Merry Christmas - Add your verse to the poem

[jeanjeannie50]

Twas Christmas Eve and all through the home

All heartbeats were normal and in even in tone

When in my chest there came such a clatter

My heart it was racing, my chest it did batter

[Langara]

My family were sleeping snug in their beds;

With visions of turkey filling their heads;

So I settled down quietly, breathing long and slow

And thankfully the clatter started to go.,

[Beancounter Volunteer]

Don't eat too much turkey,don't drink too much wine

Relax with the family and the heart will be fine.

Walk off that big dinner, and catch some TV

And then Merry Christmas to you and to me

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Beancounter]

The stuffings are made and the sprouts are a boil

I do hope my family appreciate the toil.

So come on AFers lets hope for the best

A nice full tum and a very calm chest.

[Hidden]

Xmas Eve, tis a time for champagne a'popping

But alas, tis not for shopping

Be warned those who leave things late

The stress of that last minute rush may not abate

Sorry, that was truly terrible! But it is precisely 10 years to the day, and almost to the minute that I was diagnosed with AF after spending an hour on the floor of a shop full of blokes, all looking round wandering what on earth to buy. I have never been Christmas shopping once since, I am very glad to say, except on Amazon naturally!

[jeanjeannie50]

More rapid than eagles my advisors they came

I give grateful thanks – Only know you by name

But I know you all well, bout our hearts we do natter

Please go forth this Christmas and enjoy every platter

[SRMGrandma Volunteer]

Wow! Well done. I applaud you all. You are awesome! Love and wishes for happy hearts. Merry Christmas!

[PhyllisK]

The day has arrived!

I seem to have survived.

So off to church we go.

I'll say a prayer for all AFer's out there and hope the good lord replies.

Please enjoy this very special day and keep those wonderful words of wisdom coming in 2014.

Phyl x

[Hidden]

With our hearts very calm, to the forum we came

to say 'Merry Christmas', to each one the same

Our turkeys are cooking - I wish you good health

From the alcohol-low, all chilled out Christmas elf...

[iris1205]

Thank you all so very much for your presence... so here is my rendition!

T’was the night before Christmas

And all through my heart,

The atrials were off to a most rapid start.

All of a sudden there arose such a clatter,

The atrias' P waves were ever so flatter!

My son was poised -

with concern in his eyes.

I think, “Do I call the hospital and say,

please advise?”

The stockings were hung

on the chimney with care,

Though still looking for Flecainide

with considerable despair.

Heart rate at 189

and stuttering fibrillation,

Will I get through Christmas

without causing a sensation?

I reach for the metoprolol to lower the rate,

-followed by flecainide so as to calm the debate.

Hmm, hospital staff on Christmas eve?

the best cardiologists have

surely all taken leave!

With patience and breathing,

I begin the long night,

Always sure my heart

will find its true might.

Packages to wrap, music to share,

Though how many more beats

will my heart bear?

When, what to my wavering QRST waves should appear?

A P wave! - rising in celebratory cheer.

With the hand over breast

on a newly risen wave,

I have but the heart rate-

the last bit I must save!

With the calm and affection of my son's kind essence,

The pulse slowed to a more acceptable presence!

Having sprang to the hospital two nights before,

T’was not my desire to return there once more.

Grateful and joyous

for my kind heart’s new state,

I wish you all a divine holiday,

With no heart-felt mistakes!

[rosyG in reply to iris1205]

great poems!!

Hope all on this site,

Had a great Christmas time,

and that the coming year, will be healthy and fine,

One thing that is sure,

the support we have here,

Will help us all through, the coming New Year.

All the best for 2014!!

[PhyllisK in reply to iris1205]

Iris, I would love to learn about QRST waves and the process of A Ps, please could you enlighten me. I have various books and internet information, but, my poor brain cannot make hide nor hair of same. Phyl

[iris1205 in reply to PhyllisK]

Hi Phyllis! I can only tell you what I have gleaned from my exhaustive research ! Quickly told the P wave is the wave which often "disappears" when we are in Afib. It disappears because it is when our atria are in their chaotic electrical state and is difficult to register. What normally follows are the Q,R,S,and T waves while in their states of depolarization and repolarization. On an ECG the time elapsed (which displays rhythm) is perceived by how tight or separated our waves are on the graph paper. The spikes are the voltage of our heartbeats. ECGs are incredibly complicated and takes a real cardiologist to see all the nuances. There are so many variations to each individual's situation so this is a very simplified explanation! Hope this helps. Take good care.

[PhyllisK in reply to iris1205]

Iris thank you for responding to my question, I have got graphs of a normal ECG and a AF ECG. I notice that on my ECG, each peak, varies between 4 and 6 squares am I on the right lines or totally missing the point. Hope I am not invading your Christmas time, but I really find your knowledge of P waves awesome. Phyl.

[iris1205 in reply to PhyllisK]

You aren't at all... the squares in height are voltage (amplitude), the squares going horizontally are time. 3-4 squares are about normal in time, mine when I was in AFib the other night the peaks of my R waves were between 1 1/2 - 2 squares apart which is too fast! In seeking the P wave it is the tiny precursor to the Q wave which drops, the R wave spikes up next.

[iris1205 in reply to PhyllisK]

This might help... paramedicine101.blogspot.ch...!

and this site is great.... I discovered it only know, it appears healthunlocked is the forum for it. My apologies to AFA! I've signed up.

atrialfibrillation-us.org/f...

PS... this is always just grist for the mill.... reading ECGs if far beyond laypeople (me), I read up just because I have a passion for understanding, even if only a glimmer!

[PhyllisK in reply to iris1205]

Thank you for the blogSpot, I will try and download the information and read at my leisure, hopefully I will soon be able to tell my P's from my T's. Thank you once again.

[iris1205 in reply to PhyllisK]

my pleasure, the joy of this supportive community! I just have no medical training so I shy away from giving information. I study a great deal, that's all! It is still so individual these AFib situations!

[kakapo in reply to iris1205]

Love the poems, here in New Zealand we tend to have a traditional English feast for Christmas and this coupled with 30°C heat is not really good for us.

Twas a few nights pass Christmas

and hot like the tropics

no arrhythmias came, except for ectopics

despite eating chocolate, pavlova and cream

my heartbeat was normal, it must be a dream.

So I'll dig in the garden and go for a walk

visit some friends and will have a good talk.

Will eat leftover mince pies, or perhaps a jam tart.

It's nice to have Christmas, with a piece in your heart.