New Afibber looking for support July 28, 2019 07:43AM |
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Re: New Afibber looking for support July 29, 2019 09:41AM |
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Re: New Afibber looking for support July 29, 2019 01:43PM |
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Re: New Afibber looking for support July 30, 2019 02:23AM |
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Re: New Afibber looking for support July 30, 2019 09:25AM |
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pgrove1
Kate,
Did you ever get through the "doom"? Did it ease over time? Did you have some tools (distractions/techniques) to help you through it? I'm significantly better now than I was 3-4 weeks ago but I still feel it.
I have to say I am better. I don't think about it constantly. I think it has helped to educate myself. Before my episode, I knew NOTHING about Afib. Reading this forum, asking questions, and time passing have helped.
I have only had the one episode, but I will tell you if and when I have another, I expect I will freak out . I keep telling myself that the first one passed, stopped on it's own and in the process, all the tests confirmed that my heart was otherwise healthy. (The EP said I have a "fantastic heart.")
I read somewhere that after you go through several episodes, you start to relax more because you get that they are not going to kill you . Only time will tell if and when I have another one, but like you, I'm not very confident.
I think what set me off on the initial bad track was my ignorance and the time in the ER. They did everything they were supposed to do, except educate me. They told me NOTHING about Afib. They just sent me home on BP meds and Eliquis (and that was after going back and forth whether or not it should be Eliquis or baby aspirin). And, at the follow-up cardiologist appt., she was just basically there to take my BP and prescribe another drug (since my BP was still a little high for her liking). She barely mentioned the AFib and when she did, it was in passing, like it was a stumped toe or something.
I took it upon myself to find an EP and make a consultation appt. with him. That was very helpful.
Take care.
Re: New Afibber looking for support July 30, 2019 11:21AM |
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Re: New Afibber looking for support July 30, 2019 11:52AM |
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Rocketritch,
Hearing about someone who went 20 years between diagnosis and first ablation is incredibly relieving and encouraging to me. Especially the fact that you seem to have led a restriction-free life during that time. I understand that it might not work out that way for me but I'll definitely be praying for that kind of outcome for myself as well. Do you mind if I ask, how many episodes per year were you having? How long were they lasting? What made you go for the ablation eventually? I obviously don't think I am there yet but I am interested in what the tipping point is for people to go for the ablation.
Re: New Afibber looking for support July 31, 2019 01:58PM |
Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 27 |
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rocketritch
Rocketritch,
Hearing about someone who went 20 years between diagnosis and first ablation is incredibly relieving and encouraging to me. Especially the fact that you seem to have led a restriction-free life during that time. I understand that it might not work out that way for me but I'll definitely be praying for that kind of outcome for myself as well. Do you mind if I ask, how many episodes per year were you having? How long were they lasting? What made you go for the ablation eventually? I obviously don't think I am there yet but I am interested in what the tipping point is for people to go for the ablation.
My episodes early on would convert within a few minutes. They almost always occurred when on the bike, after a good workout at the gym or a night of overindulgence at the bar.. Once I converted I could continue to ride and never experience another issue that day until much closer to the time I had my first ablation. Alcohol induced episodes always took longer to convert. The only times I had multiple events early on is if I would continue to compete during an event. I would still convert but it would take much longer. And the lactic acid that built up in my legs would surge through my body and reek havoc on the rest of my body. This almost alway lead to another event sometime during the race or later in the day.
Like I mentioned, the year leading up to my first ablation things had become much worse. My episodes were becoming more frequent and would happen even when I wasn’t on the bike. It also took much longer to convert. That was a terrible time, I remember during several training rides going out of rhythm and trying to carry on. It was horrible but I
was intent on not letting it get the best of me. Foolish I know. The month leading up to my first ablation I was in persistent flutter.
Re: New Afibber looking for support July 31, 2019 01:59PM |
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Re: New Afibber looking for support August 01, 2019 12:12AM |
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Re: New Afibber looking for support August 01, 2019 03:51PM |
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Re: New Afibber looking for support August 01, 2019 11:00PM |
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Early 50'sQuote
pgrove1
Wow man! You are in your early 40s and are on ablation #4! That is so tough man. Inspirational that you still bike and live your life. I'm not sure how you manage. Hope the road trip wasn't too bad for you guys. It sounds like your recovery from all 4 ablations has been pretty successful. It's so early in my journey admittedly but that sounds like so much to overcome. And if you don't mind me saying, so much expense. I can't imagine 4 ablations with hospital stays were cheap....
Re: New Afibber looking for support August 02, 2019 03:52AM |
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Re: New Afibber looking for support August 02, 2019 10:41AM |
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Re: New Afibber looking for support August 02, 2019 11:59AM |
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pgrove1
Pompon,
Obviously everyone here knows better than I do from experience, and so much of it sounds like a personal choice as well as personal vagaries of afib, but it just seems like so many procedures, and heart procedures, with low, but still some risk. I can imagine struggling with that decision although I guess maybe after you have 1 ablation, if it goes well, helps, and there are no complications, it's easier to envision doing further procedures.
There seems to be such wild variations from people that can live with minimal symptoms/minimal episodes, to those who are so symptomatic or have such frequent episodes that ablation seems like the only option. Impossible to know which path or any path in between that I might end up on. Just try to deal with it when it happens I guess.
Re: New Afibber looking for support August 02, 2019 06:04PM |
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