BACK IN AF AND NHS HAVE BEEN AMAZING

[Desanthony]

Hello,

I posted a few weeks back that I was back in AF just short of a year after a so called successful cardioversion. I telephoned the cardio nurses at my local hospital before my gp had time to refer me as they had been so helpful last time and lo and behold they have been absolutely fantastic. I had an appointment last Wednesday morning when my nurse came in early to see me before starting a training day. She said she would talk to the consultant about another urgent cardioversion so that I could get through my knee op. at the end of August. We left the hospital and went on to go to the cinema and just as we parked tha car we had a call from the nurse to say that she had talked to the consultant and I was on the list and would be put on a different tablet a few weeks before the cv and for a few weeks or months afterwards to help get through the time of the op, and said she had organised a blood test form to go out in the post and I could go and get the blood test at the hospital when that arrived but she couldn't guarantee that it would arrive until today. Well, it arrived the next day and I had the blood test that afternoon! The only hold up was the cardio nurses getting in touch with me as all of them are part time and then two of them on holiday so it took about 2 weeks for them to get in touch. Still very impressed though. My nurse works Tuesday and Wednesday and then another odd day during the week as needed so tomorrow morning I will call her to say the blood test has been done and she can get the results ready to start me on the new tablets - apparently the blood test will indicate whether or not I am OK to go on these tablets - must also ask her what they are. Didn't have a chance last Thursday as my head was in the car sheltering from the rain trying to hear her talking with the city noise behind and I could barely hear what she said anyway. Still going to go to the private appointment I have made with the EP on 28th June just so that I can talk about medication, and ablation. The best way here I think is to get the cv done and hope it is successful and get my knee done as planned. I am definitely going to push for an ablation and wonder can I have an ablation after the cv and while still in NSR? I can barely exercise now to get my quads in shape for the operation. Shame I hadn't had my knee done this time last year - but then had only just started exercising after the cv on the cardio rehab programme and couldn't do a lot then, which is probaby why my knee has got so much worse so quickly after the prostate cancer teatment gave me muscle wastage, then 6 months after that when I was getting back to exercising and doing really well I get AF and some of the beta blockers made me so ill breathless and tired exercising was so dificult. The cardio rehab programme was brilliant and gave me a way back into exercise I also got physio for my knee but there was not much they could do as it is in such a bad state now so have been doing a fair bit to try and get into shape for the operation so it is such a shame that as soon as I have organised it I go back into AF. Still, that's life! Onwards and Upwards.

Des

[Hidden]

All sounds very encouraging Des. Many of us are in sinus rhythm at the time of having an ablation, it’s not a problem because the EP is able to induce AF during the procedure. Good luck with all medical activities and please let us know how you get on......

[Desanthony in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for that. I wondered about this. Had I known I would have researched ablation last year while I was in NSR though getting fit and working on my leg muscles took centre stage then and I didn't visualise being back in AF.

[BobD Volunteer]

As I am sure you must have been told cardioversion is no cure for AF. The fact that it put you back into NSR for so long was a success and points the way to other treatment such as ablation . Even a few hours is a success for some people!

I agree that the nurses and EPs are fantastic and that our wonderful NHS really does look after people in need. I hope your knee op is a success too. I was offered one ten years ago but other health issues intruded and I put it off and now reluctant to go back to that route whilst I can still walk. Keep us posted.

[Desanthony in reply to BobD]

I think I bgan to feel complacent BobD and thought that as it lasted so long it would just last at least a little longer. Also no one had even mentioned ablation so I hadn't even thought of it and once cv was successful for so long just enjoyed myself! I had so many other things on my mind as at the same time we had moved into a brand new house which has only recently been finished totally and we have been living here for 2 years in September - and we were homeless for a while waiting for it to be habitable - even though when we viewed it all the walls and doors were up just no fixtures and fittings it just took longer to get all that done - I now will never trust a builder and his dates again! I am thankful to have been in NSR for nearly a year just wish I could have had my knee op in that time but like you had put it off for 2 years or more when I was really having problems and then the double whammy of Hormone Treatment for prostate cancer and then AF hit me so lost muscle and couldn't exercise to keep the muscles supporting my knee in good nick. So in a bad state now. Can walk but not far without pain and of course now getting breathless too so need to resistance exercises to keep my quads in good order. My advice would be to get your knee done while you are healthy enough to exercise prior and post operation and don't wait too long as you never know another health problem might crop up where you have to out the knee on the back burner again or may mean you are unable to exercise. Always easier to have an operation and recover from it when you are healthy and fit.

