Nothing yet. I faxed over a note to the woman from the Cath lab that spoke to me on Friday, which she should receive tomorrow morning. I'll also follow up with a call. Can't reach anyone today (Sunday).... Thanks for letting me know about the blood thinner...I was expecting that I needed to stop it.by tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
I had vagal Afib, so exercise always stopped my Afib episodes, and over the 10 year period that I had them...(with the last few years having them every day, often twice/day), I probably stopped over 1000 episodes of Afib with a brisk walk. I would feel the pulse in my neck, and after a bit of walking hard like that, voila! Back in NSR. On an interesting note, when I had my first ablation wiby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
I'm surprised I haven't heard back from the hospital telling me to either stay on, or get off of Eliquis before I come in this Tuesday to get a Watchman. Does anyone have experience with this?by tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
I had a Natale LAA ablation in September 2013. Lots of work to get me in NSR. All was well until May 2014, when I went into Flutter as my Acupuncturist inserted a needle into my left shoulder area - and pow - flutter immediately. After dealing with afib for 10 years, then my 2013 ablation, Dr. Natale instructed me to get a cardioversion - my first and last. Flutter went away for about two weeby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Just to clarify, she is supportive of the Watchman, but seems to be saying it's only worth getting it if i can get off of Eliquis. I would think once you get a Watchman (because you had a LAA isolation), you have just as much risk of a stroke as any other person in your age group who has no Afib history. Maybe that's what she meant...?by tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Wasn't that incorrect advice to tell me that anticoagulation is safer than the Watchman, and that it doesn't keep me safer from having a stroke, Carey? Thanks for letting me know about staying on Eliquis...I was assuming it's like other procedures, when they want you to temporarily stop it.by tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
As I posted recently, I have been experiencing cold feet in relation to getting a Watchman...especially during a surge in Omicron in NY, which is where I'm having it done. I am only doing it now because Dr. Natale is in town next week, and it seems necessary for better protection after my LAA isolation ablation. Being someone who goes back and forth on big decisions, I have been tormentinby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you Susan and Carey for your replies. I do feel better after reading them. I had worried about how the mask thing would be handled, and feel better hearing your experience, Susan. I think they are planning to have me leave the same day, so there won't be any overnight, unless of course, something needs to be watched more. And Carey, I am lucky in that this doesn't require aby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
After speaking with Shannon not long ago, I decided I would take the opportunity to get the Watchman while Dr. Natale was visiting here in New York. Then Omicron hit and I backed out, and thought I would just catch him when he's back in town. It seems that Dr Natale doesn't know when he'll be back in town and it may not be for awhile....so I should get on his schedule again.by tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for taking the time to explain this further, Carey. One thing that concerns me is that I am here in NY and Dr. Natale is in Austin, so I would probably go with someone local, with the experience you mentioned. However, will a local doctor who is basically overseeing you go along with what Dr. Natale says? I had met with the EP from my cardiologist's office to talk about getting thiby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gene - I would think the whole idea of getting the Watchman is to get off of Eliquis, so not sure why there's a possibiilty of staying on it...? I'm assuming you went to Austin to get it done, yes? It's a Covid hotspot right now, so i would not fly there at this time. Barbby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
In response to your comments above....Susan d. Whatever numbers they noted, Dr. Natale told my Cardiologist to keep me on Eliquis. However, that would change if I were to get the Watchman, of course. I don't love the idea of still having to take an aspirin, as that has some risks too. Louise - did Dr. Natale do your Watchman or a local EP? I'm a little nervous to let anyone touchby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
]Hello all - I haven't been on here for awhile, like I was before I had my Natale ablation in 2014. I am doing well, thanks to Dr. Natale. No Afib ever since that ablation. I had a LAA ablation, and am still on Eliquis, due to some numbers being less than ideal on my TEE, and because it was a LAA ablation. I am concerned as I get older, that one day I may need surgery, or fall and hurt mby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks, Shannon...that's what I was thinking too, but wasn't sure if I was just being overly cautious...as Dr. Natale worked on me twice and I did have a lot going on in there...I would feel better if he did it. Your point about being able to look around to see if he needs to do a final "button down" is well taken as well. I assume he has done a bunch of these by now too, yes?by tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
All good information - thanks all. Next question is....would you only allow someone like Dr. Natale to put the Watchman in? He's in Austin and I'm in New York, but I did fly down there to have him do a "touch up" flutter ablation after he did my initial ablation (while he was in NYC). I totally trust him...not sure if I would trust anyone else for such a procedure. Also..by tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
