Ablation scheduled for Feb. 27

My Cather Ablation with Dr. Natale in Austin is scheduled for Feb.27. My Ablation will be a "live presentation". My wife will be able to watch the procedure.

They will call me with the final details in preparation for this Ablation. Am I nervous? Not to bad right now. I believe in destiny. I believe a higher power lead me to this forum of wonderful individuals who steered me to one of the best EP's in the country. I would have never known otherwise. God is good ALL THE TIME!

They want me to stay a extra 2 days in Austin just in case I have complications. No problem with me there since I live 8 hours from Austin.

5 mg Valium a day as needed.
20 mg Prozac daily
15 mg Prevacid a day
60 cc shot of Testosterone Cypionate every 10 days. Testosterone is low due to schedule two narcotics.
.5 mg Arimidex 2x a week to keep Estrogen levels in check. T shots can cause rise in Estrogen.

100 mg Metoprolol ER 1x a day
25 mg HydroDiuril fluid pill 1x a day every 2 days.
Neurontin 900mg a day (for Neuropathic pain IC/CPPS)
800 mg of Magnesium daily . Different types
81 mg aspirin 1X a day. Heart Doctor order due to stent installed in Jan. 2012.
2.5 mg Eliquis 2X a day

Miralax 1x a day for constipation issues. I have tried so many different methods for Constipation since 2008. Fiber is in my diet but to much Fiber really Constipates me.




25 mg/hcr Fentanyl.patch changed every 2 days

1st ablation done Feb. 27, 2014 for Long term persistent AFIB Dr. Natale
2nd Ablation done June 16,2016 Dr. Natale LAA isolated

Good news Smackman!

You're all set and it will be over before you know it! You have done the only job you really needed to get right as good as you possibly could have so take complete comfort in that knowledge as the best anti-anxiety potion you can have. When you couldn't have made a better choice, as is the case for you, its time to relax and let it all go and realize you are in the best hands all around as you possibly could be. All will go well.

As far as staying an extra few days, that is the common request for all out of towners, just to make sure everything is doing fine before flying or driving a long way home. I would make it three full days of taking it easy before leaving, including the day you are released. Or even a couple days longer if you and you wife can and wish to explore Austin a little more. You will likely be surprised at how much you can do so quickly, but its a good idea to take it easy too and include good rest periods too throughout the first week or two after the ablation.

Cheers!
Shannon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2014 12:09PM by Shannon.

You made the right decision Smackman. It will be over before you know it.

Jim

Smackman, I had originally booked a flight to arrive in Austin the afternoon before the ablation, and would have been going through patient registration, signing forms, getting blood drawn, etc., all between 5 am and my 7 am ablation. But then I decided to participate in one of Dr. Natale's research studies and flew down an extra day early to do the research stuff. And, serendipitously, I am REALLY glad I did because when I went over to St David's day before ablation to to the research part, I also knocked out the pre-ablation part (registered, labs, etc.). This allowed me to do the admin stuff and labs at a leisurely pace, actually have time to read the insurance fine print, ask admin questions, etc., which would not have worked well the same morning as the ablation, when time was tight and I was anxious. Extremely glad, in hindsight, that I flew down two nights before ablation instead of day before and highly recommend it for those with morning ablations.

I was asked about participating in some research by a male nurse who worked in research. He was showing me the Heart and what they would do when Dr. Natale walked in and said he would not himself participate in this particular situation himself which made it a easy decision for me. Dr. Natale said it needed more research.

I can only be there when I am scheduled to be right? I do not know what time I am suppose to arrive; still waiting on this phone call.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2014 05:53PM by smackman.

Its definitely better all around to get there two days before your ablation Smackman. This makes it a lot easier all around as Randy noted. You and your wife have time to get your bearings around St David's and parking and such in reference to your hotel as well as locating the Whole Foods which is the largest Whole Foods in the US and likely the world from what I understand with their corporate offices right across the street. And its only several miles drive from St Davids and near by hotels. If you get one of those hotels in the area that are like an apartment suite like Embassy Suites and several other such chains that including a full living room and kitchen with a stove and full refrigerator you will have plenty of time for you wife and you to stock up on goodies and food for her to have there for the 24 hours your are in the hospital and for you both the there days afterward while you are chilling and taking it easy.

Plus there will be no rush or pressure trying to get the pre-op stuff done if you arrive the morning two days before the ablation. DOnt rush things and you will be glad you give yourself the extra time.

Shannon

There are several good choices of hotels. We stayed at the Hampton Inn Lavaca/17th which is about 5 minutes from St. David's directly across the Univ of Texas campus. The staff there were fantastic and accomodating, and when they learned I was there for surgery, once I got there upgraded me to a king suite with refrigerator/microwave, living room area, really spacious room at no extra charge. A front desk person named Lindsey goes out of her way to help.

The wife and I was planning on arriving on Feb. 26 1 day before the Feb. 27 Ablation then staying 2 days in a hotel after coming out of the Hospital.

Are you saying I need to be there 2 days early because some pre-op stuff will be done the day before my Ablation? I have not been told that but I would like to be prepared. The nurse has not called to finalized the time of the Ablation on the 27 of Feb.

If I have pre-op stuff that will have to be done the day before the surgery, I hope the nurse calls soon so I can make the proper Hotel Reservations.

