“The sleepless nights, the anxiety — I wouldn’t have made it.”
In an emotional interview with The Post, ESPN host Mike Greenberg recalled living in fear of his own body after being diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, also known as AFib, the most common cardiac arrhythmia — or irregular heartbeat — in 2015.
“At first, it was manageable with meds, I was on beta blockers and used a ‘pill-in-the-pocket’ approach,” Greenberg, 57, said. “It worked — until it didn’t.”
The father of two was rushed to the hospital after his heart rate significantly spiked and he thought he was having a heart attack.
“I was in my mid-40s, I was just sitting on my couch and suddenly felt my heart racing up in the 160s or 170s,” he said. “Imagine sprinting on a treadmill, that was my heart rate while sitting.”
Greenberg, the host of “Get Up” and “Sunday NFL Countdown,” recalled years of going to bed scared because he was waiting for “another episode” to occur.
“The episodes became more frequent,” he said. “The meds didn’t stop them anymore. I’d lay awake at night feeling my heart race, frustrated and scared.
“The moment that pushed me to act was in summer 2022. My wife [Stacey] and I went to Burgundy, France — my favorite wine region. But I was afraid to enjoy it. I was sipping tiny amounts, scared of setting off an episode. That trip was one of many other moments that made me realize, I couldn’t live like that.”
Greenberg was working seven days per week at ESPN and had a wake-up time of 3 a.m., while keeping his condition private at the time.
There came a point where his condition worsened and it took a toll on every aspect of his life.
In March 2023, Greenberg sought a second opinion and Dr. Jim Cheung recommended a catheter ablation procedure, which is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure to treat AFib.
He slept in his own bed the night of the procedure, was back at work within a week and has been symptom-free ever since.
“That second opinion changed my life,” Greenberg said. “I met with Dr. Cheung, who said I was a good candidate. We scheduled the procedure around my ESPN schedule, right between NFL free agency and the NBA playoffs.
“I had the procedure on a Monday, slept in my own bed that night and was back to work the following Monday. Within three weeks, I was working out again. And since then — no episodes. It’s been transformational.
“The device used in my procedure was manufactured by Johnson & Johnson MedTech, a global leader in cardiac arrhythmia treatment. Without this procedure, I couldn’t have done it. The sleepless nights, the anxiety — I wouldn’t have made it.
“I didn’t have the ‘Sunday Countdown’ job yet in spring 2023, but I do now. It’s the highlight of my career, and I couldn’t have taken it on without having that procedure.”
Greenberg also mentioned reports about his procedure at the time incorrectly claimed he underwent open heart surgery — but not The Post, he said.
“Once it was done and went well, I asked Stacey to post something [on social media] to let people know,” Greenberg said. “[The Post] picked up on it, wrote the story and next thing I knew, the sports world was praying for me … people reacted like I’d had open-heart surgery. And in reality, nothing could be further from the truth.
“When you go through a health situation, there’s a part of it that feels private, but because of [The Post’s] story and the reaction to it, I realized people don’t really know what this is.”
That lack of public awareness played a major role in why he partnered with Johnson & Johnson MedTech for an initiative called “Get Smart About AFib” to educate patients about the signs, symptoms and treatment options available for AFib.
“I carry medication [now] just in case, and I know exactly what to do if I ever go into AFib again. But it hasn’t happened once. That procedure gave me my life back. It was frightening,” Greenberg said.
“My message is simple: I’m not a doctor, but I can say this, if you have AFib, ask questions. If you’re not satisfied with the answers, get a second opinion. Advocate for yourself.
“Now, it’s like it never happened. I don’t say that lightly, but I live as though it never happened.”
In his most frightening times living with AFib, Greenberg could only think about his wife, Stacey, and their chidlren, Stephen and Nicole.
“I’ve been doing [TV] for 30 years,” he said. “People wake up with me on TV across the country. I’m grateful beyond words. But when I was faced with that situation, I thought far more about my kids than my job. I’ve raised two amazing people who are now adults and people I genuinely enjoy spending time with.
“Stevie’s a senior in college, our daughter lives nearby. We spend a lot of time together. I look forward to being around for their next chapters, for grandchildren someday. Two years ago, I would’ve been afraid to celebrate with a glass of champagne. Now, I can.”
Greenberg’s schedule is the same still, but now he feels “great.”
“I love doing ‘Get Up,’ the Sunday NFL shows, and ‘The First Draft’ podcast with [ESPN NFL draft experts] Mel [Kiper Jr.] and Field [Yates],” he said. “I just hosted the [2025] NFL Draft, it was a blast.
Greenberg’s 29th anniversary at ESPN is approaching this August.
“I’ll be 58,” he said. “That means I’ve spent half my life at ESPN. Mind-boggling.
“But I’m grateful I have the job I dreamed about as a kid. I hope I never take it for granted.”