Congrats to Shannon and Dr Natale!

The recent Journal Of Atrial Fibrillation reports that Dr Natale was named the GAFA physician ambassador of the year. And our own Shannon Dickson is the GAFA Patient Ambassador of the Year. This recognition, for both of them, is about as well deserved and aptly named as any award that I can recall. Congratulations to both. Dennis



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/2015 02:44PM by Shannon.

Thanks Dennis ... Im still here in KC and flying out tonight but wont be home until Monday afternoon. It was a very nice and rewarding trip and, ironically, Dr Natale had also been selected as this years 'Physician Ambassador' as well on this fourth annual GAFA World AFIB Awareness Day celebration.

Also, I took the liberty of correcting my misspelled last name above in your post, as this misspelling was carried over from the two page editorial in this issue of JAFIB published yesterday that you linked to above. It is a very common assumption to use the more common English form of 'Dixon', but my last name is spelled with the Scottish form 'Dickson'.

Anyway, will update more on the event, but Afibbers.org was very well represented and mentioned there with many more EPs, Cardios and regional Afibbers in attendance becoming aware of us.

I was impressed too by how well known we already are by most of the EPs there, and with Dr Lakkireddy chairing the event, he singled us out as, quote: "Clearly the oldest and most in-depth and effective patient advocacy forum related to AFIB on the web, with a tremendous amount of valuable resources collected in one place over the years, and refreshingly, Afibbers.org is a site dedicated to 'myth-busting' of generally well-meaning but often misplaced ideas sometimes found on some other sites across the web discussing AFIB."

In my talk, I highlighted the very special and familial nature of our dynamic world wide forum and singled out Hans and Judi, of course, for founding this special Oasis in the online AFIB universe and tireless decade and a half effort on making it the wonderful resource that it is now. Also, I made special mention of all of you regular stalwarts on the forum including Jackie and George and so many others of you old timers too numerous to mention. But without whose generous dedication and compassion in sharing your long term experience and 'school of hard knocks' wisdom freely with new Afibbers from all over, I would not have been standing there myself that evening.

The next day was a 5K fun run and yoga class on the track and the presentation of the awards to Dr Natale and myself. I was able do a bit of yoga of the simpler yoga poses to a degree, but with my still quite sprained and unstable left ankle any running or long walking was out of the question.

More later, Shannon



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/2015 06:02PM by Shannon.

Shannon,

Congratulations and thanks for representing us so well!!

George

Shannon,

Congratulations it's well deserved.

Ron

Congratulations, Shannon! It is so fitting that you and Dr. Natale would be honored in the same year and for your contributions to patients and the general awareness of AF. I'm also very glad to hear that Afibbers.org is receiving attention from the EP community as well. We know that the information here from many who have been dealing with AF for years is a remarkable resource, and the ability to share this information with others in an open way is changing the face and practice of medicine in good ways, in my opinion.

All best wishes,

Rob

Shannon: Well earned and deserved by both you and Dr. Natale. This Forum and Dr. Natale were more help to me than most of my medical mafia at the time, starting some 12 years ago. Thanks to them and all the input from the rest of our contributors I've been fib free for 7 years now.

Keep up the good work.

Gordon

Gordon says it well. My past experiences with guidance and support from this forum have been most valuable and comforting.

Congratulations, Shannon and Dr. Natale on the Global AF Alliance (GAFA) Foundation awards. The committee chose well and Dr. Lakkireddy’s editorial in JAFIB is a most-fitting testimonial to both of you.

Healthy regards,
Jackie

Shannon,

Thanks for your tireless efforts to help us navigate the twists and turns that this malady brings. Your dedication is appreciated. Congratulations!

The Journal of Atrial Fibrillation is a tremendous free resource. This issue contains articles on the long term results of ablation, and a review of cryoballoon ablation - both timely for me since my ablation is scheduled later this week.

Doreen

Thanks again All,

And Doreen, you will do just fine as you made the all important one key choice for a very reliable and skilled EP. You have followed our precepts to a T pretty much from what I can tell, in giving all the life style risk factor reducing and CV risk managing efforts a solid and dedicated effort to make the best of its impact on your underlying AFIB substrate as possible, as well as to help bolster your overall health, but the ongoing AFIB still rearing its head no in spite of those efforts makes its a complete no brainer that now is the time to add in that critical step in so many of our journeys histories which is the major and typically transforming benefit of an 'expert ablation process'.

