As a relative newcomer to both AF and this forum I am really struck by how much our minds influence our experience of a life with AF.
For me AF is a bloody nuisance. It is restricting me from achieving what I know I am capable of doing. I fart in it's general direction. I'm prepared to accept that I may not overcome, but I'm going to give it a bloody good try. I'm only 63 for goodness sake, I've just retired and now have the chance to do all of those things that I didn't have time to do when I was working. I'm damned if I'm going to let AF take that away from me.
I have lots of good things in my life. In my garage sits a beautiful, bright red, Ducati 999 motorbike. Capable of close to 170 mph and will out accelerate pretty much anything on the road. I love riding that bike, I've ridden motorbikes since I was 16 and thay are far more dangerous than AF.
I'm sure that all of you have great things in you lives. Being alive is a starter.
Don't give in to AF. Jens Voigt (racing cyclist, as in Tour de France) would tell his legs, when the going got tough, "shut up legs". Do the same with AF......get off my back AF, you're not going to kill me.
There is no point in fearing death. It is the most certain thing in life. Don't let AF stop you enjoying the time that you have. Tell it to get stuffed, you might get run over by a lorry as you leave the hospital having just had an ablation!
I'm 66 and a (former) wilderness canoeist and instructor, long-distance cyclist, and motorcycle rider (last one was a 750 Honda Nighthawk). After my last AF ablation, last May, I developed a drug-induced autoimmune disorder that placed these activities in the past. Dizziness, extreme fatigue, and a few other side effects are my near-constant companions, except for the occasional good day. My heart, however, is now perfect.
I'm finding that a positive, almost arrogant, attitude seems to be keeping the symptoms at a low level. If this keeps up I'll be able to re-start my classical guitar lessons and maybe even get back into the dating world. (It's hard to date when you can't drive).
If it hasn't killed you, don't sweat it. You have only this moment and if you're worried about tomorrow you aren't living. I have to keep reminding myself about this, but when I do life becomes much easier.
Along with a positive attitude, meditation and mindfulness are important. Meditation stabilizes the mind so that you can stay in the present moment for at least a few seconds at a time. With practice, you can get through the day mindfully, at least a few seconds - maybe even minutes - at a time.
Stress arises from between the ears. So does relief.
Live your life! Don't pretend you're already dead!
An easy way to start is to go to YouTube and find guided meditations to follow. You can choose the music you want to hear. Just sit in a comfortable quiet place, focus on your breathing, and whenever unwanted thoughts or sounds come through, just gently push them aside and focus on your breathing again.
You and I both - if I thought AF impacted my life it was nothing compared to the way autoimmune diseases have impacted and the fatigue is like nothing I ever experienced before.
It has taken me a year to come to terms with the loss of the activities I used to do but I am finding plenty of other less competitive ones to and just focusing on what I can do rather than what I cannot really helps.
There are people who are completely disabled by fear and I have been at times which manifested in depression, but you know what - it is a choice to be well in mind and body and I choose wellness,
Flecainide is sometimes given to people with multiple sclerosis because it suppresses the brain's immune system. My theory, which my neurologist supports, is that I had a pre-existing infection of some kind that got loose when my immune cells went dormant due to flecainide. When I stopped the drug, the immune system kicked in and beat back the infectious agent. But - as with multiple sclerosis - it saw the damage that had been done to the neurons as foreign and started attacking them. That's what sustains the symptoms.
I don't know what caused it, I first developed colitis in my early 20's - my mother died aged 32 of it. There is a history of severe autoimmune diseases such as rheumatic fever and rheumatoid arthritis in my family so there is definitely a genetic link. Diet plays a big part and I discovered I am dairy and wheat intolerant 40 years ago and just eliminating from my diet helped heal my gut over a long time but I am still sensitive.
I believe things like Lymes disease can be triggers and some virus infections - bit like AF - a genetic leaning towards and then a trigger? I wondered if the Flecainide could have been the trigger and then my disease charity say that operations and any anaesthesia can trigger Mg so dammed either way! There is so much we have yet to learn about the complexity of our bodies.
Thank you I had a great time at the Artisans' Market in Frome. Did you see Countryfile a few weeks ago with the Food Exchange? Frome is so ahead of the rest of the country for excellent locally grown produce!
Over the last 5 years partly to do with AF we have become huge foodies. For example I found reducing gluten helps and I now get my bread from Artisanbread-abo.com - looks a ridiculous price until you check out the quality ingredients and taste and easily affordably if you stop drinking Guinness, which I have!
Hi Kodaska, Like Rocheen I am interested in the mindfulness aspect of relaxation, any advice? I have tried to meditate a few times but find a lot of 'clutter' buzzing about, not easy to do. Anyway, loved the post, I am in the same boat, 64 when I got it but just started to cycle, sort of put the brakes on but I am determined to get going when the weather gets better, lousy today. Cheers.
The more you meditate, the less clutter comes through. It is such an amazing feeling that eventually (most of the time) you can stay focused on the breathing. For me, the breathing just makes me feel so well, and instantly relaxes me. The mindfulness is something I have been focused on more than ever since my ablation. I started it on my walks through the woods. I love the sound of my feet on the path, the sound of the breeze through the trees, the smell of the fresh air. Focusing on each sensation is so anxiety busting. This week when I got home from my trip I felt overwhelmed (like my old self) at how much I have to do, and I stopped in my tracks and became mindful and my stress instantly went away. Amazing. I also love the new mindfulness coloring books...give me a book and some gel pens and goodbye stress!