Our hospitals do not have an EP and I have had to go out of area and pay privately to see one at the end of June. I made that appointment about a month ago so he must be really busy as the first private appointment was end of June! I imagine he is probably the only EP in the whole of South and West Wales. At leasr having moved "further up the line" I now only live an hour from the Hospital where he works and not 3 hours but cannot access him on the NHS as can't go out of area in Wales if I can have an ablation in the local hospital with a cardiologist rather than an EP then they won't let you go out of area. Devolution is to blame but thankfully I can afford to pay to at least consult privately with him. Until we moved here I was even considering paying privately for the cv but the little hospital here saw me quite quickly considering I had waited nearly 14 months to see a cardiologist at our old place as there wasn't a cardiologist at the hospital. As you can imagine I am very happy to go to the little local hospital here as they have been so very good.

All the very best with your knee. I am going to have to tell them I am back in AF and hope they will still do it. Cardio Nurse says they will but must make things more difficult - especially after care, physio and exercise.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Desanthony]

Funnily enough I put my knee behind Prostate cancer as i didbn't feel like wsting NHS money on it if I wasn't going to survive. Had radical prostatectomy, three years Zoladex (hormone pellets) and 33 sessions of radiotherapy and PSA undectable since 2011.

[Desanthony in reply to BobD]

Wow! That is good to know BobD. So glad your operation, HT and RT was so successful. I had a short course of HT - prostap 3 injections and then radiotherapy it is 3 years this month since I was diagnosed with PCa and it will be 3 years at the end of next January since the completion of my radiotherapy. So far, so good, and PSA undetectable. I will be 76 in October but have been fit and healthy all my life as I was Physical Training Instructor in the Royal Air Force for 37 years and a Parachute Jumping Instructor for 29 of those years so am still managing to go to the gym 4 or more times a week. I do miss walking though as we used to go for such long walks. Living where we live we have some fantastic scenery - not such a good NHS system in general but a there you are it does have its benefits living out here.

Take good care Bob and all the best with your knee, Af and continued success against PCa

Des

[Gowers in reply to Desanthony]

Out of interest what part if Wales are you? I have family in Swansea & it seems cardio in local hospital is excellent.

There have been 2 people on here quite recently asking about private hospitals in Wales but I think??? Only Carmarthen & Cardiff have private hospitals - would you know please?

Sounds like you have had excellent care.

[Desanthony in reply to Gowers]

Swansea has a private hospital too called the Sancta Maria Hospital. There are two private hospitals in Cardiff I know of the Spire Hospital and the Vale Hospital. In Carmarthen there is Bancyfelin. I live only 11 miles from the nearest hospital in Swansea but because I actually live in a different health area cannot go there unless the treatment I require is unavailable in the whole of my health area - which means I could travel over an hour in the opposite direction on worse roads to get treatment in my area even though it could be available just 11 miles up the M4! The nearest EP is in Cardiff. Though the cardio at Llanelli is fantastic there is no EP in the whole of my health area. The worst thing is that because there was no cardio at all at my local hospital when I was first diagnosed I wasn't referred to the next hospital - up the line where the cardio dept was brilliant. Thankfully, I have no moved nearer a really good cardio unit still no EP's all plumbers and no electricians!

[Gowers in reply to Desanthony]

That's interesting.

I knew about the Sancta Maria but I think they only do minor op's.

Good to hear you are nearer a good cardio unit, it will give you peace of mind that you are not far from good medical care.

[Desanthony in reply to Gowers]

Both my wife and I have had ops there. I have also had my hip replacement at Spire Cardiff. The local hospital here - which is under threat of closure has a great cardio unit but no EP.