My progress report

My Natale ablation #2 for a-flutter was performed in Austin, TX mid-August 2014 and did involved the LAA isolation procedure followed 7 months later by ablation #3 to clean up a few stray signals. Thankfully, my heart has been blissfully calm since then.

The requisite follow-up TEE was done here in Akron, Ohio, by Dr. Schweikert’s group at Heart Rhythm Associates the end of October. I now have a hard copy of those Akron results but not a formal interpretation from Dr. Natale after he reviewed the echo CD with his keen eye and his attention to the subtle nuances.

There is good news!

The Akron report indicates my Ejection Fraction is between 55-60% with normal range 45.6 – 63.6% by visual estimation.

Left Ventricle: normal LV size and systolic function. No regional wall motion abnormalities.
Normal LV wall thickness.
The pulmonary vein flow is normal.

Right ventricle: normal size and systolic function

Left Atrium – mildly dilated (which I understand is normal after several procedures and may resolve with time)
No evidence of thrombus in left atrial body or appendage.
LAA emptying velocities are normal.
No spontaneous echo contrast in the left atrium
Emptying velocities 53 cm/sec.

The report continues for each heart structure with nothing flagged as abnormal or out of range… according to the Akron MD's interpretation. I trust that if there were something alarming, I’d have heard from Dr. Natale by now.

The good news is that for now, at least, it doesn’t appear I’ll need a procedure #4 to clip or occlude the LAA. (Fingers still crossed.) Dr. Natale said my results were, “not bad”… but that I should stay on Eliquis for another 6 months and do another TEE then.

Also good news…..because of my age (I’ll be 80 next March), I am to remain on Eliquis but can cut back to half dose twice a day…( 2.5 mg). My age plus gender gives me automatic CHADs risk points. But, I’m hopeful that if there is even more improvement, I’ll be able to manage blood viscosity just with my former natural “blood thinner” protocols that served me so well up to this point.

Still more good news: As a result of the reduced Eliquis dosing, I’m already noticing a definite improvement in energy and stamina; and better yet, less foggy brain/memory issues. Hopefully, with time, and an abundance of good brain support nutrients, I’ll get back to close to where I was before beginning Eliquis in May of 2014.

Possibly, the extra supportive measures I began right before the second ablation, the Lipid Replacement Therapy which we discussed on the forum at one point in time, along with about 8 months of the Nitric Oxide Protocol helped “as advertised” as has also been discussed in various posts. Then, Colin of New Zealand shared his practice of using the special MitoQ formula so I added that for 3 months prior to the third procedure… figuring anything that helped improve the function of my aging mitochondria would be a smart choice. “MitoQ is formulated to release CoQ10 deep inside the mitochondria, right where it is needed the most”…(quoting from the literature).

So I am continuing with my healthy aging protocols but with less aggressive dosing. My thought is that they are good for an aging body and if my heart also benefits, that’s great, too.

As I’ve mentioned previously, I am so very grateful to Dr. Andrea Natale and his wonderful, caring staff there at St. David’s Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute in Austin, Texas. I feel blessed to have had access to Dr. Natale since 2002.

Healthy regards to all,
Jackie


History:
Age 59 Onset Afib - 1995
Age 67 First ablation - November 2003 - Andrea Natale, EP - Cleveland Clinic (Ohio)
Age 78 Second Ablation and LAA Isolation - August 2014 Natale - Texas
Age 79 Third Ablation April 2015 Natale - Texas


Grateful also to have found this forum in 2002. Thank you Hans and Judi Larsen and all the wonderful people who have helped guide me during my Afib saga... especially my dear friend, Erling Waller, who took me under his wing and gave me support and guidance in areas I might not have found on my own. Thanks to all.

Great news Jackie!

Jackie,

I am very happy for you. That is wonderful news.

Great report, Jackie!

Continued NSR and good LAA emptying velocities to you!

George

Bravo, Jackie. Great news! Keep that ejection fraction up there!

--Lance

Congratulations! It's great news indeed! Wish you that what you wish for yourself to come true!

Excellent news, Jackie! Here's hoping the next TEE will be the last one you ever need, with the result that the precautionary use of blood thinners will no longer be needed.

Jackie: Good payoff for you from hanging in there with your own research over the years as to the best methods of treatment and the best physicians to make it happen.

You're a real asset to this Board. I always look forward to the summaries of your work, even when my conclusions don't agree with yours.

Keep the info flowing.

Gordon

Great news Jakie.
I am very happy for you and wish you best health.

Ben

I am so happy for you, Jackie! This is great news! As a new person who recently had her first ablation, I am beginning to realize a lot more happens with afib than what I thought. I have so much more to learn. Thank you for all your help and knowledge! I am so amazed by all who contribute.