There will be one day where we will not need a Hotel Room right? The over night stay after the Ablation? We was going to check in on the 26th of Feb. and Check out the 27th for the day of the Ablation. Then check back in on Feb 28 then check out March 2 2 days after Ablation. No need for 4 nights right? One night will be spent at St. Davids. My wife will stay overnight with me that night.

If I am screwed up here in my thinking, let me know. LOL



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2014 03:30PM by smackman.

The evening after my ablation, I sent my husband back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep. He was more tired than I was. They are very attentive to you at St David's so your spouse might be able to rest better away from the hospital. What's another few dollars! Then you don't have to pack and unpack so many times either.

bstevens Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The evening after my ablation, I sent my husband
> back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep. He
> was more tired than I was. They are very
> attentive to you at St David's so your spouse
> might be able to rest better away from the
> hospital. What's another few dollars! Then you
> don't have to pack and unpack so many times
> either.
I agree. My wife will go back to her Hotel to get some rest. We will be staying at the Hyatt Place North Central 4 miles from Hospital. We stayed there for my consultation; It was nice. 3.6 miles from hospital

Smackman, sounds like you already made your decision but just to reinforce, having that hotel room available the evening of your ablation is a good idea. My wife also went back and stayed there. Not as comfy in the hospital room, she was tired, and nothing that the night shift couldn't handle. She was very glad to go back to the hotel room.

Re the number of nights in town before ablation, here is the deal: I could have shown up at 5 am on the morning of my ablation and knocked out patient registration, getting blood drawn, urine sample, etc., before my 7am ablation, but it would have felt very rushed for me and I wouldn't have had time to thoughtfully review the rather large stack of patient registration papers you'll be given and will sign. Just wouldn't have worked well at all in hindsight but St. David's was planning on that (5 am)...until I signed up for a research study that required my presence earlier; then my afib nurse said, as long as you're at the hospital the day before to do the research part, why not go ahead and go through patient registration, go up to Cardiology and get your labs done, etc. I did it the day before, and very glad I did. So all I'm saying is, maybe show up two nights before your ablation, go on over to the hospital the day before and do all that stuff and get it out of the way. I guess if you are assigned an afternoon ablation, you could do it all same morning. If it was me, I'd contact your afib nurse and request a morning ablation anyway.

Ditto on the advice to have your wife sleep at the hotel, you truly won't need her to stay overnight and you can ask for a sleeping pill too if you have trouble sleeping with the occasional BP readings and nurses messing with you, but you'll be in good hands in any event and your wife will appreciate the good night sleep in the hotel.

Shannon

Randy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Smackman, sounds like you already made your
> decision but just to reinforce, having that hotel
> room available the evening of your ablation is a
> good idea. My wife also went back and stayed
> there. Not as comfy in the hospital room, she was
> tired, and nothing that the night shift couldn't
> handle. She was very glad to go back to the hotel
> room.
>
> Re the number of nights in town before ablation,
> here is the deal: I could have shown up at 5 am
> on the morning of my ablation and knocked out
> patient registration, getting blood drawn, urine
> sample, etc., before my 7am ablation, but it would
> have felt very rushed for me and I wouldn't have
> had time to thoughtfully review the rather large
> stack of patient registration papers you'll be
> given and will sign. Just wouldn't have worked
> well at all in hindsight but St. David's was
> planning on that (5 am)...until I signed up for a
> research study that required my presence earlier;
> then my afib nurse said, as long as you're at the
> hospital the day before to do the research part,
> why not go ahead and go through patient
> registration, go up to Cardiology and get your
> labs done, etc. I did it the day before, and very
> glad I did. So all I'm saying is, maybe show up
> two nights before your ablation, go on over to the
> hospital the day before and do all that stuff and
> get it out of the way. I guess if you are
> assigned an afternoon ablation, you could do it
> all same morning. If it was me, I'd contact your
> afib nurse and request a morning ablation anyway.

My wife works and is a Manager at a major telecommunication company. My surgery is Thursday Feb. 27. She is taking off starting Wednesday. We will drive all day Wednesday to get to Austin. (approx. 8 hours.) We will arrive in Austin around 3 PM Wednesday. Maybe I can get the blood work done Wednesday afternoon after checking in to Hotel?

We are waiting on the nurse to call for final instructions. I hope I am the AM Ablation but the Nurse has already told us Dr. Natale has not decided who would go 1st; There are 2 of us having Cather Ablations that day.

Waiting till the Afternoon is hard because they expect you to drink nothing after midnight whether the Ablation is morning or Afternoon. That is difficult to do with a morning Ablation much less a afternoon Ablation.

I sorta feel it is all out of my hands when my schedule is to be Ablated, whether it is morning or afternoon etc. The lab work is also the Hospitals call right?

Smackman, never hurts to make a request but you're right, it's ultimately the hospital's call on scheduling. Doesn't sound like you'll have the luxury of showing up in Austin two nights before, but the good news is that one way or another, it's going to work out well for you. If your ablation is not the first of the day, you'll have time to take care of the patient registration and lab work the morning of. If you arrive in Austin the afternoon before, and have time to pop over to St. David's for the lab work and/or patient registration, could work too, but obviously it's up to your afib nurse and how things mesh with their schedule. Helen in Cardiology does the lab work right there in Cardiology Services which is nice, don't have to report to the lab elsewhere in the building.