Positive Stories and Outcomes

Hi Everyone,

I'm still relatively new here and really appreciate all the responses I've had to my posts in the past. Not sure if this is the right place to ask or post this but was just wondering if we could start a thread of positive stories and outcomes of afib. As a relatively newly diagnosed afibber, most of what you read on forums and websites are people talking about and discussing issues they are having or trying to overcome. There aren't a large number of posts on people living, loving, and enjoying their lives outside of afib.

Just thought it might be nice to have a thread of some positive things people are doing and experiencing. I can start. Newly diagnosed in June of 2019 having fairly frequent episodes since September (about 1 episode every 10-14 days). I've not had an episode now for 24 days which is really nice. I've been running around outside with my kids and playing chase and new sports with them the last couple of weeks. I've not been great about exercising but we moved into a new house (first time home buyer) and are still unpacking which is fun and somewhat exhausting.

It can be easy to focus on the negatives of having afib and forget about all the positive things going on in your life. Sometimes hearing that from others can be a real boost for morale.

Peggy Merrill (PeggyM), who still posts here infrequently, compiled many success stories. She started what she called, "The List" to tag these stories so they could be searched on. Then she put them in our Conference Room - Session 61, archived in this PDF: < [www.afibbers.org] Nobody took on this task after this.

George

pgrove1 That is a great thing to remember to count your blessings also. Here is my good story for now. I was officially diagnosed with Afib in June 2018 although I'm quite
sure that I had it before then. During the next year I had 17 full blown episodes. In June 2019 I retired from teaching for 41 years and for the past 6 months have had one afib event that was completely traced to an overly physical day with NO hydration. I still have occasional heart bumps and flips that last a second and then think it it's about to happen so I am always knocking on wood that I stay in rhythm. I do prefer the past 6 months over the previous year and I'm pretty thankful for that.

Hi George,

Thanks for the link. I was thinking less about people who had "beaten" or put their afib into remission and more just about how people are living and activities they are doing everyday despite their afib. I am sure there are people that are biking, or hiking, or backpacking, or camping. People are going on trips and visiting family and attending huge events despite their diagnosis and even maybe somewhat frequent episodes. I was hoping to hear some of those stories. How much are people "really living" despite this beast?

JDfiB,

Glad to hear it's been so great over the last 6 months. Wish I was closer to retirement and maybe I'd have a similar experience to no longer having to work. As it is I only have about....30 years to go. To many more consecutive months of NSR for you!

Patrick

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pgrove1
I was thinking less about people who had "beaten" or put their afib into remission and more just about how people are living and activities they are doing everyday despite their afib. I am sure there are people that are biking, or hiking, or backpacking, or camping. People are going on trips and visiting family and attending huge events despite their diagnosis and even maybe somewhat frequent episodes. I was hoping to hear some of those stories. How much are people "really living" despite this beast?

Hi Patrick,

I do all of the things you mention plus rock climbing, alpine skiing & etc, however my episodes are rare. 15.5 years ago I had my first episode, two months later I had a 2.5 month episode. I did everything during that episode (which had low afib rate and was asymptomatic). Then I converted that episode with PIP flecainide and created a plan that included detraining from intense endurance exercise, magnesium to bowel tolerance, potassium citrate, taurine and later calcium restriction.

Four months into that plan, I led a trip to construct snow caves with scouts. I was carrying a 70 pound pack and breaking trail in deep & steep snow for 3 miles. Then around 11 PM, after nearly single handedly constructing a 3 person snow cave I had a vagal episode. I converted the episode with flec. Several years after, I backpacked to the base of a 14'er with my daughter and two other friends. In the evening in the tent, I had an episode which I converted with flec. I backpacked with a friend and climbed a 13'er. This again led to a vagal episode one evening. I've learned to mitigate the intensity of what I do, as pushing hard is a trigger. I've traveled out of the country, to Europe, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean plus many places in the US. I've also SCUBA dived. I routinely slackline. I'm learning to ride a unicycle.

I think the ability to do this depends on how symptomatic your afib is and also how likely activity is to trigger an episode. I'm blessed in that my afib is not symptomatic. Also, I have to push it pretty hard to trigger an episode, so doing activities does not precipitate a concern. I do carry flec with me whenever I travel or am in the back country even though I need it infrequently. I do pay attention to my mitigation program and bring my supplements with me and take them religiously.

George



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2019 09:31AM by GeorgeN.

I was ablated in 2015 and remain AF free today, although I have figured out how to create AF or bountiful runs of PACs and maybe some super short flutter runs by oversupplementing iodine. Weird. But, hey, back off the supplement and it all goes back to normal. I’m still noodling that one out but overall I’m not worried one whit about AF and I do what I want both diet and activity-wise.

Will it come back someday? Maybe. Do I know what to do? You bet.

Not worried at all and living a 100% normal life. Age 45, two kids under 10, white-collar suburbanite. That’s me.