Saying farewell to the Forum

I joined this Forum out of curiosity and to be able o chat with folks from other countries about the common topic of AF. I have enjoyed very much this experience, and thank you all. Now, is time to say good bye in order to go back to my normal activities. I’m an oil painter who enjoy painting portraits, I’m studying Jazz piano, I’m learning French, I enjoy travelling and to be honest, I don’t have time to be preoccupied with Atrial Fibrillation.

[rosyG]

best not to be "preoccupied" but if you ever need advice you are welcome to return and ask questions- or share insights about AF Good luck

[10gingercats]

what a fantastic attitude to life!.I too feel as you do but hope that from time to time I can help others understand the worrying condition of AF.

[BobD Volunteer]

Well said although some of us stay out of the desire to help others not because we are preoccupied.

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

I joined the Forum when I was recovering from surgery in my eyelids, but now I’m fit to return to my normal activities. I don’t worry about my life expectancy or the future, only the present, because is the only thing real. The past is ashes and the future is fog.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Please reconsider tachp. I found your story in the archive and you are an inspiration, so active into your 80s and 50 years AF without AC and a cox maze and so much encyclopaedic knowledge you must be a cardiologist by training

At least leave your account dormant so that others can read your story perhaps you could pop in occasionally You will be missed definitely a wise and informed man is always welcome.

I hope you are not leaving because you feel unappreciated, certainly not by me or others with whom you have engaged

if I recall rightly, you have had good conversations with BobD, also ILowe and Badger25, though they are not around now much if at all

Not sure why but I gather Badger25 has been banned. I hope they both return, ILowe in particular was/is very clever to judge from archived conversations.

Perhaps you could message us from Macchu Pichu or the cocktail bar of the QE2.....

I hope that sadness does not underlie your sign off line, however apt and poetic the thought. Would you mind if I send you a PM? You don't know me but I feel I have come to understand a little of you and I will miss you.

Let's hope it is a case of au revoir and not adieu.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Pilgrim, good luck to you. You see, AF did not kill me prematurely, having a stroke is not an infallible fact. Cox maze surgical procedure is not a cure for AF. From now on, my death won’t be premature so I have to hurry with my projects.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

tachp

Your last sentence is so eloquent, poetic almost, that you have me in tears...

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

BobD

I don't think tachp 's use of the word "preoccupied" had any implication of criticism, though I did pick up that it may have needled you slightly. Pity if that undermined your usual bonhomie.

tachp has been a significant contributor to judge from the feedback he has previously received in the archives.

As the currently most active vol (and award winning vol indeed), I think it would be fitting if you could find something a little more gracious to say to a man whose AF story over 50 years has inspired more than a few of us.

And if you feel I am calling you, you would be right.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

Don't know what you are talking about Pilgrim nothing of the sort intended. Just making a point that many of us are genuinely interested in others and stay for that reason. I applaud his attitude and outlook as should have been obvious. I have always suggested to people that they move on and try to live full lives despite AF. I don't always have time in my busy life to write huge replies, hence my sometimes brief comments as I slide by my computer on the way from my workshop to the loo.

i

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

Now there is a vision I would rather not ponder on!!

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

Not a pretty sight !

[rosyG in reply to Hidden]

Pilgrim- all words are open to interpretation/ context - suggest you don't "call" someone for a straightforward reply.

[Hidden in reply to rosyG]

rosyG

As Bob would say “that’s a view”

But carry on suggesting away, most of us will ignore things we don’t agree with anyway.

Not sure this is the place for a lecture on forum ethics. As you say words are open to misinterpretation, and can come across as patronising or ill considered.

The written word without nonverbal communication can be a minefield online or elsewhere, as you know of course.

I felt Bob had not fully appreciated the significance of the departure of such an eminent member. We all have varying levels of intuition and other personality traits.

