24 HOURS after ablation report

Well, folks. With apologies for slight incoherence, I'm back!!

The ablation went well with Dr. Verma, truly a master of his craft.

They put me in a cubbyhole and got me ready for the cath lab about 7:30 a.m. That means not a stitch of clothing and a ton of wires and IV. They covered me up with warmed up blankets head to toe - very comfy. They wheeled me into the cath lab, slid me from one gurney to another, the anaesthatist introduced himself and said he was going to give me something to 'make me more comfortable' and two minutes later it was lights out. For several hours apparently.

I spent the night in the CCU right in front of the nursing station, all wired up and they took reasonably good care of my back pain (from three fractures 18 months ago). The next morning Dr. Verma came in and asked if I'd like to go home (yay!) and a few hours later Joy and I were homeward bound.

I have noted a few things; more will undoubtedly come to mind as time goes along. I have had a low grade fever of about 98.5 to 100.5 today; the acetaminophen seems to keep that in check and in that range. I am told that if it rises above about 101.5 I need to head to emerg to have it addressed and I am hoping that the acetaminophen will keep it under control.

The throat is a bit sore from the T.E.E. on Thursday and the procedures during the ablation on Friday but nothing worth mentioning really. The diet will be soft foods for a few days though. The groin entry points are just fine but the neck is a bit sore depending on position. All in all, not bad for the surgery all things being considered. I have been plopped on the couch since about noon with instructions not to climb stairs and not to lift anything over ten pounds for at least a week.

Most importantly, I feel different. No PVCs, NO PAC's, NO AFIB, no pressure! My chest is calm for the first time in several years. I should mention that I was part of a study into using a catheter that gave a 3D view instead of a 2D view. MY L.A. size was reported as 52mm. on my chart after the procedure; much enlarged from the point that I was first diagnosed with AFIB and given the run-a-round by my first cardiologist (a story for another day). Took one year to grow to 60+ mm and several years to shrink back down to 52mm. And there are very few EP's in the world that I would permit to work on my heart at 52mm.

I'm sure that I will have more come to mind over the next several days which I will report. The procedure was fairly straightforward and not at all complicated from the standpoint of the patient (me). The only thing I would say, yet again, is that anyone seeking a catheter ablation wants to have the best hands on him/her and in the best facility possible. No two ways about it.

Glad to be back and thanks to everyone for kind words and well-wishes which were most appreciated. Now to heal and see what happens.

Regards

Murray

Murray L

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Tikosyn uptake Dec 2011 500ug b.i.d. NSR since!
Herein lies opinion, not professional advice, which all are well advised to seek.

Congratulations, Murray. I'm glad to hear everything went well and your heart is calm. Take good care of yourself.
Marg

Congratulations!!!

George

Yay Murray, many happy returns of this great day.

PeggyM

Congratulations, Murray. Glad you are on the road to recovery and the long-awaited ablation is over. So glad to hear there are no PVCs, PACs and no afib.

Doreen

The difference is quite apparent despite minor shortcomimgs. Awesome. The work of skilled experienced hands.

Murray L

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Tikosyn uptake Dec 2011 500ug b.i.d. NSR since!
Herein lies opinion, not professional advice, which all are well advised to seek.

Hi Murray~
I'm so pleased that all went well and you are home with a calm heart.
I was confident it would go just as you have described and definitely worth the wait for Dr. Verma.

Now just relax and take good care of yourself while you heal.

Best wishes,
Jackie

Good to hear Murray,

Told you it was no big deal :-) ... Now you are on the healing side and just let it happen and encourage its progress with all the tips you have learned here over the last few years.

Take it easy.

Shannon

It's been a long road. Best wishes for long term NSR.

Great news Murray! After all you have been through, you deserve NSR forever.

Cheers and all the best.
Lou

Great news Murray!

Gill

Congrats==glad you feel better already!

Hi Murray, glad to hear you are out sooner , as opposed to staying in over the weekend . I know you were in the best hands . Time to mend now.
Welcome to NSR .

All the Best
Rosemarie