ablation Recovery?

[Slattery]

I am scheduled for an Ablation on June 22nd. I have been reading about post Ablation recovery. The more I read the more frightened I am about the Ablation. The 3 month period after the Ablation sounds really stressful as well as painful! Help, I need your advice on what your experience was like.

[Dawsonmackay]

If there’s a chance that I may be rid of Afib, just a chance, the risk and fear and stress and worry etc are worth it. I had 3 ablations and am in NSR. If I need a 4th, sign me up. Afib is like a tuning fork always vibrating in your body. NSR silences that vibration. You have to experience it. The ablation procedure is a breeze, really. Every day the procedure gets easier for Afibbers because so many are having them worldwide. You’re in good hands.

[nthompson10]

I had a VERY slight soreness on my chest wall (just felt like a small bruise) afterwords. The groin entry site was a little sore too, but that was it. I wouldn’t be worried about pain.

[CDreamer]

I don’t think that I have ever read one post that someone said they were in pain - unless there was an issue were something went wrong. The numbers of ablations performed per year as against the slight risk of something going wrong is minimal and on the risk:benefit ratio, as Dawsonmackay says, is definitely worth the probable benefit of being AF free.

Having had 2 ablations I can’t remember experiencing anything like pain - slight chest soreness for 1 day after, a lot of stiffness after lying still for so long which lasted for a few days until I could start to move and quite a lot of boredom and frustration because although I felt great (SO great in comparison to before) I knew I needed to rest.

I would suggest that you are actually harming yourself by worrying so much as worry=stress on the body=inflammation=disease & probable AF. Working to ease your general anxiety, challenging your worry thoughts will help you cope and improve your recovery.

The most important thing for your body to promote healing is for you to be able to maintain Rest&Digest mode. If you are worrying your Autonomic Nervous System will be ‘stuck’ in Fight&Flight mode which saps all your energies to cope with the perceived threat. Changing your thinking LITERALLY changes your physiology so you become an active agent in your own recovery.

Quick overview of how and why - fourdirectionswellness.com/...

Best wishes CD

[BobD Volunteer]

Please stop worrying about the might be. What about the might not be. What if you didn't have AF any more? What if you sailed through it and were sensible about recovery and were able to stop most of your drugs? Shock horror your life might be better!

As a devout coward I can assure you that I would not have had three ablations if there was anything to worry about. I have said for years I would rather have an ablation than root canal treatment .

I can honestly say that long term I have never come across anybody who wishes that they have not had an ablation for AF.

Just be sensible, don;t over do things and follow the recovery advice in our fact sheet and all will be well.

[Slattery in reply to BobD]

Bob,

Thank you so much for your support, I do appreciate your positive outlook on Ablation, your experience will help me get through the next few months until my Ablation.

[Buffafly]

I had some complications after my ablation but they were caused by what are charmingly called 'co-morbities' which the ablation stirred up a bit. I certainly don't regret the ablation as I am now on a minimal dose of medication and don't have episodes of AF unless I am already ill! Look for the donut, not the hole 😀

[Hidden]

I had zero pain from the ablation. recovery was slower than I expected, but was in no way a struggle or painful. It just took time to get back to my previous fitness levels

Try not to worry, we are all different. Remember that the internet is skewed towards people's bad experiences. Many people have had a successful ablation and don't feel the need to post on this forum. A few of us that are still in NSR years later still hang around to try and help though

All the best

[Kellyjelly]

I completely understand your fear of recovery and the ablation, it is 100% normal to be anxious and afraid. I am almost 6 weeks post ablation and like you one of my biggest fears was the recovery process. I tried to prepare for it by doing breathing and meditating apps on my phone, talking it over with my family, posting about my worries here and trying to accept that fear is as much a part of all this as everything else.

My ablation experience was a positive one for me, I’m not sure if you have read my account of it and I hope It hasn’t been one of the stories that have made you afraid. I think that it is extremely important to be honest and share our experiences with each other to try and allay fears and show the reality of what happens during the procedure. A few things were a bit challenging but I was in no way traumatised by the experience and I would do it again.

In the lead up to my ablation a well meaning friend tried to get me to watch videos of the procedure, I didn’t because I knew that would scare me too much. If you find reading post ablation stories is really increasing your anxiety then maybe you could just ask questions as you have done with this post and avoid the stories for now . If there is anything that you want to know or would like reassurance about I would be happy to help if I can.

Take good care 😊

[Slattery in reply to Kellyjelly]

Kelly,

I really do appreciate your support!

[Kellyjelly in reply to Slattery]

I really feel for you, I know exactly how you feel. I was frantic in the weeks before my ablation, try and harness the fear. I did that by just listening to 5 min meditation apps everyday. I had never done anything like that before but it really helped. It made me feel like I was taking some kind of control. I also tried to consciously change my thought patterns, if I starting thinking scary thoughts I would very firmly stop the thought and change it. I told myself that I had never had an ablation so I couldn’t possibly be afraid of the actual procedure. I still felt nervous but I really tried to control it by using the strength I know I have.

You can do that to, you have the strength inside you, we all do.

Take care 😊

[Gowers in reply to Kellyjelly]

I remember how you shared your worries & fears on here before the ablation Kelly. Can't belueve it was all those weeks ago!

Hope you feeling the benefits

[KazDD]

I am on day 17 post ablation, like you I was very anxious and worried about the procedure in the lead up to the appointment. For me, reading about the experience of others and asking questions on this forum helped calm my nerves. As Kellyjelly says maybe ask questions rather than read stories if they upset you. Fear of the unknown can play havoc with our imaginations, perhaps finding answers may help settle your nerves a bit.

From my experience the procedure was no where near as bad as I imagined it would be and so far (fingers crossed) I feel that I am comfortable and recovering well.

Please feel free to ask away if you want, happy to help if I can.

Best wishes 😊