This should be the story of my Atrial Tachycardia ablation last Thursday but knowing me it might fly off at a tangent from time to time.
Took the train to London Wednesday evening and cab across to Fulham where I had booked Travel Lodge. Had a few hours kip and taxi booked for 6.45 to take me to RBHT where I arrived at 7 am. Down into basement to day care unit? No phone signal so had to walk up stairs to ring Sam and assure her I was OK. Previously I had on rising showered with Hibiscrub as instructed . After booking in I was taken into another area where my groins were shaved and I was given a gown to put on. NB they never shave enough. Lower body and feet not undressed and eventually had to walk to lift and up to fifth floor to cath lab department. Sitting on chair in corridor I had long chat with anaesthetist and others and suddenly a choir of angels began and I hear my voice called "Bob, good to see you again" and Dr Jonathan Clague (JC) walks across to shake my hand. "Going to sort you out once and for all today " he assures me and is gone.
I am shown into the lab and various canulas are installed along with some very cold pads stuck on my back,. It is during this period that I gleaned the knowledge I imparted before. My right hand canula is connected to bag stand and I lay down. The anaesthetist is chatting to me and asks me where I want to dream about while they are working on me and then I am in recovery. Lying B--s---d never sent me to Monza.
I thought he might have actually as most of the chaps in recovery were Italian. lol 😁 Jonathan pops in and with great glee tells me he found and ablated four tachyardias.
Usual grogginess and euphoria of waking up ensued and after about an hour they rang the ward to come and collect me. Fransisco--"Sorry Bob. Nobody want you. Beds not ready" Ok I'm fine here and the company is good. Bang oops I've gone into tachycardia and occasional AF. Discussion ensues and I suggest if all else fails amiodarone drip. They try valsala with me blowing into a syringe . They try carrotic artery massage and even pressing on my eye balls (didn't know about either of those) but eventually hook me up to the dreaded A while they go to talk to JC who is working on another patient. They came back and changed the A to Flecainide and after about half an hour I reverted to NSR . Now some of you may know but I am not without some knowledge so none of the above phased me in any way but i have to say that the staff were brilliant and I doubt I would have been too worried even if I hadn't known what to expect. One of the nurses who was free at the time even ofered to phone Sam which took one of my worries away. Three hours later and I'm still in recovery wating for a bed so I borrow Fransco's phone to call Sam. (By this time we are old mates and I have established my position as capo di capi.)
Eventually a little after 5 15 a nurse arrives from the ward to collect me and off I go . I forgot to mention the cups of water and straw (my drinks bottle is in my bag) and the cup of tea Fransisco brought me and of course as soon as I get to the ward I am brought a chicken sandwich and a carton of blackcurrant juice. Big mistake! Suddenly I feel bloated and nauseous even before eating the chicken. Panic. Look around. Plastic bag with shoes. Shoes go across the ward and I just manage to get my head in the bag in time. I am not the quietest of people at these times and soon a nurse appears with paper mache bowl. Not needed thanks All better. Where is that chicken sandwich? Almost inmediatedly the auras started and continue although now much reduced.
Bad night with noise in ward and then it is breakfast, porridge and toast and jam .
Get up and shower as expect to go home. Usual routine, Echocaradiogram. ecg, bloods BP and temp and I lay reading until doctors arrives. Apparently they see some conduction anomalies and do not wan't me to go home. In fact they want me to stay in over the weekend and have a pacemaker next week. Mood descends to darkness and I phone Sam who is just approaching Reading on M4. Go home I'm not coming out. (it took her 10 hours from home to home due to it being grockle season) My kidneys have woken up by this time and I am getting plenty of exercise walking to the loo. Late afternoon and I have finished the one book I took. I am becoming very low. Estimated height of building but decide not enough sheets. Then as I am on one return journey JC calls me and he had popped in to remind me he had found four tachycardias. Obviously very pleased. I explain what they had said and he scoffed and rushed off to look at the data . "No I'm happy with that. You had a shed load of flecainide and that will do it. Best stay here tonight and you can go home in the morning."
Next morning Sam itching to get on the road but I insist she wait till duty doctor has released me. Just as well. Eventually we have the same conversation but I inist that JC had approved my release so they agree to e mail him and be guided by his reply to which I also agree. Around 4pm I am told JC has overuled and I can go.
Now 4 pm on a Saturday is not a good time to even look at M5 motorway. It is a carpark for at least forty miles with all the home going grockles crashing their caravans. So I negotiate staying in my bed one last night so long as my release papers are signed and ready for me. I was up at 6, showered and dressed as Sam hit the road but managed to wait for my breakfast (scrambled eggs on toast with porridge and tea) before legging it down to reception where I bumped into a patient I had been chatting to the previous evening who was waiting for the paper shop to open (it never did). Sam arived about 9. 30 and we were home about 2 15 .
Flecainide.
