I am having my 2nd Natale ablation this Tuesday, 8/2, this time for flutter. My 1st ablation was for afib & in 2019. I have had 3 moderate flutter episodes since the blanking period. Would have gone for "touchup" sooner (after 2nd flutter episode), but the pandemic had started & people were much less secure about any sort of travel, so I put it off. I was able to get off blood thinner & the antiarrhythmic & had no episodes for a little over the next 2 years. But, May 15th, I had a flutter episode out of the blue with no triggers, 215 bpm. I converted in about 5 hr, was in the ER.

So, I wonder what post-ablation time will be like for this one. I can hardly remember 2019 post-ablation time though, except for being on too much antiarrhythmic that made me have a cough reflex on deep inspiration. Also on my 2019 immediate post-ablation, I only took 1 Lasix pill & no more, so I did not have fluid buildup. Can't remember if legs were sore though I don't think so as I seem to recall walking somewhere to dinner when out of the hospital. This time there has been one change in protocol, that of taking colchicine 0.3 mg b.i.d. before & after the ablation. I read it was effective for prevention of afib after cardiac surgery. I guess that might mean this ablation could stir something up again that had been taken care of on my first afib ablation. I wonder if I had gone sooner, if that would have made a difference.

I am looking forward to finally having the procedure & getting past it. It has been an arduous time of getting pre-tests scheduled & okayed & lots of little problems I won't go into, but I have been super busy getting ready since approval June 9th. I am also taking a bag of former script bottles in case he wants to put me on sotalol, flec, more carvedilol, & then the potassium & Lasix, the colchicine, etc. My carry on bag looks like a pharmacopoeia. I take lots of supplements (that I think have kept me pretty healthy over the years). I also do not have a thyroid x17 yrs & have 3 meds for that. So you can imagine how hard it is to travel & preorganize all these meds. It is not hard at home.

So much preparation & it will all be over by this Friday, just 4 days in Austin. I hope this is it! Unless the dreaded LAA comes up.....then a Watchman. Didn't I read on here before that Watchman is not covered by insurance unless you met some specific parameters.

Anyway, just checking in with my wonderful afibbers support group & knowing you wish me well - so much support here.

Hello, I'm new to the forum. First post. I am pleased to read that you are doing reasonably well, all things considered. We do tend to get in a flap when we have a medical procedure after a long time away from a previous intervention or diagnostic of some kind. It kinda goes with the territory.

I wish you great success.

thank you, to gloaming!

Best of luck! Keep us posted.

You'll do just fine Madeline, and you are an old timer now too :-) Let me know how it goes.

Cheers!
Shannon

Best of luck, Madeline! I just had my ablation with Dr. Natale six weeks ago and everything went well. Normally I would have been very anxious going into a procedure, but thinking about the encouraging and positive comments on this forum, I felt much more at ease.

Quote
Madeline
I am looking forward to finally having the procedure & getting past it.

Well, you are past it now and maybe even home. I hope all went well—please let us know your experience.