So I called him and would again in similar circumstances if I saw the need. You obviously see things differently which is the beauty of unshackled discussion. I rather think Bob can look after himself

This is not the place to continue this conversation but I would be happy to debate this elsewhere if you feel up to it.

Sometimes we forget that longevity or seniority does not equate to authority or demand respect in and of itself.

[rosyG in reply to Hidden]

Mixing lots of different things here Pilgrim so best left alone I think !!

[Hidden]

As long as I take Apixiban, I know I’m reasonably protected againt having a stroke, I say reasonably because in life nothing is 100%. That is the only thing I care about. My quality of life is my own responsibility, because nobody knows what makes me happy.

[Hidden]

All the best tachp, enjoyyyyyyyy

[JaneFinn]

Au revoir, Tachp, it’s been a pleasure and an education reading your posts. Thanks for letting us know, rather than suddenly dropping off the face of the earth (well the forum!). When a regular poster just goes quiet, it troubles me!

I’m not alone, I know, in appreciating all of you who use your AF experiences to inform, support and (to me most importantly) empathise. I totally understand why someone would want to move on and focus on other things - and I’m massively grateful too for those who stay.

Good luck - and keep well

[Peddling]

Well said JaneFinn. And well said tachp, there are a million more experiences to have other than that of af. Good luck in your new pursuits, but I bet you have a sneaky peek every now and then. It’s been good knowing you.

[Hidden]

You've made good use of your time here with interesting posts and comments and perhaps many of us would do well to follow your lead.

[JaneFinn in reply to Hidden]

But please don’t! We’d miss you.

Forgive my selfish perspective, and of course everyone must do what’s best for them. But what makes this forum so rare and amazing is all you wonderful people who stick around to bring so much wisdom and support through your postings! Thank you! xx

[AnneTS]

Sorry to see you go tachp but it is good to know that the reason for your leaving is so positive.AF may be a highly annoying condition but it is not going to stop us getting the best out of life that we can. Good on yer and have fun!! Anne

[souljacs4]

Please keep in touch even if its only every few months you have such a positive outlook and we all need a little bit of hope and positivity in our lives.

[chrysalis8x]

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” (Winston Churchill).

Thanks for sharing your extraordinary positive attitude with so many of us. May the best sunrise of your life be the one you wake up to every morning. Undoubtedly, you will make it so. Vaya Con Dios .

Perhaps we may hear of you one day…..playing jazz piano at La Petite Halle…….portraits displayed in grand array......speaking French as if you were born to it.

I’ll raise a glass to that one!!

[Hidden]

Thank you “Chrysalis” and everyone else who had wished me well. I just want to explain that my attitude towards AF is neither negative nor positive, only realistic. Why should I worry about my AF ? I never had a stroke, I feel reasonably protected by taking Apixaban. My quality of life is good, doing everything I like. I don’t care if my heartbeats aren’t flawlessly perfect. I never expected nature to make me perfect, only God is perfect. I accept the imperfections of nature in my body not with resignation, but with gratitude, because my body works fairly well in spite of those imperfections. Nature hasn’t given me (yet), Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, blindness, Leukemia, Lymphoma, other forms of cancer, ALS, AIDS, Ebola, or any other worrisome disease. I don’t dread about what might have caused my AF. Being an avid tea and coffee drinker? I would do it all over again, savoring the best teas and coffees I could get, brought me immense pleasure. Alcohol? I always drank for its flavor and bouquet, not for its effects. My favorites were single malt scotch, Bordeaux wines, English and Belgium beers, Cuban rum, Spanish sherries. Pushing my heart to the limits? Yes, I did that many times, it was the only way I could defeat my tennis opponent to win the trophy. Of course, nobody knows exactly how AF happens, but even if my excesses brought it in, it will be too late to undo what has already been done. Besides, a puritanical life was never in my agenda. It is not the type of problem we face, the cause of our anxiety and worry, but is the way our brain interprets the problem. One thing is true, the more perfection we expect from the world, the most stress and frustration we are going to have.