Todd Hartley of Phoenix is creating the Internet's first multimedia medical encyclopedia for women and it's a good thing he pays attention while working -- it may have saved his life.
Hartley, 36, is the Director of Community, News and Marketing for www.EmpowHer.com, which is transforming healthcare through patient advocacy by tapping into the strength of women.
On EmpowHer, women can ask their health questions and share what they've learned.
While interviewing the nation's top heart specialists and women with heart conditions, Hartley found the symptoms rang a bit close to home.
"I was working very long hours and was noticing my heart was racing, like I had butterflies inside my chest" he said. "I also noticed my shirt was tight, but I thought it was nothing, until I started hearing experts explain exactly what was going on inside of me."
Hartley only asks questions on the behalf of women, except this time he was filling in his own symptoms.
"My questions sounded like this. Doctor if a woman is experiencing a fluttering in her chest, tightness around her shirt in the front and a racing heart, what should she do? And each expert kept telling the "woman" (me) to see her doctor immediately. And so I did!"
Hartley then booked an appointment to see one of the doctors he had just interviewed. After a series of tests, Hartley was diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia, an electrical misfire that occurs in the chambers of the heart.
Hartley now takes medication and his condition is being monitored. But his passion for educating women remains as strong as ever.
"Never did I think I had risk factors for any heart ailment. My doctor said if I found this out five years later I would have had a severely weakened heart. Ironically, educating myself on behalf of others saved my life and now I want to share my story," he stressed.
"The funny thing is the first person to benefit from all of my interviews for women, just happened to be a man," Hartley said.
An interview with Hartley can be arranged at your convenience. His story is an ironic example of how health education can save lives and improve wellness.