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I don't know how the messaging services work at Natale's office, but I've found that both messages and email's are often screened first by either nurses or others and many times are never routed to the Doctor. What I do is in cases like this is make it very clear in the email or message that I want to speak to the Doctor directly. Either that, or I do the same thing with a phoby mjamesone - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks Jim, perhaps I shall email Dr.Natale, I am now frustrated that I didn't complain sooner because I have felt a bit isolated and in limbo regarding my symptoms, which limit my cardio Quotemjamesone How much post ablation support would be reasonable to expec...t Post ablation -- or anytime -- I think it's reasonable to expect to hear back from a ep nurse or PA within 2 days forby Fuzzyduck - AFIBBERS FORUM
How much post ablation support would be reasonable to expec...t Post ablation -- or anytime -- I think it's reasonable to expect to hear back from a ep nurse or PA within 2 days for routine questions and within a day for something more urgent. I also think it's reasonable to hear back from the ep performing the ablation within that same timeline, if you request or are unhappy with wby mjamesone - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteWhyMe Since we are being honest here....I was assigned to Trent...nice guy etc, but I don't feel "the love", if you know what I mean. Kind of a dismissive attitude towards someone who is still experiencing issues after the ablation. It's like as if he does not want to believe it..."oh, maybe you are not hydrating enough..." and other vague one sentences email reby Fuzzyduck - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey Yeah, it's perfectly reasonable that if they prescribed a med and you want it changed that they should handle it. An email or call to your nurse navigator should get a response within, say, 2 business days. If it's a more urgent issue, it should be 1 business day. If that's not happening, let Shannon know. Oh the response from my navigator was to ask my family doctor orby Fuzzyduck - AFIBBERS FORUM
Since we are being honest here....I was assigned to Trent...nice guy etc, but I don't feel "the love", if you know what I mean. Kind of a dismissive attitude towards someone who is still experiencing issues after the ablation. It's like as if he does not want to believe it..."oh, maybe you are not hydrating enough..." and other vague one sentences email replies. Notby WhyMe - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yeah, it's perfectly reasonable that if they prescribed a med and you want it changed that they should handle it. An email or call to your nurse navigator should get a response within, say, 2 business days. If it's a more urgent issue, it should be 1 business day. If that's not happening, let Shannon know.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey I encourage anyone who's experience sub-optimal follow-up care to let Shannon Rose know, as Pixie suggested. They can't fix something they don't know is broken. Thanks Carey, I just wasn’t sure what normal after care is and if it was correct that I shouldn’t ask them for a change in beta blockers, but it seems like I am not being unreasonable in my expectations so I wiby Fuzzyduck - AFIBBERS FORUM
What Daisy said. I got wonderful follow-up care, but a year later we began to hear a lot of complaints about this. We heard so many, in fact, that we went to Natale about it. He had no idea there were issues, but told us that there had been some turnover in nursing staff and they had lost a couple of key people to retirement. Things started to improve after that, but it took a while. It soundby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
You are paying for care. Care includes both consideration and feedback. Feedback might be as little as 'We got your ECG, will be in touch Tuesday latest.' I would counsel you to give a little jerk on 'someone's leash. You might be doing many people a great favour by complaining that your post-op care has been less than the least you had expected.by gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
Ok, I have to jump in, too. My post ablation care with Dr. Natale’s staff certainly had its ups and downs especially as I was getting to the end of the time I was assigned to a nurse navigator. I wish someone had told me who to ask for as a nurse navigator. I gave a name to someone who had her ablation there several months ago and she is experiencing wonderful follow-up care. I would guessby Pixie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Who would I ask? My husband and I are disappointed to be honestby Fuzzyduck - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteFuzzyduck That is when I send in a weekly update with my ECG reading, but no one seems to be taking any notice. Surely they should be the ones to send in a prescription for a beta blocker, not my family doctor... It would seem that way to me, and your experience is understandable now that you have told me who your nurse navigator is. Maybe you can request reassignment?by Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM
That is when I send in a weekly update with my ECG reading, but no one seems to be taking any notice. Surely they should be the ones to send in a prescription for a beta blocker, not my family doctor...by Fuzzyduck - AFIBBERS FORUM
From what I am hearing here the quality of followup care seems to depend on who your nurse navigator is. Mine was super good--I usually had an email answered the next day, and sometimes if I were having a problem, she would answer with a phone call. I could not have hoped for any better care than I received and you are under their care for a year from the date of your ablation. You do have to iniby Daisy - AFIBBERS FORUM
