Post-ablation impressions

Ok, I mustered my courage and did it! Wow was I nervous. My hands were sweating yet my body was shivering. Well, it was a piece of cake. And, not one afib or flutter in the 5 days since. No pain. Just sleepy. Should have done it long ago.
And, dig this: the MRI showed an anatomical rarity: I have no left atrial appendage. What this means TBD but maybe no more Eliquis.
They tell me to chill for a couple weeks, not lift weights. I guess they don’t want a hernia at the catheter site? Walking the only exercise. I can live with that.
I’m very pleased with the results. I know afib can come back, but for now, this is pleasant. My heart rhythm is solid.
Thanks to all of you who reassured me pre-ablation.

Well I am so happy to hear this from you. Mine is coming up but not so nervous as Ive had a few things done in the last few months that required being put to sleep so I think the Ablation should be as you said. I'll raise a beer glass to your continued smooth heart rhythm! Calvin

Good for you Mel-O— pat yourself on the back and send roses to your EP! Enjoy your steady heart and baby your groin punctures for a few more days to protect against a hematoma. I also came out of it wondering why I had waited so long! Well, I have an excuse—mu local EP wasn’t in favor of ablations but thanks to all the experienced patients I met on forums, I made my own decision and self-referred to a top EP out-of-state.

You have done an amazingly good thing...conquering your fear for a greater benefit. You got a 'twofer'! Two for one.

My hope for you is that you can now go on to slowly suppress your disordered heart in your mind's attention over the next six months, after the Holter near the eight-ten week marks. May you enjoy less anxiety, much less, less stress, more calm, more happiness, and more activity.

I think the advice to not lift much for the next couple of weeks is out of an abundance of caution....for your sake. I found that I needed two or three days of just calm, enjoying the feeling, and then walking a bit. Then more walking, Hot tub on Day 7, and soon it was all weeks ago.

Congratulations. You're now in The Club!

Good news, my friend! But expect bumps in the road for the next few weeks and don't get discouraged when they happen.

Not lifting weights is to protect your insertion sites, but weight lifting (heavy) also raises the blood pressure in your left atrium significantly, which in turn enlarges your atrium, which then causes fibrosis to form, and fibrosis causes afib. That's why weight lifting is a known risk factor for afib. If you've been lifting heavy, you might want to consider dialing it back from here on out.

Thanks, all, for your thoughtful reactions to my post. I am learning a lot on the forum.
I should clarify what I said about lifting weights. I don’t bench press 300 pounds! I go to the gym and do moderate strength training on exercise machines, along with cardio and stretching. I assume this will all be ok in a couple weeks, right? Who needs fibrosis on their left atrium??!!

Yeah, moderate weights and exercise are fine. In fact, it should be okay within a week after the procedure. It's just when I hear weight lifting without details, sometimes they are talking about benching 300 lbs.

It's the strain. When you lift weights, you tighten the core and cause hypertension in the blood vessels, which puts pressure on the linings of the chambers of the heart if it continues to beat...which of course it will. The areas burned will be tender and need to heal with minimal disruption of the substrate for at least a full week, but I can't help wondering if it shouldn't be two. Whatever the case, do follow the prescription!!

Yes, but here’s the weird part (or at least I think so). Apparently the inside of the heart has no pain sensors! How else can they punch a hole through your septum between the atria and then scorch the lining yet it feels fine? When my dermatologist burns off a growth it hurts!! As a result, recovering from ablation, you can’t tell if exercise or strain is maybe hurting you. I actually feel fine. If it was my skin healing, it would hurt to move so I would be careful. So, maybe two weeks isn’t enough. Maybe two months? I mean, how can you tell if it’s healed?

Quote
Mel-O
Apparently the inside of the heart has no pain sensors! How else can they punch a hole through your septum between the atria and then scorch the lining yet it feels fine?

Curious about this? I certainly felt pain for a short time in the Recovery Room until they gave me a hefty dose of Tylenol. They said that it was from the inflammation. They also give colchicine to help prevent it.

Quote
Mel-O
Yes, but here’s the weird part (or at least I think so). Apparently the inside of the heart has no pain sensors! How else can they punch a hole through your septum between the atria and then scorch the lining yet it feels fine? When my dermatologist burns off a growth it hurts!! As a result, recovering from ablation, you can’t tell if exercise or strain is maybe hurting you. I actually feel fine. If it was my skin healing, it would hurt to move so I would be careful. So, maybe two weeks isn’t enough. Maybe two months? I mean, how can you tell if it’s healed?

I'm going to have mine done in 4-6-8 weeks depending on the EP's schedule. When I am in your shoes I will use my intuition and go cautiously, like you said, if one week is good than maybe two will be better. After that I will walk and start out shorter distances until I'm up to my usual 5-6+ miles, but I may not start on a program of longer distances until after the blanking period. I'll rely on my intuition to tell me when I'm good.

Yes, that is wise. Usually pains will tell you when you have pushed your body too far. In this case, though, where you are healing but it doesn't hurt, Intuition, or the sixth sense, will guide you. I hope you will be free of afib!

Mel - "... Maybe two months? I mean, how can you tell if it’s healed?"

When a Holter at 10-12 weeks sez so. There's a blanking period for a reason...the stats show that the heart will settle down and form fibrosis where the EP intended it to form over several weeks. Then, ideally, the Holter shows that the pulmonary vein ostia has been completely 'dammed' and the spurious electrical signal can't get past the fibrotic tissue. Fibrotic tissue is as healed as it's gonna get. ><

I get it. Solid info there, thanks much! I am learning constantly since I had my first big afib in ‘21 that landed me in the ER. Afib? What’s that? Haha it was like 50 cups of espresso and a tsunami in my chest. Now with the ablation everything is calm but only on the surface. My subconscious mind is busy repairing things and I have to chill. It’s hard work doing nothing. I wonder if my doctor plans to fit me with a Holter monitor. That will be revelatory.

Quote
Mel-O
I wonder if my doctor plans to fit me with a Holter monitor. That will be revelatory.

Have you been asked to send Kardia readings regularly since your ablation? Some EPs check on you this way initially.