The School Nurse Said I Was “Faking It”—Then My Heart Stopped in the Hallway

my teeth. I glanced down at the notification glowing on the screen: “High heart rate. 189 BPM. You appear to be inactive.” I was standing in my bathroom in boxer shorts, deciding if I had time to fix my hair before the bus came. That couldn’t be right. I touched my chest—my heart was pounding, sure, but I’d always had a fast heartbeat when stressed.continue reading …