Successful cardio version today

[Spiteri1966]

Hello, After getting AF in Feb I have just had a cardio version today and it worked on the first shock. My heart capacity has now gone from 35% to 50 to 55% ( my GP said that it would not improve from 35%). How do I protect text myself to try to stop my heart going back into AF? my job is very stressful and this has been ignored my senior managers for three years so I do not want to go back there but my doctor will not sign me off anymore. I do feel that it is a major cause for my situation as apart from breathlessness I had not symptoms. I would like to thank everyone for their support and I have learnt a lot about AF from this forum.

[meadfoot]

Pleased to hear your cv worked. Sorry to hear you are suffering from work stress. I had the same problem and my af was atrocious during that time. Is it time to find other employment, health comes first.

[jeanjeannie50]

It will hopefully be next Monday before you go back to work, so make the most of being at home. I've had lots of cardioversions and my only advice to you would be to avoid doing anything strenuous for a few days. I once had one and walked up a steep hill the next day and went back into AF right away.

I was in a situation like you, with a stressful job and after having my second ablation couldn't face going back to work (I was a year over retirement age). I spoke to my GP and he signed me off for another two weeks. I then contacted my boss and asked if he would accept just two weeks notice and he reluctantly agreed. He had AF too and knew just how awful it is.

I feel sorry for you if you need to carry on working, you certainly have my sympathy.

Hope you stay well.

Jean

[Tazzydee]

Great news!

Sorry, you don't say what you do.

Is there someone in HR you can talk to?

If you company does return to work interviews you need to raise it as concern as your employer has a Duty of Care to protect you. You may also need to have an occupational health assessment as well.

You might also point out that ( though you are now back in SR) you may be a stroke risk if your health concerns are not addressed?

If your previous requests are documented And have been ignored you have a grounds to raise a grievance but hopefully it won't come to that.

My own employer has been fantastic and have acknowledged my need to reduce my stress levels and I am so lucky I can work from home if I get too tired.

Good luck

Tanya

[Dodie117]

Have you considered ablation. I had my first and only in Nov 2013 and af free since then.

[gillyflower13]

It is good to read that your op was successful - I have had af for years now and have been in and out of my local hospital and each time meds are changed and then my gp changes them again!!! I am desperate to have ablation carried out but theNHS situation is not good as we all know so at my wits end to know what do now?

Gilly flower 13

[Puddychops in reply to gillyflower13]

Sometimes you just have to make yourself heard otherwise they think if you are not making a noise you must be ok

e.g.

Last year a friend of mine was waiting for her second hip replacement. The op was due in October and she had already been off work since April so running out of time and salary

It was September and she still hadn't heard anything and didn't seem moved to ask so I started a little firm motivation😈

Couldn't get anywhere with the staff so politely asked PALS to investigate. They told her that the October procedure was not going to be before Late April 2017. By this time her mobility was almost zero and she lived alone.

Asked PALS if there was another hospital she could go to...

Within a week they had an appointment with her Consultant who told her the hip was almost inoperable and two weeks later she had her surgery so still in October she WAS done but she had to chase it.

[TonyRands]

Aside from the stress issues at work, have you been given any guidance as to drugs to help you stay in sinus? According to the AF Association booklet (page 11 I think) remaining on beta blockers can be useful in preventing reversion to af, presumably by preventing high pulse rates, maybe caused by stress. After a previous cv, I remained on beta blockers although the GP was not in favour. When I gave in to pressure and stopped them I went back into af after a week, as my pulse rate went too high while mowing the lawn!! I am due for another cv soon, but the cardiologist has stipulated that I must remain on beta blockers to prevent high pulse rates developing, and he will determine the daily dose once I back in sinus.