The Bert Show's Jeff Dauler posted on Facebook and Twitter that he landed in the hospital Tuesday evening over an abnormal heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.
Today, my heart hit 225 beats per minute, then they zapped it, then it just stopped. So, I'll be spending some time in the hospital. #nofun
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
He spent about 24 hours at Northside Hospital.
According to WebMD, "atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat that increases the risk of stroke and heart disease. Signs include dizziness, weakness, and fatigue. Treatment involves medication and lifestyle changes, and sometimes procedures such as cardioversion, ablation, pacemakers, or surgery." It says 2.7 million Americans live with it.
A Facebook follower Susanne Snider Smith posted this. "I work in cardiology. I know its scary. It happens more often than you would think. And you can still have a fantastic life. The biggest mistake people make after things like this is being afraid of doing anything that will get your heart rate up, like exercise. It will take some time but you can do it."
I texted Dauler and Bert Weiss Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, Weiss confirmed it to me and on air. He said Dauler stayed overnight for more tests and more as a precaution but he was okay by the evening.
He said he didn't know when Dauler would be back on air.
At about 8:07 a.m., Dauler texted me saying the doctors only know about the atrial fibrillation but they don't know why it happened. "Tests today, I suppose," he wrote.
He said he had just finished running around Chastain Park at 3:15 p.m. when his heartbeat elevated alarmingly. The doctors had to stop his heart momentarily to get it to beat properly again.
UPDATE July 30: He got home the next day. "Home. That was a fun 24 hours," he wrote on Facebook Wednesday afternoon.
UPDATE:July 31: Dauler returned to the show Thursday morning and explained what happened. He went into detail about how his heart sped up suddenly after he ended a run Tuesday afternoon. He realized he was having a serious heart issue and went to the emergency room.
"I was surprised how calm I was," he said on air, noting he generally hates hospitals.
He was first shocked, with the paddles. "I came out of it and my heart rate started to decline but still rapid," he said. Then his heart rate accelerated again to about 235 beats per minute - way too fast. The doctors decided they had to stop his heart period, like a "reset button." "I made a joke, 'Does it start again?' It was responded with without humor."
But he said the doctors were professional and not alarmed. They restarted his heart and everything was fine. "It's like your iPhone getting wonky. You shut it off and turn it back on," he said.
Dauler stayed in the doctor for observation and he will return with lots of tests. "Something this just happens. Your heart just shorts out. It's really scary. I'm 40 years old. It might happen every 40 years. It might happen ever 100 years. Sometimes if the heart knows it can do it, it could do that every six months."
For now, he hasn't figured out how this would impact him. The doctors cleared him to run immediately but now he's worried about taking long walks with his dog or taking long flights.
Here's the audio:
Dauler has been part of the Bert Show since the beginning in 2001, first on Q100 and now syndicated on more than 20 stations nationwide.
He has been considered the jokester, the sarcastic one, the cynic. He has also fought issues with his weight. In 2012, he took part in his first triathlon after participating on CNN's Fit Nation team under the watchful eye of Sanjay Gupta.
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