I was reading a previous thread about judging whether you're in afib by taking your pulse with your fingertips. My pulse is somewhat elusive that way. I don't know whether it is because my fingertips have lost sensitivity after years of working with my hands. But my wife also struggles to be sure about my pulse.

What does work for me is when I am in bed, on my side, and have one ear pressed down on my arm. I don't think I am hearing my pulse in my arm, but I think I am hearing something internal in my head.

Years before I had afib, I had an irregular heart beat. And it was a bit alarming to hear how often my heart was skipping beats. At that time, my cardiologist said my heart was actually beating twice in rapid succession, then taking an extra rest to even itself out.

Now that I have had an ablation, the beats are much more regular. I am curious to see if it gets even better after my 3 month follow up.

I really liked that cardiologist, though. He not only was just fascinated by heart function, but he truly had empathy for his patients. He always had a smile on his face when hearing about my life. And none of that contempt that many doctors get when they want to blame all your troubles on your life choices. He understood we are human, and therefore imperfect. He is still practicing, but has moved away.

It's good to hear stories like yours. I'm happy that you have that to share. May it end as well as we all hope.