This is all about using ALL of the best tools in our tool kit at the appropriate times and in combination. Please send me your cell number if you'd like and I will call later today when driving home from Phoenix to Sedona ( I have blue tooth in the car so all hands free calling , plus my new Audi drives itself basically on the highway allowing me to drive with this 'adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist' from Phoenix to Sedona without literally touching the gas or brake pedal one time until I turn off on the side street heading to my home after two hours of driving at highway speeds over winding roads and mountains etc .. amazing what they have come up with these days!)

Anyway, I digress, but I can review with you a few of the usual last minute tips that can come in handy and go over any last minute question that might come up. Let me know and best wishes even though I know you wont need it!

Cheers!
Shannon

Just to make things more equitable, Andrea's last name was also mis-spelled. Congrats to both as treasured resources for AF patients worldwide. Well deserved and a toast to Shannon for his dedication.

Well deserved for both Shannon and Dr. Natale.

All the best,
Mike E

Yes, that is great news. Congratulations to all and thanks for all of the help!

]I'm so glad you and Dr. Natale have received this well deserved recognition, Shannon. I have been telling people what a genius and advocate you are for all of us, as we try to navigate the often rocky road to NSR. You are a wealth of information, truly, and tremendous support for whomever is in need. The many phone calls, emails and posts written here, always offering help, knowledge, advice and guidance. I don't think the EP's have ever had a patient who had 1/4 of these traits and abilities! It's about time you got this recognition - good for you!

And of course, we all know that Dr. Natale is the best too

Barb


P.S. It looks like my type is kind of small...anyone know how to enlarge it?

Well deserved, Shannon! Congrats! Thanks for all your help with me personally and the afib community.

Congratulations Shannon, for the recognition and especially for all you and others do for the rest us.

Lou

Shannon,

I'm going to pile on here with added congrats for both you and Dr. Natale. There are not 2 more deserving gentlemen in the whole afib treatment universe. Both your caring hearts and your deep knowledge of all things afib are truly astounding. We here and all who listen are much benefited.

Thank You Kind Sirs,

John

Congrats to you both. The world is definitely a better place with you guys helping us and others.

Thanks for all you do. Words simply can't express enough gratitude.

Sincerely,
Ken

Yes, Bravo!

With gratitude,

--Lance

Shannon,

Congratulations to you both for this honor. Thank you for your help.

Betty

Congrats !

Congrats to Dr. Natale and Shannon. I had the pleasure of meeting Shannon when I had my Ablation done in Austin, Texas by Dr. Natale in front of MANY EP's. I agreed to it. I also was the 1st individual to have the Medtronic Linq device installed in my "chest". It has worked greatl!

I could never repay the gratitude and love this forum gave to me. They lead me to Dr. Natale to make a long story short and it has been a total success since Feb.27, 2014.

Thanks to ALL who helped guide me in the right direction.

During my TIA staring into the abyss Labor Day Weekend in 2013, I knew I had to get an ablation sooner rather then later after 4 years of paroxysmal AFIB.
To end up with the two Best AFIB experts in the World has been a blessing from above.

First Shannon's sharp focus, intelligence and unrelenting guidance in this chaotic world of this most complicated disease, which he then led me to Dr Natale as he landed in my front yard over 2 years ago with magical hands and uncanny ability to hunt and destroy all my AFIB like a machine non-stop pedal to the floor for one hour ablation time at St Lukes is truly a blessing. And to watch and listen to the still some clueless EPs out there knocking the Maestro is too aggressive as I heard it at a conference is mind boggling that I could have ended up in the wrong hands since I was so close to going with them and now their different variations of FIRM.

God Bless an amazing duo,

McHale



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2015 10:47AM by McHale.

I add my belated congratulations to Shannon Dickson and Dr. Natale for their great contributions to the understanding and alleviation of our renegade cardiac electrical misbehaviors. And, of course, we all are indebted to Hans and Judi for getting it all going and thriving.

May every sufferer of these arrhythmias find Afibbers.org.

Sincerely,

Jim Pearre