Day 5 post Ablation!

[Cclegg]

Slept through the night, no chest pain to speak of! On waking felt good then aura crept back plus headache and general malaise! On the plus side NO AF! Taking 100 flec morning and night can't wait to come off them, also take losartan and indapamide for BP which is forever!! Plus warfarin of course. (dont mind that one).

Spent all morning reading different posts on here, how interesting it all is and so informative!! 5 years ago when I had my last ablation I had not thought to seek any help or advise! Must say my last ablation was a walk in the park compared to this one so wonder if 5 hours under general anaesthetic is the factor in the slower recovery?

My nurse said I should be able to go out and do a power walk after about 5 days....what planet is she living on lol!!

Did intend to return to work Monday but I know that's not possible, lucky in as far as I'm self employed so no one to answer to but hey ho no earnings!!!

Sorry rambling a bit but nice to know others are out there feeling similar!!!

P.S. chest pain back after breakfast.....wondering if it could be digestion problem?!

[BobD Volunteer]

I think I mentioned that the pain could be oesophageal as a result of the burning during the ablation. Speak to you nurse if is carries on.I don;t know what planet she is on either since mine told me do nothing for the first week and not a lot more for the second.

Do try and rest as much as possible. As one who used to LIVE 18 hours a day I know how difficult that can be but trust me when I say a slow recovery works best. The aura may well last for a couple more weeks. I guess you know that this is a result of the transeptal puncture even if "they" never bother to tell you about it.

[Cclegg in reply to BobD]

I mentioned the aura whilst in hospital but nurses didn't say it was to be expected so thank you for that Bob .....feel much better about it!

Can't believe there is so much information to found on here that I never new! The transeptal puncture my doctor described as poking a hole through your heart lol..... I know it means pretty much the same thing but would have liked to have been spoken to as if I had a little sense!! But hey ho was well looked after I think!!

Chest discomfort back Bbob think you are right about oesophogus but still taking codeine so it's bareable!

Thank you !!

[Eliza2 in reply to BobD]

What "aura"? Not sure what that means?

[Eliza2 in reply to BobD]

That puncture is a hard thing to wrap ones head around! Poor heart.....

[Eliza2 in reply to BobD]

BobD......plz explain "aura" as mentioned in your post ..thanks

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Eliza2]

Aura in this case is the visual disturbance which afflicts some patients post ablation. It is the zig zaggy lights that people get with migraine and sometimes has pain with it, sometimes just the visual problems.

Re the puncture this is very simple. In order to get into the left atria the EP first has to access a vein, usually in the groin. Since all veins end up in the RIGHT atrium, in order to get to the left he has to punch a small hole through the septum ,, the wall between the two chambers.

For more information go to AF A website and read the ablation booklet.

[Eliza2 in reply to BobD]

Thanks bob.

[jennydog]

Shortly after I had my ablation with GA I was doing a stint in the tea bar at my local hospital. I must have felt somewhat jiggered to have asked 2 senior nurses how long it took to recover from a GA. Simultaneously they replied "At least 6 months."

I think that they were right!

Festina lente. Latin for "hasten slowly."

[Cclegg in reply to jennydog]

Good Lord, need to be somewhat more patient then! Must admit had a total thyroid ectomy a few years ago with an extended GA and remember feeling pretty shifty for many weeks!!

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Cclegg]

I agree with the six months . What with three ablations, a hernia repair and my cancer op I had more than 20 hours of GA over five years and reckon it took me about two years to fully recover .What's that? I never have? Ah well make the most of it.