1 Week Post Ablation

[Ianp66]

Just a quick update after the op exactly a week ago today . After initial soreness and a couple of days tiredness wore off I've actually seemed to recover quite quickly with plenty of rest as advised .

Energy levels have improved enormously as sleep has, and my pulse now seems a lot lower as well as steady at 60-65, whereas pre op it was always 85-90 most of the time and erratic . The bruising is starting to fade on my leg / groin area , I did have some pain from the entry point which also must have pinged a nerve as it's been causing a little discomfort in my thigh, leg and back of knee area in that leg, but nothing more than paracetamol and a few days moaning couldn't fix .

Had a few little murmurs and "flappy bird" feelings" in the chest is all I can explain It as, if it's afib then it's nothing like I've had and easily bearable, nothing like the runs of fast tach and pain I used to get, and if it's part of the recovery process I was told to expect post op then all good .

Bruising has started to fade already and I had a very short slow walk this morning after a short drive and feel OK. Still resting with the remote but not good at sitting still and bored now, ocd kicking in, but still heeding good advice and not overdoing it as it seems all good so far.

Had some mild headaches etc but again nothing that I would consider unbearable.

Will keep checking in and hopefully it's just onward and up, feeling really positive and happy, especially when I check my pulse and it reads instantly , when it used to do a few no reads then show erratic beats, it's now like a Swiss watch, well just about if a little battered and bruised timepiece .

Thanks for all the lovely messages of support, and if your thinking of ablation and worried about the op or the aftermath then in my experience so far don't be, it helps if your stubborn, and I've got plenty of that am told to get me through , will keep updating but so far so good, off to catch up on the West Wing, missed it first time around, its quite an easy watch .

[BobD Volunteer]

All sounds excellent and well on track. Well done with the resting!

[Ianp66 in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob, feeling better each day, been hard not doing anything, you know how it is we're not that type.

[jeanjeannie50]

Good to hear all is going well, Ian. I think you could easily do the washing up now or make a cup of tea. Anything so long as it doesn't involve any exertion, but still lots of rest too and make sure you never over do it.

Jean

[Ianp66 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Am sure they banned housework in fact sheet just for men Jean 😉, feet back up now, had a little walk feeling good.

Ian.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Ianp66]

Oh no they didn't Mr Stayinbed!!!

Glad you're feeling well.

[Ianp66 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

😂 Jean you making me stressed, if you were closer you could pop in and make a brew... Prepare for another rollicking Ian 😉

[Hidden]

Sounds good mate, try not to get too hung up on what your heart is doing. We are highly sensitive to bumps, flutters and bangs now that we have (had) AF.

[Ianp66 in reply to Hidden]

Think your on the money mikee,had to tell myself a few times in the past week to ignore my heart and get on with life now am sorted mate , and today on the walk I just put my earbuds, in music on, and walked as much as normal and felt better for it . As you say, we're so used to waiting for missed beats and shortness of breath etc on exertion its going to be my mind I need change as well as accept my new heart "retuned" as I've labelled it, it's the psychological part which I need pay attention to as well as the physical, other half says am good at ignoring stuff while looking like I'm listening so il try translate that to me and my heart 😉

[Hidden in reply to Ianp66]

hahahaha

My EP (probably getting a bit fed up of my complaining about palpitations) said that I just need to get on with living, my heart may be trying to go back into AF, as the heart is lazy and would love to be in AF it it could be, but I have ablated you, and it isn't going to happen

[Ianp66 in reply to Hidden]

We're blokes, moaning even when we are ok is standard practice, but until anyone has had a severe bout of AF themselves, it's hard to imagine how we all feel when it affects our lives so much and impacts on so much of what we do, see am moaning again, back to the box sets or il be in bother mate.

[UnaY66]

Glad your doing well I too get the odd flutter and missed or extra beat after ablation but it's nothing like I had before the procedure it did settle after 3 months I will mention this at my check up next week at Freeman u am back to work now teaching aerobics enjoying life again and u will too x

[Ianp66 in reply to UnaY66]

Feel like I've won the lottery Una, even though I had a few slight things, nothing even remotely like the extensive disabling sessions I used to get, glad to hear your doing so well, hopefully yours settles down completely given time x

[UnaY66]

I agree it's like winning the lottery its very difficult to explain how awful condition AF is to people they said to me at Freeman first attempt they hope to achieve 85'% and I would say 95 % for me just the odd flutter x

[meadfoot]

That's good news, keep up the good work. I am having a calm heart day today, why, because I have just been fitted with a monitor so my dear sweet little ticker is on best behaviour, so infuriating when I need it to do its usual acting up to register what I keep telling my cardiologist, sigh. Stay well.

[Ianp66 in reply to meadfoot]

Thanks MF, mine was the same a few years ago until it went into meltdown last year after that virus , it's sods law never does it with halter monitor on or when you see them does it? . Do a little what you shouldn't, for me a sip of wine or something like push to hard in the gym or on the bike, or get to excited, list goes on. Hope you get something to show so it gets looked at, thank you I'm doing good 👍

[Gowers]

So pleased to hear how well the recovery is going - love the description of a "flappy" bird!

As others have mentioned af has such an impact on day to day living that, unless you have experienced it difficult to understand and even more difficult to imagine life without the uncertainty of it all.

I made up my mind last Thursday I want ablation as another long bout of af & the usual awful after effects left me feeling sooo rough!

It may not happen until next year (due to going through extensive dental treatment & temp bridge etc that will take til November! ) but, I can see how the af is getting worse each time and affecting day to day living.

Cardiologist said I'm ideal candidate & I just have to phone his sec (nhs) when I want to be put on his list with approx 3 month wait at the moment.

By the way - I'm sure a little light dusting is part of the rehab 😉

[Ianp66 in reply to Gowers]

Sounds similar to my story starts off paroxysmal then I had real bad bouts of it and ended up in hospital a couple fo times, glad I bit the bullet the procedure isn't that bad at all, and even more a chance to get normal life back or some form or respite from awful feelings AF gives you.

Dusting am sure isn't on the recovery list, that's jeans fault she's stitched me up now 😂

[Gowers]

If.... a "little bit of light dusting" isn't on the recovery notes then it should be! (what you think Jean?!!!) 😉

It must be an amazing feeling to be rid of af - as you said to be able to lead a normal life will make a huge difference.

Let us know how the recovery goes

[Ianp66 in reply to Gowers]

Will do, thank you , told the other half I'm getting wrong for resting, she's well amused. Can see me getting a little house cleaning therapy tomorrow 😂