Great news Jackie! Thanks for posting positive news.

So fine Jackie. I can appreciate what good news this is and how good it feels because I just got my progress report too and apparently my LAA is still working also. We both hung in there.

Continued good health wishes for you, J!

/L

Wonderful news Jackie. Hopefully, your journey is complete. Enjoy !

...ronH

Great news Jackie,

I am back using 'MitoQ heart' now I am back taking statins. I stopped statins for about 4 months and my cholesterol went sky high.
Anyway I am very happy for you.

Colin

That is wonderful news jackie . Here, Here to blissful Heart Health for many years to come

You already know how happy I am with your great news too Jackie! You've been a real model and a such a wonderful guide and friend to so many of us here since the early days too of how this is all done over the long haul. Thank you sincerely for all that you do and are Jackie and being such a pal and a big help to me as well all these years!!

You'd love all the goings on here in Vegas at the annual A4M Congress that started yesterday through Sunday that I'm working at with Dr Hertoghe ... There are about 5,000
other docs from around the world here as well exploring the cutting edge insights on functional and age management medicine. Will fill you in soon.

Be well!
Shannon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2015 09:14AM by Shannon.

Thank you all for your kind responses. It does my heart good to see your comments.
My very best to all of you.

Jackie


I’m responding, however, specifically to Colin because of his comment about going to using statin drugs. This topic always pushes my ‘alert’ button… as you’ll see from the following:

Statin use has been a topic here for a very long time. My very short-term statin use experience produced very negative health issues for me and as a result, I’ve been keenly tuned in to what the functional and ‘holistic’ medical practitioners are saying about the risks of taking statin drugs.

One very vocal and top anti-statin authority is Duane Graveline, MD, also known as the Space Doc as he was involved in NASA’s space program… and took statins with a devastating effect on his health. He warns prolifically on his website: www.spacedoc.com and in his books. It’s all very relevant to general health concerns when statins are used to lower cholesterol.

There have been numerous posts here on the topic of “Cholesterol is Not the Enemy” which remain important because they point out what happens in the body when it is deprived of cholesterol which is the principal source of essential steroid hormone production.

Check these reports by Cardiologist Stephen Sinatra and his book, The Great Cholesterol Myth and Mike Adams’ Health Ranger’s Natural News report. [www1.cbn.com] and [www.naturalnews.com]

The classic book is, of course, The Cholesterol Myths, Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease, by Uffe Ravnskoff, MD, PhD. Now available on the web, free - and if you check the archived posts here on this on this topic, there will be many references to Dr. Ravnskoff’s work as well.
[www.ravnskov.nu]
[www.ravnskov.nu]
[www.ravnskov.nu]

As I have written previously, my personal experience with statins began when my Internist (then) was excited about the new statin drugs that everyone was supposed to take as a preventive for CV problems. He insisted I try it even though my cholesterol was under 200. I used it for a couple of months and quickly found out that it gave me muscle weakness and fatigue. I complained. He said.. nonsense! He had never heard of that… and when I responded that the statin was the only drug I took (meaning it must be causal)… he said, “well, I’ll change your prescription to another type.” That was a disaster, because shortly after that, I tried to jump across a small ditch and landed in it instead of on the other side. I had absolutely no leg muscle strength.

Those statins did permanent damage to my leg muscles in a very short time. They have never recovered. To this day, I am unable to hop on one foot.

My story is not uncommon. My message to those who think they must use a statin to lower cholesterol is to do thorough research on why the body needs cholesterol. The brain, especially, needs cholesterol. Here we are with virtually an epidemic proportion of dementia and Alzheimer patients… and we are still seeing reports from the medical community about studies showing that we need statins to help prevent heart attacks… when there are many other ways to control the silent inflammation that does the damage to hearts and arteries. Silent, smoldering inflammation is the true enemy. It’s not cholesterol.

Just keep in mind that statins have been a major cash cow for Big Pharma for a long time and as people wise up and stop using them, there will be many more studies “produced” to show that ‘we really do need to be taking statins’… rather than promoting sound protocols for dietary and lifestyle changes that have profound benefits overall. Hey, no money in that! Right?

