Newly diagnosed...

[deedee9]

Hi - I am a newcomer to the whole AF area. I was diagnosed beginning of December and kept in hospital for over two weeks trying to get my heart rate down - I am not convinced they have done much! The worst thing is since being sent home I do not have any appointments until the end of January for a 24 hour holster. My Warfarin has gone to two week intervals, so yay me...

Is it normal to wait this long for a doctors appointment after being so newly diagnosed?

I am sure they also said I had heart failure and arterial flutter..

My other big worry is that I only have one lung as I suffered with lung cancer 20 years ago, so my heart has moved and slightly turned in the empty space!

Breathlessness is a big worry - and I know the more I worry the worse I shall make it.

I am on Metropole, digoxin warfarin and a water tablet...

Walking anywhere is not something I can accomplish too well - I live on a hill so either its up or down and the hospital said not to drive at the moment (6weeks) so I am housebound unless I am driven anywhere and dropped outside - the dentist was extremely challenging as it is on a busy main road.

Am I classed as disabled? I have to keep paying to park for the warfarin clinic and probably when I have to come in for other appointments - do I get any help from the hospital for this outlay?

Will I ever be"normal" again??

Thanks for any pointers of help

Debbie

[BobD Volunteer]

Hi Debbie and welcome to the mad world of AF. I would say that your timings are about normal. A 24 hour HOLTER monitor may help them diagnose what is going on with your heart. Many people go months or even years trying to get diagnosed especially if their AF is paroxysmal (comes and goes). AF is a long journey I'm afraid and rather than wish for your old self back it is best at this stage anyway to accept your limitations and make the best of life as it is now. You may well be able to get some relief from symptoms with the right treatment . Your prior medical history does complicate things rather I fear as some drugs are not available to you as they may affect your breathing. What you heard was ATRIAL flutter not arterial flutter by the way. This is when the right atrium flutters . Atrial fibrillation is in the left atrium and the two often go hand in hand with one setting off the other.

Heart failure is a term which says that you heart is unable fully to supply all the blood your body needs. It can be a function of prolonged AF.

If you found this site on Google you may not have seen AF Association site which is our "mother" and has many fact sheets to help you understand AF and deal with it. Knowledge is power.

Bob

[Deeferdi]

I was diagnosed in December 2013 and didn't get my appointment with a cardiologist until May! Considering what they were saying in hospital was very scary it was horrible waiting that long. I have since gone private to see EP but he doesn't seem much better appointment wise either! Had a 24 hr halter monitor fitted in October, got a letter mid November saying that it showed something that warranted investigation and haven't heard anything since despite chasing! So much for private health care, doesn't seem to be any advantage going private as to staying NHS. Good luck and hope you get sorted soon!