Have been told to rest for a couple of days and then gently get back into doing everything as normal. It was interesting that my AF nurse said to drink plenty of fluids to keep my BP up. Also that INR can drop after a cardioversion, so I'm getting it checked this Friday as I'm away next week. She said I should be ok to lift my heavy suitcase into the boot of my car Sunday morning, something I'd been worrying about, but I still may ask a neighbour to do that for me.
Thank you for all your lovely messages.
Jean xxx
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I know that it doesn’t matter how many cardioversions you have each one is faced with trepidation. I also know it is such a wonderful feeling to be back in NSR after having a cardioversion.
Don’t need to tell you to take it careful for a few days and despite what the nurse said get someone else to lift your case into your car and another to lift it out.
Good to hear it went well, you must have felt almost immediate relief. (I can't remember if you have had it done before?) Yes, I think it would be a good idea to get help with the suitcase
I saw my Cardiologist late one afternoon. He looked tired. He told me that he had done 6 cardiovertions that day. There's obviously potential for a production line there!
My AF started on 1st August. I left doing anything about it for a few weeks in the hope that it would revert naturally. It didn't, so I rang my AF nurses and was given an appointment to see them for the 30th August. Once there I had an ECG which showed AF, unfortunately the head cardiac consultant was on holiday so I had to wait another week for him to return and agree to my having a cardioversion.
As I'm on warfarin, the nurses want 4 separate weekly checks to show a recorded INR odf between 2-3. This rules out the chance of any blood clots having formed around the heart, then they proceed. So all in all from seeing the AF nurses for the first time on 30th August to having my cardioversion on 8th October it was just over 5 weeks.
You must have felt dreadful at that rate! I was in a similar situation once with my heart rate 120-140 and could barely walk anywhere while I waited for a cardioversion. Some people appear to go straight to hospital and have one immediately.
Yes I have been in and out in 5 hours before. I have a note on my file saying that if I present at hospital in AF and I am anticoagulated then they should cardiovert me. I believe it is all down to communication and the influence of your EP.
Thankfully as you know I have not had to play that card for more than 2 years now, long may it last.
I'm always doing that! I think I rang my AF nurse and left a message about the date for my cardioversion being fine, but afterwards felt sure I'd said ablation!
Wow hope mine lasts a long time like yours! I'm afraid to exert myself now for fear of setting AF off again. I think pulling up brambles and then fast swimming set mine off this last time. Do you find you can do strenuous things now without it having an effect on your heart?
Seem to be able to do everything I want to do although at 68 I don't want to do anything too athletic, just gardening and walking etc. Wasn't given any instructions after the cardioversion so just carried on like normal. Had had masses of stress with a very sick daughter which I think brought my AF on. She's good now. Enjoy your fun in the sun.
Yippee is a very accurate way to describe the feeling of elation and relief when you go from locked in afib back into normal sinus rhythm! I’m very happy for you! Enjoy your NSR every minute of every day!👍
Time to put your feet up & watch some Game of Thrones so you know what they are going on about in Croatia 🤔 Mind you, I’ve never seen it as my daughter warned me off saying it would be too racy.......on second thoughts maybe not such a good idea for you 😀
Brilliant news, so pleased for you. Do get help with your suitcase each time it needs lifting - it’s not worth risking. Have a wonderful time. Tricia xx
Hi again, that's good news but try to get someone to help when you are the other end - put your arm in a sling, ha ha!!! Thanks for asking, I'm feeling fine but still waiting for the result of an echocardiogram I had taken way back in July. I'm a bit concerned because one I had taken in February showed that my leaky valve had got worse, but that was taken after I'd been in AF for 2 weeks so I'm hoping it was the stress of that causing the leak to get worse. So scary because if that has to be dealt with it means open heart surgery. I've been put on Sotalol, which I'm not confident is the right meds for me and I'm not sure if it is that, or the leaky valve (or whatever) but I get breathless quite easily these days. Health-wise I wish I hadn't moved to Wales, the NHS here is very hit and miss and the big downside is that, unlike England, you can't choose where you are treated and I've been forced to go privately a few times - so expensive once you start having procedures such as the echocardiogram. Hopefully I'll get things sorted before too long, I'd just like to feel confident in my EP/Cardiologist and at the moment I don't - he may be very good but I can't talk to him, if you know what I mean and I've not experienced that before. Anyway, have a great holiday. I went to South Africa for 3 weeks in August, it was wonderful but will have to save my pennies now before I can even afford a weekend in Bognor!!!!! Tricia xx
Great to hear all your news Tricia. It's odd isn't it how some consultants aren't really people/patient friendly. Some appear to still have the old style outlook that patients don't need to know any details about their condition. They tend to make you feel a nuisance, or perhaps a hypochondriac if you dare ask too many questions!
What heart valve of yours is leaky? I was told my mitral one was years ago, but not bad enough to need anything doing. If I had to have open heart surgery I think I'd need to be sedated from the moment they told me it was necessary. I really hope you don't need to have anything done. Lets hope that your leakage was temporarily caused by the bout of AF you had at the time.
How lovely for you to have visited South Africa, do you have family there? My granddaughter is also going touring there for 3 weeks over her Christmas break from Uni. It will be the first Christmas she hasn't spent with us and I'm just dreading my daughter saying we'll go out for Christmas lunch. For me nothing beats a home cooked one and I think that's what Christmas is all about - the smell of turkey roasting etc.
I too had a successful cardioversion 6mths ago. I am still in NSR, and I give thanks to the medical team everyday.
I would just like to share one thought with you. “What can I do to maintain NSR, and prevent a reversion?” For me it was to give up alcohol (the probable cause in my case), and reduce my body weight to below 25 BMI.
Footnote, giving up the booze completely has been surprisingly easy, keeping my weight down, is a struggle.
I sometimes find that I get a high energy day, do too much and then AF strikes. So never over exert yourself. Stick to a mostly plant based diet, avoid alcohol, drink plenty of water and avoid anything that contains artificial additives. Some people say that sugar can kick off AF.
Interesting. I used to get AF when similarly overexerting, but since my cardioversion + beta blocker, I haven't suffered in that way. It's great not to be breathless going up stairs.
Very happy to hear that you are feeling better and long may it last. But do take it easy for a while and don’t be tempted to do heavy housework. Enjoy your stay away from home and relax - you deserve it!
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Successful Cardioversion yesterday :)
Successful cardioversion 
Cardioversion Sat.A fib today.
First cardioversion successful!