Those with Atrial Fibrillation need to be aware of the risks of Statins. Go to the archived posts and look for Murray L. of Canada and his experience with statin-induced problems, as another example. Statins deplete Coenzyme Q10 which is essential in mitochondrial function in the production of energy (ATP) and since the heart is a muscle, it makes sense to pay attention to these side effects. Follow these links on the importance of CoQ10 and specifically on mitochondria relating to heart function. [www.google.com]

Functional Neurologist and Brain Specialist, David Perlmutter says: Your Brain Needs Cholesterol
… “Cholesterol is vitally important for brain function. While your brain represents about 2-3% of your total body weight, 25% of the cholesterol in your body is found in your brain, where it plays important roles in such things as membrane function, acts as an antioxidant, and serves as the raw material from which we are able to make things like progesterone, estrogen, cortisol, testosterone and even vitamin D.

In fact, in a recent study available on the NIH Public Access site, researchers showed that in the elderly, the best memory function was observed in those with the highest levels of cholesterol. Low cholesterol is associated with an increased risk for depression and even death.

This understanding of the important role of cholesterol in brain function raises concern as we now see changes in recommendations for prescribing statin medication. Some estimates indicate that moving forward, the number of individuals taking statins to lower cholesterol in America may actually double! This presents a worrisome proposition for brain health.” [www.drperlmutter.com]

Life Extension Foundation published a report in May/June 2015 titled, Natural Methods to Control Cholesterol. The report begins:
… Approximately 25 million people take statin drugs to reduce their cholesterol, yet heart disease remains the number one killer of Americans. While statins lower LDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein and modestly elevate protective HDL cholesterol, they may increase the risk of heart failure in certain people.

Another segment reports: Statins Do Only Half The Job
Statin drugs potently lower cholesterol when used properly, but produce a number of side effects that too often cause people to discontinue using them.

Statins have been associated with muscle weakness and pain (myalgia), muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), kidney disease, and negative effects on the digestive and central nervous systems.10,11 Even more disturbing, statins also raise the risk of developing diabetes by 9 to 13%12-15 (a risk that is up to 48% higher in postmenopausal women).16

Clearly, statins are not the panacea that pharmaceutical companies have led physicians and the public to believe. One drawback is that they don’t elevate HDL enough to confer meaningful removal of excess cholesterol buildup on the arterial wall via reverse cholesterol transport.” Continue: [www.lifeextension.com]

So for all reading, consider this an very important Health Awareness Alert. Make informed decisions. If statins wreck your brain, who then cares about anything else?

Knowledge is health.
Jackie

Thanks very much Jackie. Very timely, I'm researching statins now for myself and my wife Karen. This interview is a bit long but on topic and verifies much of what you said. Dr. Ronald Krauss, M.D. is the director of atherosclerosis research at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, interviewed by Rhonda Patrick.

So glad to hear your good news!!

Great to hear Jackie. I had my ablation from Dr Schweikert the week right after you in 2014. Continuing NSR with no hiccups so far. Hope you continue to feel better and make steady progress.

John

I'm re-posting this original message which somehow disappeared not long after it was posted. Several of you emailed me asking what had happened. I'm not sure but Shannon said to repost, so here it is. Sorry for the delay... I was 'in demand' elsewhere and not able to handle this myself, so thanks to those who wrote and to Mike E for helping.

J.



Thank you all for your kind responses and wishes well. It does my heart good to see your responses.
My very best to all of you.

Jackie


I’m responding, however, specifically to Colin because of his comment about going to using statin drugs. This topic always pushes my ‘alert’ button… as you’ll see from the following:

Statin use has been a topic here for a very long time. My very short-term statin use experience produced very negative health issues for me and as a result, I’ve been keenly tuned in to what the functional and ‘holistic’ medical practitioners are saying about the risks of taking statin drugs.

One of the very vocal and top anti-statin authority is Duane Graveline, MD, also known as the Space Doc as he was involved in NASA’s space program… and took statins with a devastating effect on his health. He warns prolifically on his website: www.spacedoc.com and in his books. It’s all very relevant to general health concerns when statins are used to lower cholesterol.

There have been numerous posts here on the topic of “Cholesterol is Not the Enemy” which remain important because they point out what happens in the body when it is deprived of cholesterol which is the principal source of essential steroid hormone production.

Check these reports by Cardiologist Stephen Sinatra and his book, The Great Cholesterol Myth and Mike Adams’ Health Ranger’s Natural News report. [www1.cbn.com] and [www.naturalnews.com]

The classic book is, of course, The Cholesterol Myths, Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease, by Uffe Ravnskoff, MD, PhD. Now available on the web free - and if you check the archived posts here on this on this topic, there will be many references to Dr. Ravnskoff’s work as well.
[www.ravnskov.nu]
[www.ravnskov.nu]
[www.ravnskov.nu]

As I have written previously, my personal experience with statins began when my Internist (then) was excited about the new statin drugs that everyone was supposed to take as a preventive for CV problems. He insisted I try it even though my cholesterol was under 200. I used it for a couple of months and quickly found out that it gave me muscle weakness and fatigue. I complained. He said.. nonsense! He had never heard of that… and when I responded that the statin was the only drug I took (meaning it must be causal)… he said, “well, I’ll change your prescription to another type.” That was a disaster, because shortly after that, I tried to jump across a small ditch and landed in it instead of on the other side. I had absolutely no leg muscle strength.

