After all the research I did, reading everything I could find on alternatives for any type of proceedure to stop/cure my Afib. This moster showed up about 2x a week and wreak havoc on my body from 4-26 hours each time. I have read here that there is no cure for Afib, just treatments. That just saddened me tremendously. Why treat the symptoms and not find and cure the cause. No cause has been found, I get that, but it just dosent sit right with me. I just dont know...
Well, I made a decision. First, the medications that had been prescribed by my doctors over the last 4 years did work for me, or the side effects were horrid with no QOL. So none of those for me! I recently started on blood thinners which I have stopped. Dont panic, just read on.
Next recomendation was Yoga, I havent done it yet, but its on the list.... lol,
Diet modification was the easy part, since I dont eat junk food and the breads and pasta, maybe 1x a week . I increased my fish intake from 1 or 2x a week, to 4x a week.
Then the next recommendation was the Chinese Medicine thats been around for 3,000 years. I, with help, very carefully chose the ones that would keep my heart rate in normal rhythm , another would be to assist in detoxing my liver. I also developed RA, the year before the Afib monster became a problem. There is a very close connection to RA and Afib so I added an herbs for that also.
Next was acupuncture. I dont like needles and the thought of having them stuck in me was terrifing. But I found, by recomendation of friends, an excellent guy that runs a non-profit acupuncture practice for over 30 years of training, certification, and he is good. He went over my medical crap with me and said lets get started. He also made suggestion of a multi-herbs that would address my health issues including the difficulty breathing from the Afib and the high risk of stroke.
Well, its been 8 days! I dont know which one, or if all of them in concert worked, BUT.... I havent felt this good in years. Not only have I not had ANY afib, but most noticable is that my breathing is not labored. 8 days ago, walking up the stairs to bed was dreaded. I had to stop half way to not just catch my breath, but to keep my heart from banging through my chest. Once I did reach the top of the stairs, I would just fall on my bed trying to breath and hope the heart racing would soon stop. For the last 2 days, I run upstairs, YES I SAID RUN. Several times a day I can run upstairs racing our border collie up the stairs. My goal is to one day reach the top before she does. I no longer get out of breath, or feel my heart pounding. I have more energy than I can recall having in many years past. All this happened in a week!
So, I continue to have my herb teas 3x a day, take the other prescribed herb pill mixture, and have acupuncture. I walk and run without fear of afib, ride my bike and swim all without releasing the afib monster that took over my body and had crushed my spirit.
I have not discussed any of this with my heart doc yet. I am scheduled for a cryo-ablation Aug. 20 but I beleive I will cancel this. Im hopeful and so relieved. There are no side effect from the herbs, and there are not chemicals in my body that dont belong there.
We are leaving on a cruise to the Baltic's in 2 days, and I will leave behind the fears and bring this new found energy with me. My husband, a general surgeon, has really struggled with my decision to stop all traditional medications. Our opposing conversations over this matter as you can imagine, have been difficult to say the least. However, He too sees such improvements in me and yet remains skeptical. I would like to think at some time he would go from skeptical to hopeful.
Well its time for me to take our dog out for her morning run, and then pack for the trip. I will try to keep updating through out the next few weeks.
Mini-Maze Discussion
Cardioversion or Ablation? Or Neither?
RF ablation or Cryo ablation? 
Post ablation update 
Post ablation update.