Funny stuff and I was never on it for long in my early days and only as a PIP. I have been told that people have hallucinations with it so here is my experience. Apparently it can prolong the QRS complex by affecting the AV node and the delay between the top and bottom parts of the heart was what was seen on the traces. I did not experience hallucinations but did notice a strange thing. Normally when I close my eyes all I see is dark red. This time a whole new world opened. I could see intricate moving patterns, crystal clear images and swirling mathmatical formulae and hieroglyphics , fields of flowers growing before my eyes. Open them and it was gone but close again and it started. Hells bells have I gone back in time to the sixties? It made going to sleep a real problem as I was more alert with my eyes closed.
Its all gone now thanks goodness and I feel better by the day although still heeding me own advice. That's a first as well.
B
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An interesting read, good job you know a consultant who could sort things out especially as regards PM not being neccessary. Glad you made a hasty exit on Sunday and are back taking it slowly ( for a while).
Yes, I hear you. On Sept 5 I’m going in for the long avoided and dreaded knee replacement surgery. My biggest fear is that all the drama might stir up my hibernating a fib. It has been 16 mo since the beast has growled. Prayers for your recovery BobD💜
Wow Bob what a story, pleased all is well and wish you a speedy recovery. Oh for the joys of neverneeding hospitals but if and when we do good to know you have found a particularly good one. Take care and get back to full af free strength very soon. Rest away. X
I think you are trying to go for my record of number of ablations.
I am very proud of you doing all this to further educate us your forum pals.
As you know I take Flecainide daily and also sometimes need it as PIP. They often gave me Flecainide intravenously but I had none of the side effects you describe. Maybe it was because your body had not experienced its effects before.
Good job they stopped IV Ameodarone.
I jested the other day about the escape committee but it was beginning to become a necessity for you.
Glad that for the time being they ate not giving you a pacemaker I hope that as you gradually return to normal (whatever that may be) the need declines and your conductivity improves. As you know I resisted it and for the time being no foreign bodies are to be found under Pete’s skin.
Take care Bob and be extra careful watching any motor sport.
Pete
Been trying to talk myself into an ablation, but pass!
When in hospital last December, Flecainide made my heart signals look like I was going into Cardiac Arrest whenever I stood up, the crash team were with me in less than 2 minutes, it must of looked hilarious when the Docs/Medics were putting the electrodes on my chest to Zap me and I was taking them off just as quick saying I was alright and it would return to "normal" Aflutter soon - happy days!
All looks promising for you. Don't forget to read the leaflet LOL!!
I kept waiting for the gore but pleased for you there wasn't any 😊 I don't know why I have this picture of Gulliver tied down with lots of tiny ropes......it'll soon be over and I hope never again 💜
A good read and when you used the word grockle made me smile my parents lived in Devon and used that word all the time so thank you Bob as I was not having a good day and the smile and the memories really helped
In my part of the world grockle means nothing (I think) to my parents who when still with us living in Devon it was the tourist especially the ones who didn’t know where they were going as far as my lovely dad was concerned I can hear him moaning while driving his car 😂
Grockle (Groc-ul) -derogatory name for non local and seasonal visitors to West Country. Also used in other parts of the UK by ex West Countrymen.
This is a migratory species.
Favourite haunts are the M5 especially south of Bristol the A361 North Devon Link Road and any single track lane leading to a beach. They are also renowned for crashing into each other due to inexperience of such lanes.
Plumage includes inapropriate shorts, wet suits and surf boards. The males of the species tend to go red whenever rain is not around.
Excellent post. I had the same discharge dilemma with ward staff v consultant after my boob job aka lumpectomy. Consultant won. Pleased the weirdies are subsiding for you.
So glad you got home okay without having to have a pm fitted, Bob! Thanks for the posts, really interesting and informative, worth the AFA using them as handouts lol. Seriously though, wishing you a full recovery from all you've been through and hope you don't get too bored while you're convalescing. Atb, Kate
Well what a time you had, so pleased to hear you are now home and taking your own advice!!!!! How lucky to have a consultant with the initials JC. all the best Bob and listen to your own advice. X
I think that the most important info from your post is not to panic, stay in charge of your own care and if you think something is wrong to question it. Your Consultant and you were on the same page, the medical staff that suggested a pacemaker wasn't even reading the same book!
How important to stay in control of your own care. The Consultant and you were on the same page. The medical staff that suggested the pacemaker wasn't even reading the same book.
It's good to hear that all is well. A wonderful post for people new to ablation type procedures. You have calmed many minds with your forthrightness and humor . Stay well. Pam
A grand account of your Great Escape! They are a fantastic team at RBH ,I am ever grateful that JC was the Cardiologist my beloved was referred to in ‘98. We have over the ensuing years developed a his his & hers relationship ,as I ended up as a patient a year later. JC has looked after Jon , ex mountaineer with a very odd cardiac profile SO well. I was a very nervous candidate for EP studies& ablatation last year, ( I only discovered this site as I was lying there post - op) the Italians were fantastic& I remember Francisco looking after me very well. What a nightmare for your poor Sam with the driving though! Glad that you are on the mend , always grateful for the info here .
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