Kindred spirit indeed Kodaska! Sea kayaking, sailing and paragliding (although my wing hasn't been out for quite some time sadly) go along with the motorbikes and cycling.
Very sad that you have to view them as "activities in the past".....perhaps one day in the future. Here's hoping.
Thanks. Hope may not be a good strategy, but neither should one give up. I have good days and not-so-good days, and I'm looking forward to getting back to cycling as well as 10-day canoe trips in the Boundary Waters wilderness of Minnesota.
Very jealous of your canoe trip. I rather thought you that you might be on the other side of the pond. We regularly come over to Vermont for cross-country skiing. We were there earlier this year and, as I type this, I am looking at a photo on our lounge wall of one of the trails that we regularly ski. Beautiful!
Good stuff! I use AF as a kind of lever to do new things, I find it helps in leaving the past (and AF) behind.
it's all about perception, unfortunately when worry and fear kick in we stop living and as soon as that happens we start dying - both psychologically and physically.
Reading your comments this morning is just the positivity I needed! Thank you, all of you. AF can bring me down too and because of this damned breast cancer being discovered only a few weeks ago, my episodes have been more frequent and lengthy, I thought because party due to having had 2 surgeries within 4 weeks. Meds have been adjusted, my cancer is 'out' and am starting radiotherapy next week, and things are looking very positive. These comments from you guys just gave me that extra determination to keep fighting and live for today......and today I have a studio photo shoot on, with 9 kids!!!! eek!
Yes one thing after another. I felt a bit that way for a couple of days with the prostate cancer but 33 days of radiotherapy , three years of hormone implants ( like the boobs?) and that is all a thing of the past and I'm five years nearly now. Positive thought is the most important thing really and can overcome many things.
Great post buzzard. Live everyday as if it is your last and one day you will be right. But not today! I have an agreement with my youngest son that on my 80th birthday I can borrow his Nissan Skyline drift car and try to get a section 59 antisocial driving notice for drifting the big roundabout on the A39 near here. Two or three laps at 7500rpm about 2 am should do it with a suitable tip off to Mr Plod.
Thanks to you all for taking my post in the spirit in which it was meant. I know that life can be very difficult and it can be all too tempting to use the "easy for you to say....." approach.
If you don't know what Rule 5 is then look it up in The Rules of Cycling......and apply it!
People not yet retired need to plan for 'transitional replacement adrenaline' (my invented term) as the same happened to me on retirement from the main business.
Just what's needed on a grey wind- wracked day. Recovering from gallstones, which wrecked my much- needed app.at Papworth... Any suggestions for replacement for Verapamil for heart-rate 100-120 & permanent AF? Been on it 2 years, not working.
Great attitude, I love it... I am sure we should all fart in AF's general direction!
Amen to the old buzzards comments. Right now I can do all the things that I want to do. The meds slow me down but so be it. They DON"T stop me. They have suggested I have a cryo ablation but as of now I'm ok with things just the way they are. Planning a three week tour of Italy with some extensive walking. Afib won't stop me from living my life. I've only got one and I'm going to get as much out of it as I can. As Bob so aptly put it , live each day as if it's your last cause one day you'll be right.
My husband is 48 and has AF....his life and our life has changed....we have a toddler and two teens....he is a firefighter and cannot perform anything like he used too.....48 is too young for this. One failed cardioversion....the beta blockers near killed him so we took him off, now another cardioversion and they put him on a stronger medication which I believe causes more damage than good...but the surgeon won't do the ablation unless my husband takes the drugs...3 month list to wait for surgery.....and it's not guaranteed nor is it a permanent solution....what a life sentence this has become at such a young age.....
Well said having AF is not the end of the world. I am 48 and have persistent AF.
I don't let it stop me going to the pub, walking up steep hills. Riding my push bike. Swimming, traveling. If I want to do it then I will. I suppose the point I'm making is if you get on with life. You will pretty much forget to worry about the AF.
Yes that's true however the longer my husband has it, the larger the upper right chamber of his heart gets which will cause more heart failure. Two grandparents died in their late 50's and his dad 70.... All AF that was left untreated.
Totally agree with your outlook. I'm coming up on one year since diagnosis and for the first 7 or 8 months, I was so anxious about it that I'm sure that brought on episodes. Once I finally Iet go of the anxiety, the episodes seem to be farther apart and last only for a couple of hours. I only take a beta blocker when I'm having an episode, nothing else (except anticoagulant). As my daughter would say, live your life -- afib is not going to kill you, and having anxiety about it only seems to make it happen more often.
All of the above posts have made my night! Really enjoyed reading them and am definitely taking onboard lots of the comments. I am lucky enough to have my AF under control after a cardioversion and my trusty meds (10mg Bisoprolol and Apixaban). It may not last forever but I will kick it's as if it comes back. It's been 10 months since my last big episode. Thank you all fellow A Fibbers for the support you give via this site. Patricia.
Good musings from the oldbuzzard - a young 63- may you have many more road trips on your mean machine, the Ducati 999. I love riding my purple bicycle (not quite as adventurous as the Ducati, but exhilarating all the same!) I will not let AF spoil the fun.
To bring out the inner child, I might buy an adult colouring book - anything that induces mindfulness can only be a good thing. There are some fabulous patterns and
themes in these books.
Bouquets to HU, a supportive forum, helpful volunteers and terrific members.
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