About 10 years ago I regularly practiced sports (triathlon) and all the sports medical examinations that I had performed until then had always given me positive feedback, with the issuance of the certificate of fitness for competitive activity; even during an electrocardiogram under stress, I received compliments on my resilience.

On the occasion of a stressful event, I went to the hospital with a panic attack. Not knowing the effects of panic attacks, I became frightened and thought I had serious health problems. During the visit to the emergency room, the doctor who examined me decided to investigate my clinical situation and I hospitalized to carry out further tests.

The following day, following an echocardiogram under stress, I was banned from competitive activity, considered too dangerous for my health, and I was diagnosed with left ventricular hypertrophy. I still remember that moment today: the doctors didn't talk to me, they looked at each other with worried faces, they concentrated on the thickness of my heart muscle and talked about a worrying situation.

The event was very traumatizing and I began to suffer from panic attacks which became much more disabling than the heart problem I encountered.

I talked about my situation with a doctor friend of mine from Milan who advised me not to underestimate the matter and to contact a specialist. After having had two episodes of atrial fibrillation resolved with electrical cardioversion, I met Prof. Cecchi who reassured me by describing the disease, and since the atrial fibrillation had occurred in conjunction with a panic attack, he advised me to undertake a psychological path entrusting me to Dr. Guendalina Rossi.

I later decided to quit my job, which had put me under great stress, and to change my life, dedicating more time to myself and my personal needs.

Given my passion for photography, I started a career as a photographer, with some success. In a very short time one of my photos was published on the first page of Corriere della Sera and slowly I was able with a lot of dedication and enthusiasm to open my own agency: the Marco Agabitini Studio.

Today my life has changed and I can say that I am happy, I have a wonderful partner and I am the father of an extraordinary 1 year old baby. Thanks to the psychological path I have taken, I have not had panic attacks and other episodes of atrial fibrillation in recent years. On the advice of the cardiologist, I have so far done without arrhythmic drugs and fibrillation ablation, also since the size of my atria is normal.

Having known my pathology, a form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy without obstruction, was the real push to leave a safe but highly stressful job, to choose a path and a much more fulfilling and interesting life: "obstacles are opportunities to live every moment to the full ".

My experience has taught me that it is very important to go to specialized centers and rely on expert specialists: the effects of an incorrect diagnosis or therapy can have disabling psychophysical consequences.