When I was having Afib, and it was a lot over the course of 10 years, it was often triggered by burping...which was triggered by eating bread, for me. I distinctly remember eating the whole bread basket at a restaurant (bread IS my weakness), and then I started burping....and went right into Afib. I was a vagal afibber, so for me, I could make it stop by taking a brisk walk, until I finally &qby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
I am appreciating hearing from all of you as I know you have far more knowledge on this than I do, and in many cases, then the local EP seems to have. My cardiologist hired Dr. Larry Chin's son, who is now the local EP under that practice. He made it sound like staying on aspirin indefinitely was the protocol that he recommends. I bucked it a bit, as i also take a supplement that does tby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yes, I had an LAA isolation ablation back in 2013, with a "touch up" ablation for Flutter in 2014. My left emptying velocity has been all over the map, which is one reason I went for multiple TEE's. It's been 28.8, 41.4, 32, 40, and 58.5. All except for one were done at Montefiore hospital. Not sure if my numbers really vary that much or if the determination is that diffby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
HI Carey - which number(s) on the TEE indicate inadequate blood flow? And do you know what the numbers need to be to have less of a concern? I've had over 5 TEE's, so I can look that info up for my own situation.... That's the one problem with working with an EP who is long distance and not someone you can set an appt with easily....I don't trust the local EP's neaby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Lots of interesting discussion here. I'm inclined to wait a bit on the Watchman, as the improved version is supposed to be heading to the U.S. sometime next year. Less complications sounds good to me. Why are some saying that even missing one dose of Eliquis could be catastrophic? I was told that isn't true by my cardiologist. And if it were true, how would anyone on Eliquis eveby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
AP Page - why would you have the Watchman when you still need to be on a blood thinner...aspirin? I don't really get the point...I thought the whole idea of getting this was to get off of anticoagulants. While Eliquis is stronger than aspirin, they both thin the blood. Given that, I am not feeling motivated to go through all of that to trade one blood thinner for another. Perhaps you haveby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello all - . I am a 66 year young woman , who had vagal Afib for 10 years, from age 50-60, that got progressively more frequent over time. When I finally decided to get an ablation, I was getting Afib at least once/day, if not twice. I could always make it stop, but I couldn't keep it from coming back....When my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer, I decided I had to do something aboutby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Funny that you read Craig's name as Greg, Shannon, as that is my sister's son. People do get those names confused easily...lol In my opinion, Craig is mostly treading water at this point, with his daily drowsiness, frequent confusion, very limited mobility, incontinence, etc. One of my other sister's sons said to her, "do you really want to put Craig through all of that?&qby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Louise - i noticed that you also said that you recently had a Watchman. How did you make that decision to do that, and how was the procedure? Do you have any regrets? It's something I am considering, to get off of Eliquis. thanks ~ Barbby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
thanks Carey. We are beginning to wonder if this all makes sense for him though..given his age, poor health overall, and limited if any real progress in rehab. It's a tough decision to make....it would be a big undertaking for everyone, especially Craig - to get him hoisted out of bed, taken to the hospital for testing, then the procedure...and then he has to go on Coumadin or Plavix, doesnby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello all - my brother in law, Craig, fell down a few months ago, and had major internal bleeding. He was on Eliquis. They had trouble stopping his bleeding and because of his fall, they had to take out his spleen and one kidney....He's 84 years old and has a form of Parkinson's as well. He is anemic at times, on a breathing tube on and off (I think it's off sometimes), and sleepsby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Black swan - After trying to deal with Afib for 10 years, I finally decided it was time to get an ablation. I learned of Dr. Natale from this forum, and am SO thankful for that. He truly is a super nice, highly skillful, much sought after expert in this field. As I was getting Afib every single day by the time I saw him - often twice/day (I could make it go away but couldn't keep it from cby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
So I am in a similiar situation. I had a LAA isolation ablation done by Dr. Natale in 2013, and then a "touch up" by him in 2014. Afib free since then, and have been on Eliquis since my ablations too. While I have had not problems on Eliquis, my brother in law DID. He fell in his kitchen and long story, short, ended up bleeding internally a lot, had to have his kidney and spleen reby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
Not sure if I posted here on this or not...but Dr. Natale's assistant said that they don't use the CHAD score anymore to determine whether or not to take you off the Eliquis - they use the TEE. I am hoping to get another one done sometime in the next few months and then see what they have to say.... Not loving the idea of being on a blood thinner, after seeing what a big deal it canby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM
HI Joseph - I am in a similiar position as far as Afib history and have also had a decent TEE test, but it has not yet been determined if I can come off of the Eliquis yet. May I ask which numbers they were looking at to make that determination, and what they were? I understand your hesitancy as you don't want to do anything risky, but I doubt Dr. Natale would recommend this without greby tobherd - AFIBBERS FORUM