Wednesday was my 29th birthday. For the first time in a really, really – really long time, I had a happy birthday. I saw friends I haven’t seen in a long time, I got presents from people I never even met, and I spent the evening with my loving family. But of all the things I got for my birthday and all the ways it was special – there was one aspect of my birthday that I would have loved to live without – the fact that from 2:00pm on Wednesday to 2:00pm on Thursday, I had to wear a Holter Monitor.

A Holter Monitor is a device that monitors your heart for a 24-hour period. You go to the hospital and they connect it and then remove it the next day and study the readings. Because of my physically broken heart and the upcoming operation I am going to have, it is necessary to perform certain tests prior to anything invasive. So they fitted me with a Holter Monitor. I understand the need for these tests and want to find out why my heart is broken – but why on my birthday?

I have to say that the fact that I was wearing this device on my birthday really made me upset. First of all, who wants to spend their birthday in the hospital being fitted for a device because there is something wrong with you? Second of all, I couldn’t really have any fun because with a device strapped to your chest all night long – what can you do? Third, being strapped to a heart monitor is something that should happen to someone on their 59th 69th or 79th birthday – not their 29th. So having to wear a Holter Monitor on my birthday when I am not even 30 years old yet was a lovely reminder of the fact that my heart is not exactly the best of the best.

Don’t get me wrong – I had a nice birthday. I just hope that next year – I can celebrate with no strings attached.