Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
A year ago today, I was throwing up into a bucket as a result of anesthesia after my first ablation and then went into aflutter a couple of days later and the went into aflutter again 2 months later - that episode lasted 2 weeks until being terminated by my first cardioversion. I wondered, did I do the right thing getting the ablation.
For the last 10 months, things have been great, no issues. I have "tested" my heart by running again with my hardest workout so far being a 16.5 mile run with over 1700 feet elevation gain. I have started lifting again once a week and am at about 65% of the workout I was doing before the ablation. I have been cautious on lifting since I felt that contributed more to my Afib than the running.
Hopefully this success will continue for awhile longer - my ep gave me a greater than 90% chance of being Afib free. In retrospect, I would do the ablation all over again. We all know that sometimes you might need more than one and indeed, I would go through it again.
For the last 10 months, things have been great, no issues. I have "tested" my heart by running again with my hardest workout so far being a 16.5 mile run with over 1700 feet elevation gain. I have started lifting again once a week and am at about 65% of the workout I was doing before the ablation. I have been cautious on lifting since I felt that contributed more to my Afib than the running.
Hopefully this success will continue for awhile longer - my ep gave me a greater than 90% chance of being Afib free. In retrospect, I would do the ablation all over again. We all know that sometimes you might need more than one and indeed, I would go through it again.
Here's to ongoing NSR!
Annette
May it continue to stay that way!! Way to go dude!
Take care,
atp
Good to hear you are exercising again. I see my EP for my 4 month post ablation visit next week. Since my ablation I have returned to my usual weight lifting routine and am back to the am amount of weight. I've had one AFIB episode since my ablation, about two weeks ago. It lasted three hours and my heart rate bounced around up to 130 BPM. No shortness of breathe, however. That's certainly better than the 4+ episodes per week I was having before the ablation. The only thing I can think of that might have brought it on, was the night before I had a large (four fingers) shot of the good Jameson (Irish whiskey). That was the first alcohol I had in over six months ... guess my heart didn't care for it (the rest of me loved it).
Many congrats! One year down, hopefully many more good years to come!
Paul,
I went an entire year before I had a martini last month..Oh, that was HEAVEN! But you are only 4 months out. Dr. Calkins told me that it could really take up to 2 YEARS to be fully healed. Yesterday I had one of those "uh oh, here it comes!" moments, but it passed in like 5 seconds. It really does feel like there must be a "line" that protects us after ablation. So I dunno if you can say I was in afib for 5 scary seconds or if it would be classified as a palpitation. It is easy to be super sensitive to anything that happens with the heart once we have experienced the "joy" of afib.
Bill
Keep it up!
Todd