28-05-2012, 10:20 PM
Fish has heart procedure, was worried for life
Mardy Fish, who has not played since early April, tells USA TODAY that he just underwent a heart procedure in Los Angeles and feared for his life earlier this year.
After a loss to Juan Monaco at Miami in March, Fish experienced what he called the most frightening moment of his life. He said he woke up around 3:30 a.m. with his heart pounding at the very rapid rate of 170-180 beats per minute. "I was completely panicking," Fish said of the 30-minute episode. "I thought I was going to die."
Fish proceeded to see a series of doctors and had tests, but no one could determine what kind of heart malfunction he had.
"I couldn't sleep anywhere but my own bed," he said. "I couldn't sleep alone. It has been so scary. During days, I [was] totally fine. I can track it and work out fine. But every time I would go to bed my mind would start racing. Is this going to happen tonight? Is this going to be another night like that? It was super hard to go to sleep."
The episodes kept happening, so Fish underwent a two-hour electrophysiology procedure on Wednesday near his home in L.A.
"They feel like it was very successful, and that it's totally behind me now," said Fish, who hopes he can resume light training later this week and be back in time for Wimbledon, or perhaps even Queen's Club.
"Look, I'm still in the Top 10 in the world and still the No. 1 American," he added. "This is still a very fun time for me. I don't want to sit on my ass while I'm 10 in the world."
Mardy Fish, who has not played since early April, tells USA TODAY that he just underwent a heart procedure in Los Angeles and feared for his life earlier this year.
After a loss to Juan Monaco at Miami in March, Fish experienced what he called the most frightening moment of his life. He said he woke up around 3:30 a.m. with his heart pounding at the very rapid rate of 170-180 beats per minute. "I was completely panicking," Fish said of the 30-minute episode. "I thought I was going to die."
Fish proceeded to see a series of doctors and had tests, but no one could determine what kind of heart malfunction he had.
"I couldn't sleep anywhere but my own bed," he said. "I couldn't sleep alone. It has been so scary. During days, I [was] totally fine. I can track it and work out fine. But every time I would go to bed my mind would start racing. Is this going to happen tonight? Is this going to be another night like that? It was super hard to go to sleep."
The episodes kept happening, so Fish underwent a two-hour electrophysiology procedure on Wednesday near his home in L.A.
"They feel like it was very successful, and that it's totally behind me now," said Fish, who hopes he can resume light training later this week and be back in time for Wimbledon, or perhaps even Queen's Club.
"Look, I'm still in the Top 10 in the world and still the No. 1 American," he added. "This is still a very fun time for me. I don't want to sit on my ass while I'm 10 in the world."