A strange afib recurrence

It's been years since posting anything here and, selfishly, since I've visited an afib board.

Short history, afib raised its ugly head in 2005 following BC chemo/radiation, 4 ablations locally (SE Michigan) and one I considered wholly successful in Austin with Dr Natale. In fact, Carey and I were there at the same time in 2018.

Though I've had PACs throughout the years, no afib. My Kardia was gathering dust. Last evening, went to bed and felt odd so dug out my Kardia - yep afib. And it's continued through the day today. But my symptoms are like none I've ever experienced: no tiredness, HR in the 90's and not the pounding I used to get just irregular. (I was always very symptomatic.) Due to see my EP in June and hope I don't need to move it up.

I'm most concerned that I'm scheduled to have a much needed inflamed eyelash gland removed on Wednesday. They are aware I am an afib patient, but I'm due to have a quick acting anesthesia. Should I alert them? (I'm worrying postponement will allow the gland to begin to weep.)

Thanks, and hi Carey!
Sandy

First, I'm a big believer in telling your physician(s) anything that you're on the fence about. It'll be their job to decide if it matters or not.

Second ... are you aware of the connection between BC radiation and myocardial fibrosis (or other cardiac consequences) -- what tends to give rise to arrhythmias? My mother had left-sided BC treated during COVID. In her case, NSR, but with a moderately elevated Coronary Calcium Score a few years later. No other indications for Coronary Artery Disease. I asked her to be seen by a cardio-oncologist who agreed with me and nixed the treatment recommendations of her other providers.

If you Google "Radiation-Induced Heart Disease," you can take as deep a dive as you wish. It's very well known.

Meaning only one thing: it may make sense for you to be seen by a cardio-oncologist. Left breast is worse than right breast, but radiation induced cardiac sequelae are basically a matter of ... not 'if' but 'when' you'll have cardiac after-effects.

Best of luck on the procedure, and on every other thing :-)

[From a graduate of Birmingham Groves High School ;-)]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2025 11:29PM by NBeener.

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SandyS
Thanks, and hi Carey!

Hi Sandy! I see you commented on another thread about 2 months ago but I didn't know it was you. This is your second post in 7 years. Quit posting so much, okay?

Yeah, I would definitely tell them. Anesthesiologists tend to freak out about afib or anything cardiac, so if they put an ECG on you on procedure day (and they will) and they see afib, they're going to cancel the procedure. Let them know now so you don't go through the whole thing just to get canceled at the last minute. Maybe they'll continue even with you in afib, but they definitely won't if it's a surprise for them. I went through this last year with a colonoscopy. The anesthesiologist refused to do the procedure despite the fact that I've been in NSR for 8 years. I spent 20 minutes on the phone with him and he just wouldn't budge until I got a cardiologist to sign off on me.

And what I would do next is schedule a virtual consultation with Natale. I'd say you're likely a candidate for a touch-up and since you've been afib-free for 7 years and the heart rate and symptoms are reduced, it's definitely not a case of needing a full-blown ablation.

It's great to see familiar names here. Yes, I talked to my nurse friend and she's giving me the same advice. I keep hoping I'll convert and it lasts through Wednesday. I'm going to wait til Monday to make that call. She put afib on my pre-call but that was before it was active. I'm concerned the growth will begin to weep, then I have a whole different set of problems.

I guess when things got normal, I bowed out of the other forum. That and a couple of non-productive personalities. I'm still trying to find my way around your format here


Sandy

Ohhhhhh. That Sandy from Michigan.

Hi, Sandy!

[Yeah. I got less and less comfortable 'over there' with the passage of time....]

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It's great to see familiar names here.

Hi Sandy! Yep, A consult with Natale sounds like the way to go. It looks like Medicare is going to stop paying for telemedicine with him in September so get your dibs in!

Again, nice to see some old friends here. The procedure is scheduled tomorrow. Prayers it's not postponed. I'm now Normal sinus with SVE. That in itself may make this opthalmic surgeon nervous.

Sandy