UK from the US for a few months to look after my mum), I started having some chest pains but dismissed them as stress.
12 hours before the heart attack, I was buying my health insurance for 2021 when I said the words, “I think I’ll have a heart attack next year.” Little did I know it would be just hours, not weeks and months like I had thought.
There’s plenty more to the story, which I’ll write in a follow-up, but now, over three years later, it’s been a wild ride, but I’m alive. I’ve lost a ton of weight, discovered that I’m far more resilient than I had ever imagined, and have found new ways to deal with stress and health anxiety.
The heart attack was the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m here to share my story to help others going through similar journeys. It’s never too late to start caring, so why not hit that subscribe button and join me to help build a community that saves lives?
Let’s change lives… together
Lying in the hospital after the heart attack, I realized that life needed to change. Not just in terms of my activity levels and looking after my health but also in my purpose. It’s taken many years of thinking – and letting life get in the way – but now I want to build a community of people who use technology to save lives.
You are a key part of that: We all know someone with health issues. Regardless of age, gender, and location, we can save lives together. Please join the journey and share these posts — or better yet, become a paid subscriber and gift someone a subscription (you get discounts if you buy two or more subscriptions in a group plan)!
Let’s help save lives one at a time using technology.
What to expect from Impact by House of Tech
I’m not sure exactly how often we’ll post, but I expect at least one to two weekly articles for everyone, plus other content for paid subscribers.
Here’s what you can expect from the new House of Tech Insider newsletter.
Our posts focus on mental, physical, or emotional health and how technology can help improve one or more of these areas.
Free subscribers will get access to many of our articles: we believe that lifesaving advice should not be hidden by a paywall, but we do hope you’ll show your support with a paid subscription. Some of our content will be moved to the archive after 4-6 weeks, but we’ll always ensure the most important content is freely available.
Paid subscribers will help support our content, will be able to access the archive, and will get access to deeper dives into specific technology features. Some planned examples include:
How to get the most out of a Continuous Glucose Monitor for Diabetes
How to manage your heart health using technology
How to rebuild your health using technology
Founding members will always be listed in a new Founding members section on our About page, and I express thanks and appreciation. We’ll call you out on future videos, give you a platform to share your journey, and allow you to ask me questions directly.
Want to access a paid article but can’t afford it? Please shoot me a message on Twitter, Instagram, or via email with your story, which article you’d like to access, and how you think it’ll help you, and I’ll see what I can do 🙂
Follow the journey across social media
We get it – not everyone wants to read a publication or get email notifications. Follow us on social media at the links below for a more granular, real-time look at the latest technology and how it impacts daily life.
🐦 Twitter: @nirave | @HoTdotTech
📸 Instagram: @niraveg | @HoTdotTech
🎥 YouTube: @HoTdotTech
🎶 TikTok: @NiraveG
You're amazing, my friend. I am so thankful that you survived and are thriving! <3