A boost for all you young AFers - Atrial Fibrillati...

Atrial Fibrillation Support

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A boost for all you young AFers

Enjoy profile image
23 Replies

I will be 84 years next Thursday and two years ago spent my 82nd birthday in Harefield having an ablation. I hope two years is long enough to tempt fate and say I feel cured. Yes I am breathless but that is probably my asthma or my aorta dissection plus a little heart failure contributing to the breathlessness but my quality of life is great.

I have a good few hobbies and go out every day... so don't hesitate if offered an ablation. Age didn't seem to affect my outcome. I am definitely pleased I had my procedure.

The only thing that defeats me is putting the clean duvet cover on the duvet. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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23 Replies
NickiC profile image
NickiC

What a lovely, upbeat post. Tremendously cheering as well, thank you, Enjoy! My most dreaded chore is the replacement of the duvet cover; I absolutely hate doing it.

wilsond profile image
wilsond in reply to NickiC

Unpick the long side,so then you can lie the cover on the bed,place duvet onto it,fold top over.Add velcro or press studs or ties to the long side to open/close,works a treat!

NickiC profile image
NickiC in reply to wilsond

What a brilliant suggestion! Thank you 😊

wilsond profile image
wilsond in reply to NickiC

Your welcome!

Vandalbragg profile image
Vandalbragg

How old were you when you started having Afib?

Enjoy profile image
Enjoy in reply to Vandalbragg

Diagnosed 7 years ago but I now have enough knowledge to know that I had it quite a while before but didn't recognise it as AF.

What a fantastic post Enjoy, so encouraging for us whippersnappers in our early 70’s. As far as the duvet is concerned, try YouTube “how to fit a duvet cover” and you will see some ideas which might help......good luck!

EricW profile image
EricW

Very well done indeed.

I'm 84 in October and still playing golf on foot. AF for 15 years with just about all the drugs available plus a dual chamber pacemaker. At present though I have given up most apart from anticoagulants and magnesium spray. I'm told I am in persistent AF but hardly aware of it. So keep calm and carry on.

As for the duvet. Have you tried 'bedding plants'instead? Sorry!

in reply to EricW

Yes, Carson! LOL

BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

Well done Enjoy. Always good to read positive posts.

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer

Good on ya! Your post has uplifted and inspired. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer

You could try the douvet roll technique

youtu.be/DRPfudNNd8Y

Anyone who can defeat AF CAN master the douvet cover change!

in reply to CDreamer

Brilliant! I would have never figured that out. I hate making beds anyway(former nurse-figured I've made my share of beds.) Thanks CD for the video. Though not a common item in the US, I love Duvets and how easy they are to maintain. And if you have a king size for a queen size bed, it covers a multitude of sins!

cbsrbpm profile image
cbsrbpm

Glad to hear you are doing so well Enjoy, what a lovely post. X

Finvola profile image
Finvola

Wow! Good for you Enjoy.

A local saying where I live is ‘more power to your wee wheel’.

Lovely post.

wilsond profile image
wilsond

Thank you for sharing your uplifting experience.Duvet covers are avaiable which open down the long side,so you lie the cover on the bed,place duvet onto it and then fold the top over.Im not sure where you get them from.It was on a tv programme,and i copied the idea by unpicking the side of my covers and adding velcro to close.Might help?

Waiting for first ablation myself.....!

Bagrat profile image
Bagrat

Thank you for your upbeat post

Nugger profile image
Nugger

Don't forget using the net too,I know plenty of people that are not net savy at half your age!

Enjoy profile image
Enjoy

Thank you everyone for your comments. I have searched the Internet for the opensided duvet covers and that will be my birthday present from me to me.

Emgee profile image
Emgee

Good to read positive outcomes - Thanks for sharing.

Chris147 profile image
Chris147

Brilliant you are an amazing person thank you for sharing your story. I am terrified of having an ablation but hearing your account I feel more positive should I have to go down that road. Meds need a review. Regards Chris

li17 profile image
li17

Glad to see your good outcome. But I think the most depressing thing for your afibbers is long term prognosis. Being 37 yo myself, I could head for an ablation, and as in my early stage, I could probably go a few years before it comes back, looking optimistically for 10 years, then I'll be 47, now what? Second ablation? Get it done and hope for another 10 years? Maybe. Then I'll be 57. Well, what next? Third ablation and so on? That's the best expectation from ablation therapy I guess. But what if ablation couldn't tame it or couldn't last for 10 years? There're lots of thinking. And besides that, young afibbers still need to make money, take care of young family, want to attend social activities, long haul traveling, camping... It's very frustrated and depressed for the youngster to have this condition even knowing ablation technique is much advanced and could have better success rate in young patients.

Enjoy profile image
Enjoy in reply to li17

I understand what you are saying. Young Afibbers to me are in their 50s, 60s and 70s.

I am sure each decade will produce something new for our condition. In my 20s I thought my asthma would restrict all the things I wanted to do. I just avoided visiting hot Countries. Then along came new inhalers and they are still improving.

Enjoy your life and the hugs you get from your children. They grow up so fast. You will have some lovely family holidays with them I am sure. Try to be positive li17. Are you too young to know that song "Always look on the bright side of life"?

In the future ablations may be just a visit to the local Heart drop in Centre. Sending best wishes.

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