I had my second ablation on 27 June at Royal Brompton Hospital, London. It went well (apparently). However, what happened to me after 10 days' recuperation and doing nothing much and being wonderfully looked after by my sister and her husband, organic home-cooked meals etc and rest?
Thinking I was ok after 10 days, I went with friends to Hyde Park, as I was a Guest, and so had backstage pass and was in a special bar, out of the sun and not crowded! I thought I would be up to that. I had a lot of water to drink, but did have one gin and tonic, followed by more water. It was a hot and humid day, rather airless. Anyway, it was too hot to go out and watch the earlier bands (even the young ones didn't last for more than 2 songs in the heat). So, I was feeling a bit wobbly and not able to socialise like my usual self, but by 9pm, when the main band came on (that I was the guest of), I felt I must go and started to walk but I couldn't make it from back stage to the outside area. A First Aider was found, they called an ambulance and I was whisked off to the Resuscitation Unit at St Thomas's! My heart rate was 141 bpm at Hyde Park, going up to 175 bpm in the ambulance. The hospital kept me in overnight for observation. At least it was cool there, with air conditioning working and a brand new state of the art department. I was discharged the next day but was wobbly and fragile.
I know there is a 3 month blanking period. However, I was not expecting such an episode again - worst episode for a long time. I have had to cancel another event this Sunday! I feel that I STILL do not have my Quality of Life back and will I ever?????? I am feeling 'iffy' every day, heart kind of wobbly and I feel my friends and family think I am exaggerating as some of my friends know people that have had ablations and are hunky dory!!!!
I am so fed up really. At least I can sit quietly at home and watch Wimbledon, and endeavour to not to get concerned about the outcome!
F
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fifitb
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Very unpleasant for you but really you were pushing it a bit ! Even though I am 5 years post my 3rd ablation ( awaiting my 4th ) I am still wary about this unusual hot and humid weather, never mind 10 days post ablation.
It is still early days so don't be disheartened. 6/8 weeks....cant remember exactly!....after last ablation I was tripping the light fantastic at my son's wedding ( to the alarm of my husband 😁)
Take it easy a while longer. It takes some people longer than others so try to be patient and listen to your body.
If you had read our fact sheet on Recovering from Ablation I doubt you would have been so cavalier. Please rest . It will take three to six months to fully recover and this sort of thing is all too easy to stimulate unless you heed our advice. Don't be down hearted as I know things will improve but please listen to your body a little more. It will be worth it in the long run.
I know about recovering and I did read the fact sheet, the thing is, I have always been quite and active person, and to me, I wasn't doing much, but I guess my heart thought I was. It is not really clear to me HOW feeble we are going to be afterwards!
You really were doing too much too soon. In addition this awful (awful for us heart rhythm specialists) is really going to take its toll even for some very fit and healthy folk.
I have had 7 ablations. I know from bitter experience that it is far to tempting to far too much too soon.
I had my last ablation August 2027 (2017😀)I can honestly say that I am only now being able to push myself that little bit further. I also had a Hernia operation 4 weeks ago and today was the first time I have felt able to walk any distance but even today I did it early so it was cooler.
Take it step by step, listen to your body and take it all very slowly and I am sure that in time you will be able to do all the things you want to do.
Thank you Pottypete ! It is SO hard when you are used to being active, I don't usually do anything slowly and seem to have to be in slow motion! It is hard. I was offered a job (teaching) for the next 2 weeks of July but I had to say I couldn't do it! It would be too stressful, but I so wanted to !
Good article in The Sunday Times today about the heat and how we don't cope so well in the UK - by India Knight in the Magazine. I keep doing typos, brain gets sluggish!
It's easy to do too much too soon as I found to my cost. A week after my first ablation, I walked a little way up the canal close to my house. I was OK initially but the exhaustion caught me unaware. I thought I'd only gone a couple of hundred yards but my Fitbit told me different. Then yesterday - more than 2 weeks after my ablation - I thought I was fine pottering around the garden but the exhaustion hit me while I was tidying up. I was out for the rest of the day.
I think that if I do any less I will become rooted to the spot 😲😡.
This is what is so hard to understand, it is not explained to us HOW our 'quality of life' is really slowed down after an ablation. I may be an older person, and in the ambulance, the staff couldn't believe my age when they found out, so I seem younger and feel younger but my heart is acting like an ancient person!! Thank you for your reply!
I had drunk a small amount of wine (teeny glass!) at my sister's, when recuperating there for the 10 days and nothing happened. Not every day. Maybe the gin was too strong.
I think you have done too much too soon. Just like I have done mind you. I work for myself and have had to go back to work. I try and pace my work but being a sole trader, widow and desperately short of money it’s very difficult.
Try and rest up a bit and enjoy the tennis. It’s still early days.
Thank you for your reply. Just walked to Waitress and back (15 mins each way) and tried to keep my purchases small. That was quite tiring! Now going to watch Wimbledon Men's Final, having cancelled a social event I knew I couldn't manage in this heat!
Anderson was completely worn out by his 26 games in the semi-final! It does not seem fair! But, at Wimbledon today he was so lovely saying he'd do another 21 or so more if that's what it took to get to the Final! I tried not to care who won, to keep my heart calm and drank lots of water!
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