After being extremely nervous about the ablation I finally had it done and it really wasn't that big a deal. I was totally knocked out so do not remember anything and felt fine when I woke up. The next day I noticed my neck and chest/stomach area felt just a little sore, almost like I did too many sit-ups. Not very bad though. The worst was my throat - I had a small red spot in the back of my throat because they did a TOE first and it irritated my throat. Even that wasn't too bad it was only sore for 2 days and sometimes I had a slight cough. I've had way worse sore throats than that. I returned to work 5 days later and just felt a little more tired than usual. I have started exercising again. Walked one mile today and tomorrow will do some yoga. I don't plan to go back to the gym for at least one more week and will use lighter weights for a while. I am a firm believer in letting your body kind of tell you what to do. Now to the important part - I haven't had AFIB but it's only been 3 weeks and I sometimes could go 4-5 weeks without AFIB. And I am on Tikosyn now and Xarelto. I also have to take 3 different kinds of stomach pills to avoid irritation of the espohagus. However, I don't think I have any issues with that and I saw the cardiologist this week and he said I could stop one pill and just take the other 2 for one more week. I did go in last week for an EKG and it was "borderline" but not considered abnormal. My pulse is probably 15 beats higher per minute than it used to be but I have read that is normal and should settle down in a few months. I don't feel like it is beating faster at all. But the main thing is I have been feeling great and just have to be hopeful that it worked. Only time will tell. I am not seeing the electrophysiologist until 4/21 and hopefully if no AFIB still I would like to get off Tikosyn and the blood thinner asap. I unfortunately have an annoying rash on my back since November and was told by a dermatologist that it is a "drug eruption." So I am especially eager to get off all meds. I don't have any other medical diagnosis and only take meds related to AFIB.
So if someone is contemplating an ablation it is not as bad as you imagine. However, I could only speak for myself and since I am a 68 yr. old "lone AFIBBER" maybe for me the recovery was easier than for someone with other medical issues. But overall, at least in the US, you are knocked out and you wake up and you feel no pain. It's kind of amazing that a person could have catheters in their heart and tissues destroyed and then wake up and not feel any discomfort.
I'm on Diet ! I did my Cryoablation 3 months ago ! 
2.4% Burden 3 months post cryoablation...
Update—ablation 2 weeks ago
Status report -- 2 weeks post cryoablation