I don't know if I am being unreasonable in my expectations but I had an ablation 7 weeks ago and have had very little follow up, like miniscule even though I have not had a smooth recovery. After two weeks I let them know a few times that I had some discomfort on breathing in which had been going on since I came out of the OR. I eventually was given two weeks worth of colchicine but again nby Fuzzyduck - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteDaisy I did find that PACs triggered Afib and I think that is the experience of some others as well. Many of the pacemaker models have an algorhythm that tries to outpace PACs and thus stop them from triggering Afib. I am left dealing with his team and frankly they are of little help. It must depend on who your nurse navigator is. I have always had a very quick response -- usuallyby Fuzzyduck - AFIBBERS FORUM
IT is always disconcerting to find oneself being asked time and time again to repeat what should be obvious, and that is surely included in, one's medical records. Still, that is just a signal-to-noise problem inherent in busy offices, even those best run. I would counsel people who really would like to have the best practitioners working on me to not let such small annoyances distract. Ifby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
That description above is very helpful. I am only six months away from that two year time period and will be willing to see what happens, however, mine are very intrusive as they happen constantly and keep me from sleeping. I did very much appreciate the information though and will definitely be willing to hold out. I think my personal issue with them is that they trigger short bursts of SVT anby MeganMN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotetvanslooten I agree. Dr. Natale's team is very hit or miss (mostly miss). Aside from the expert ablation you'll get from Dr. Natale, any issues post or pre op you are on your own. That's why it's imperative to team up with a solid "local" EP. I look at Dr. Natale strictly as my mechanic who does the hardcore mechanic work. For everything else, I work with my locby WhyMe - AFIBBERS FORUM
I agree. Dr. Natale's team is very hit or miss (mostly miss). Aside from the expert ablation you'll get from Dr. Natale, any issues post or pre op you are on your own. That's why it's imperative to team up with a solid "local" EP. I look at Dr. Natale strictly as my mechanic who does the hardcore mechanic work. For everything else, I work with my local EP. Now, rby tvanslooten - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks, Johnny. I have a sublingual B complex I have started but haven't doubled it. I can certainly try! Also, I started Taurine again at night and that seems to have quieted things down as well. They are still happening, but better. So now I am taking 2Gm Taurine AM, 2GM Taurine PM, B Complex, Quercitin. That seems to be my happy spot so far with much less ectopic activity.by MeganMN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Megan, I’d recommend to start taking coenzymed B complex which contain both B12 and thiamine by country life and see if you get any improvement in 2-3 days, double the dosages as those are water soluble so you can’t overdose but I bet you’ll feel the energy and mental boost the same day. My mother had constant pacs day and night and B complex supplements reduced it significantly on day one and toby johnnyS - AFIBBERS FORUM
As you know, lately my PACs have been back with a vengeance, less than a yr post my Natale ablation. My Kardia most of the times calls them Supra Ventricular Ectopies, or Unclassified, however occasionally calls them Afib, like that attached example from a few mins ago. While the RR plot and EKG clearly show relatively "organized" PAC pattern, I do notice that for the most part mby WhyMe - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks @Johnny. I have had normal levels in the past, but it certainly wouldnt hurt to have everything rechecked by my PCP.by MeganMN - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteMcHale Sorry for the run-on sentences, let me clarify..... I had my first extensive non stop run of PVC's in January 2017, 10 months after my second ablation with LAA isolation March 1 2016 ...those lasted approx 9 months. All my stress tests and echos since showed all heart diameters within normal range..... I started having my most recent runs at the end of January, high stressby WhyMe - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sorry for the run-on sentences, let me clarify..... I had my first extensive non stop run of PVC's in January 2017, 10 months after my second ablation with LAA isolation March 1 2016 ...those lasted approx 9 months. All my stress tests and echos since showed all heart diameters within normal range..... I started having my most recent runs at the end of January, high stress and emotionaby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuotejohnnyS Long post here, but I’ve been thinking about all the different things that people aren’t considering any longer on this forum and I think it should more discussed. The heart is a muscle, it gets irritated like any other organ, if it’s missing something it will let you know, and if you give it what it needs it will reward you by doing what it’s supposed to do. If you are deficientby WhyMe - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteMcHale My two cents.....I had 3-4 months of very frequent PVC's recently, day long runs of bigeminy or trigeminy after a family death that triggered it in February. I had a stress test in September, so no heart disease or underlying conditions. I had a redo ablation and a Watchman implant April 11 at St David's with Natale,he came into my room that afternoon to speak with me aby WhyMe - AFIBBERS FORUM
I had my Watchman Flex Plus implanted April 11 at St David's by Natale. Tomorrow I go to Montifiore in the Bronx for a TEE with Dr Di Biase, day 48. I need to temporarily get off Xerelto maybe for a week for a biopsy, then will restart a low dose 10mg again. Natale did tell me at my bedside visit I can stop Xarelto in two weeks April 25 and restart it again after the biopsy. I waiby McHale - AFIBBERS FORUM