Who to believe? Who to trust? What to do? Being reflective.

[CDreamer]

It’s very obvious that we are all living through a time of great uncertainty within the general world and we AFers know all about uncertaintity, especially with PAF. When will the next episode strike? Where will I be? Will I manage? Will I need to go to hospital - or not?

I have noticed that we all seek out causes and cures. We want to ‘get our lives back’. Be able to ‘get back to the gym’ or look after the grandchildren and we don’t want to accept that AF may change our lives for the worse.

We worry about triggers. We worry about foods. We worry about medications and their warnings and we worry when there are no medications to help ‘fix’ us.

How much time and energy are we expending on worrying?

I love this forum for its’ diversity and knowledgeable people, the way it supports robust debate without resorting to personal insults. Over the years there have been those who have taken offense and left and I am very sad about that and miss one or two who I thought to be excellent contributors and strange as this may sound because I had never met them, quite attached to.

And there are times when I find myself becoming a little impatient - the repetition of some subjects, the internal response when I immediately react to a post I may disagree with which can be frustrating enough that I have to go away and meditate on what it is in me that evokes that reaction. And I’m having such a moment right now.

I love you all but I need to take a short break so I’m going to do a 3 day fast from all social media, including here.

Love you all and I’ll be back. xx

[Kaz747]

Enjoy your break. See you on the other side x

[jeanjeannie50]

Sounds like a good idea CDreamer. I keep saying I'm going to do the same thing, but I'm an AF forum junkie. I even scroll through all the week old posts, just to make sure everyone has received a reply. If they haven't then I do one, despite probably not knowing much about their topic. It can't be nice to ask a question and not receive any response at all. Have a well earned break, but we will miss you.

Jean

[Aprilbday in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Jean! Sometimes, I do that too!! You are so precious! Much love to you for that generous spirit you have. 🌸

[Hidden in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I agree and try to respond but sometimes my 'disorganization gene' takes over and I miss a response. I apologize to all who may not have received feedback. Every morning I get up eagerly to check my chats and bell icon to see what others have thought or responded about my posts. (I'm on Eastern Standard Time in Atlanta so I think I'm 5 hours behind the UK=Greenwich Mean? (or maybe it's Daylight Savings Time for me until fall). Can't remember. I don't like our time changes each spring and fall. Have a good day, everybody. irina

[BobD Volunteer]

CD I know how you feel. PM me any time. Maybe coffee in Exeter?

[Vonnieruth]

Enjoy your break See you back on here when you feel it's time

[Hidden]

Great post CD, go recharge those batteries and do all the things you want to do.....enjoyyyyyyy!

[doodle68]

CD I have taken part in various forums for many years (including as a Global Moderator) and although subjects can be repetitious I try to keep in mind new people joining for whom a topic is being discussed for the very first time and who may need our help.

Agree or disagree we all have a valuable contribution to make by chatting to people and adding what may be a different perspective on a topic.

Enjoy your break, we all need them from time to time and please don't be too long returning

[wilsond]

Recharge your batteries,see you when you are ready. I enjoy your thoughtful contributions. Xx

[JaneFinn]

We love you, CDreamer! ❤️

Thanks for all you give out... over time it takes a toll, I know.

We’ll be glad when you’re back - but take your time to have a great break ... recharge your batteries, clear your head, and boost your spirits doing things you love to do

J x

[ornella in reply to JaneFinn]

Your post reflects my own feelings about CDreamer too janeFinn, so thumps up, we all love her and what she shares with us and appreciate her knowledge in various issues.

[Finvola]

Your valuable inputs mean so much to so many of us and a restorative break is a good idea. Enjoy!

[Aprilbday]

Thank you CD. I hear you. When you return, you will see this. Just very glad you didn’t decide to turn away completely and that you will be back. Your presence and discussions are so valuable. I deleted my Twitter months ago, and don’t miss it and only read-never posting on the A-Fib forum on Facebook-otherwise nothing for me. When I posted the question about anticoagulant storage on here recently, I thought in my head that this must have already been talked about and could not find any thing. I actually thought it must be hard for people who have been on here a while to see the same questions when there are perhaps a wealth of discussions about it on here somewhere. I hope I haven’t posted a redundant question. How do we avoid doing that?

[doodle68 in reply to Aprilbday]

AD there are no 'redundant questions' please don't think that. There are topics that have been covered before but that really shouldn't deter anyone from posting particularly those people who are new, scared and haven't discovered the search facility.

I remember when I first posted on here, my as yet undiagnosed P-AF episodes had become frequent and severe and I was in a state of permanent panic and not really thinking straight least of all if a topic had been covered previously.

I was so relieved to find a group of people with whom I could identify and who could provide information without making me feel I was over reaction over mere 'palpitations'.

No one is compelled to answer unless they wish to but it is by people asking questions that we increase our knowledge

[Aprilbday in reply to doodle68]

Oh my gosh...thank you for that. The guilt was getting to me wondering if I contributed to overloaded feelings.

Everyone on here is so appreciated realizing that time and love is really all anyone has to give and to give it in the way you all do is incredible and thank you. It’s good to take breaks and reflect because you give so very much to others. 🌸

[Hidden in reply to Aprilbday]

Sometimes it helps me remember something I forgot to write down and often an answer repeated comes with updated information. Much of the information is too important to just be mentioned once. Remember this about learning? "Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you've told them."🐈 irina

[Aprilbday in reply to Hidden]

Er....ah.....that’s what the news does every single day so I have to be like

CDreamer on the news. 🤣

[Hidden in reply to Aprilbday]

Me too. I am very economical with news. Some years ago took the tv out of my bedroom and dropped the news before bedtime habit. I also tend to read news more (newspaper/ Time magazine,etc. so I can decide what I want to know about. I get so annoyed at all the arguing, explaining, opinions of the TV talking heads. I like the old Walter Cronkite 6 oclock news style. I don't need the news explained to me. Plus I never watch the local news-too many murders, and I hate it when a reporter sticks a microphone in the face of a family member of a crime victim and asks them how they feel about it. Really! irina

[Buffafly in reply to doodle68]

The search facility is very overrated, so much depends on the heading of the original posts, and the 'tags' which are supposed to help people find posts seem to be completely random. It would be better if we could add relevant tabs ourselves to be helpful but we can't.

[dedeottie]

I do so understand. Enjoy your rest, clear your head and do whatever you have to do but we will be waiting here for your return.

With love

Jane x

[Hidden]

I've been thinking the same thing myself lately. Not due to anything on any of my forums-just the need sometimes to limit my interactions on all levels for a short time. We have so many daily interactions-in person, social media, etc that for me I just need to 'hermitize' for a short time. I am having a really hard time right now with my senior living environment. And my google research tells me there are many of us who just don't respond well to too many interactions too often. We need more down time. But others sometimes act like this is a defect.It's not. For me, it takes me longer to recharge my batteries after being drained by different personalities. So enjoy your vacation CD. I look forward to your return. Take care. irina PS Do you ever wonder how many people we interact with each day? work, shopping, public transportation and on and on? No wonder we're tired when we get home.

[jedimasterlincoln]

I did this for a few months Jan-April last year. I missed some of it, but was glad to be rid of other parts.

As with words on a screen they can often be misinterpreted when people apply their own tones and context to what they read.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and we should celebrate the diversity of the community.

Worry isn't so much in my vocabulary these days, tho many aspects of my AF do "hang over me" they don't cause anxiety the the point it limits my functioning day to day.

See you soon!