Those statins did permanent damage to my leg muscles in a very short time. They have never recovered. To this day, I am unable to hop on one foot.

My story is not uncommon. My message to those who think they must use a statin to lower cholesterol is to do thorough research on why the body needs cholesterol. The brain, especially, needs cholesterol. Here we are with virtually an epidemic proportion of dementia and Alzheimer patients… and we are still seeing reports from the medical community about studies showing that we need statins to help prevent heart attacks… when there are many other ways to control the silent inflammation that does the damage to hearts and arteries. Silent, smoldering inflammation is the true enemy. It’s not cholesterol.

Just keep in mind that statins have been a major cash cow for Big Pharma for a long time and as people wise up and stop using them, there will be many more studies “produced” to show that ‘we really do need to be taking statins’… rather than promoting sound protocols for dietary and lifestyle changes that have profound benefits overall. Hey, no money in that! Right?

Those with Atrial Fibrillation need to be aware of the risks of Statins. Go to the archived posts and look for Murray L. of Canada and his experience with statin-induced problems, as another example. Statins deplete Coenzyme Q10 which is essential in mitochondrial function in the production of energy (ATP) and since the heart is a muscle, it makes sense to pay attention to these side effects. Follow these links on the importance of CoQ10 and specifically on mitochondria relating to heart function. [www.google.com]

Functional Neurologist and Brain Specialist, David Perlmutter says: Your Brain Needs Cholesterol

… “Cholesterol is vitally important for brain function. While your brain represents about 2-3% of your total body weight, 25% of the cholesterol in your body is found in your brain, where it plays important roles in such things as membrane function, acts as an antioxidant, and serves as the raw material from which we are able to make things like progesterone, estrogen, cortisol, testosterone and even vitamin D.

In fact, in a recent study available on the NIH Public Access site, researchers showed that in the elderly, the best memory function was observed in those with the highest levels of cholesterol. Low cholesterol is associated with an increased risk for depression and even death.

This understanding of the important role of cholesterol in brain function raises concern as we now see changes in recommendations for prescribing statin medication. Some estimates indicate that moving forward, the number of individuals taking statins to lower cholesterol in America may actually double! This presents a worrisome proposition for brain health.” [www.drperlmutter.com]


Life Extension Foundation published a report in May/June 2015 titled, Natural Methods to Control Cholesterol. The report begins:

… Approximately 25 million people take statin drugs to reduce their cholesterol, yet heart disease remains the number one killer of Americans. While statins lower LDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein and modestly elevate protective HDL cholesterol, they may increase the risk of heart failure in certain people.

Another segment reports:

Statins Do Only Half The Job

Statin drugs potently lower cholesterol when used properly, but produce a number of side effects that too often cause people to discontinue using them.

Statins have been associated with muscle weakness and pain (myalgia), muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), kidney disease, and negative effects on the digestive and central nervous systems.10,11 Even more disturbing, statins also raise the risk of developing diabetes by 9 to 13%12-15 (a risk that is up to 48% higher in postmenopausal women).16
Clearly, statins are not the panacea that pharmaceutical companies have led physicians and the public to believe. One drawback is that they don’t elevate HDL enough to confer meaningful removal of excess cholesterol buildup on the arterial wall via reverse cholesterol transport.” Continue: [www.lifeextension.com]

So for all reading, consider this an very important Health Awareness Alert. Make informed decisions. If statins wreck your brain, who then cares about anything else?

Knowledge is health.
Jackie



PS - Adding this reference link about the Silent Inflammation Factor as being the culprit in CV diseases

“Fire in the Heart”- New Developments in Prevention & Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

by Stephen Sinatra, MD, FAAC, FACN, CNS, CBT and Graham Simpson, MD

[books.google.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2015 06:13PM by Jackie.

Just saw your great news, Jackie! Awesome!! I'm so happy for you, and so glad you are finally feeling better.

xo Louise.

Awesome. Jackie!!!

Jackie....
You are an inspiration to us all. Thank you for all the time you take to share your knowledge and experience. I hope
in 2016 you continue to feel better and better Joe Hare

Wonderful news for a wonderful and inspirational lady!!
Warm wishes
Maureen (ex Abu Dhabi)