update on ablation . Long honest post warning!

[dedeottie]

Hi All,

The Good News:

I had my procedure to map out where the rogue impulses were coming from which turned out to be just about everywhere except the pulmonary veins which had been successfully ablated by cryo ablation 2 months ago . My EP said the pulmonary veins were not joining the party … 😀

He then set about mapping the other areas and zapping them. I didn’t have any sedation or pain relief until he was zapping a particularly difficult area. This he said was so that the drugs didn’t affect my heart rate. He made it clear that if this didn’t work the next stage would be pace and ablate. I was terrified but faced with his honest telling of the situation I decided I would have to use meditation techniques that I have been practicing for ever but never used in a difficult situation. I can’t actually believe how well that worked! I kept myself calm and could feel my shaking body relaxing. I was glad I had been aware of what a complex and demanding procedure it was and I was humbled by my EPs desire to make this work for me. Afterwards he declared that as far as he is concerned it had been a total success on the day and is hoping I will feel like a new woman 😝 I am in a normal rhythm 24 hours later but have a realistic outlook on this so won’t count my chickens yet.

The not so good news:

As some will be aware I had a previous ablation with a rare complication before and this time I had a different one! when the procedure was over I started to slur my words and the upshot was that I had a small embolic stroke and spent the night in hospital . This is one of the complications on the consent form of course.

I am home now mostly recovered but with some still lasting articulation problems. Doctors confirmed the likely cause was the procedure but said it was a very small stroke and they are not concerned.

My EP and arrhythmia nurse have been really good . Obviously very concerned about me. Everyone in hospital fantastic. By 11 0. Clock this morning I had seen a physio an occupational therapist a speech therapist a pharmacist and 2 doctors. Had s cT scan last night and saw stroke team. Amazing.

Conclusion:

Some might think me crazy but if my heart continues to behave I think it may have still been worth it.

However, I reckon it is worth actually reading the consent form so you know what you signing.

Fingers crossed now. X

[Jalia]

Oh my goodness! You have certainly had an awful time, especially considering the complications from your previous ablation.I admire your attitude and stoicism, not to say courage ! I wish you all the luck in the world for a complete recovery.

I dont think I'll push my luck with further ablations !

[dedeottie in reply to Jalia]

That was definitely my last! X

[Hidden]

Not gonna say much cos you really do need to rest now but you know what we are hoping for 🤞👍👍🤞

[Kevinder23]

Hi wishing you a speedy recovery with no more complications. Hoping for a successful ablation for you too godwilling xxx .

[sassy59]

You’ve done incredibly well considering what you’ve been through. Wishing you all the best for the future.

[dedeottie]

Thanks everyone. I have everything crossed x

[meadfoot]

Its been a tough procedure not without its downside sadly but pleased you feel good and positive. Onwards and upwards. Best wishes.

[jeanjeannie50]

Wishing you a speedy recovery and sincerely hoping all will be well. I have a feeling that you've been cured of AF.

Jean Xxx

[4chickens]

Rest and get well soon. Your very brave and inspirational.

[mrgwair567]

You have been very brave ! I hope that all goes well for you and that you will make a full recovery!

Take care and please keep us posted! Xx

[iris1205]

Brilliant work on your part! Best wishes for total recovery!

[Frances123]

Thinking of you and wishing you well. You are a brave lady and thank you for your honesty. xxx

[Lilypocket]

Well done! I'm keeping everything crossed that you have knocked this on the head 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞xxx

[Gumbie_Cat]

All the best for a speedy recovery.

[Pita]

The art of meditation really works in a stressful situation (I use it quite often). Hoping you get stronger each day and the ablation really works this time and remember rest x

[fairyfeathers]

I wish you all the best with your recovery sending virtual hugs.

[Saltcoatslass04]

Wow !!!What a brave soul you are . I have everything crossed for you.

Take it easy .

[Singwell]

Gosh! You have been brave! And it's good for others to know this can happen. From what i know about the voice, your speech will most likely recover fully within months or even weeks. Our brains are amazing at creating new pathways for this. A neighbour of ours recently had quite a serious stroke and is back to singing beautifully and normal speaking. If you like singing along with something on the radio or similar, do that as part of your rehabilitation. Song is stored in a different part of our brain and you'll be getting those word pathways to reconnect.

[dedeottie in reply to Singwell]

Thanks for that information re singing. I do usually sing in a choir and now I will think of it as therapy as well as fun. X

[Singwell in reply to dedeottie]

Absolutely. It'll help rebuild those pathways and is more fun that speech therapy...

[Hammerboy]

Great news and nice to hear a positive outcome .Best of luck for an AF free future 🙂

[Ppiman]

You're a strong person. Well done. And well done, too, for the straightforwardness and clarity of your post.

Steve

[charley1953]

What an amazing and strong lady you are. With such a positive attitude, you deserve a good and healthy life ahead of you 🙂

[irene75359]

How frightening, but I am in awe of how positive you are, hope everything goes well for you now.

[wilsond]

Admiration for your postive attitude which Im sure will help.your recovery! It sounds as if that will be forthcoming soon,and that you are in good hands.I wish you all the best for the ablation results and your recovery.

Rest and recuperate xxx

[Adalaide2020]

What with all that went on...well done. Putting into place your meditation techniques, great job. Brave of you . Sounds like you had a brill team working on and for you. I wish you a speedy recovery and lasting wellbeing. Take care.

[belindalore]

Heal well. Your good attitude will help you.🙏

[DawnTX]

You are a trooper. I wish you continued success. I am sorry about what happened it scares me knowing that this can happen. Everything has possibilities now a matter how minor it appears to be. Look at all the side effects on medication. I am sending healing thoughts and prayers your way.🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻

[DawnTX]

I do understand what you are saying about worth it. Without a while working heart we have no quality of life to speak of. I will continue to do whatever needs to be done to get and keep mine quiet

[Auriculaire]

Wishing you a speedy recovery. Your courage and positive attitude are an inspiration.

[malaekahana]

How helpful of you to take the time to post this to let the others know the perspective from "the other side" of ablation. Re/ the stroke: Keep doing every thing your speech pathologist and therapist tell you to do without fail, working constantly, and I bet you will get back to 100%. When my partner had a stroke two years ago, he could not speak a word. But we worked hard and within a month he was back to 90%.

[dedeottie in reply to malaekahana]

Wow that is amazing to make such a good recovery. He must have been very determined and he will be my inspiration. Thank you. X

[dedeottie]

Thank you all for your lovey and genuinely helpful comments on my post. I think this may be the first time I have been called brave or inspirational let alone both together. I have had a very long and eventful AF journey but I think there are many on here who can say the same. If it hadn’t been for the people on this forum I’m not sure I would have been able to cope so if I have given something back that is wonderful. Many many thanks to you all and especially to Bob and some of the other long timers( you will know who you are) who picked me up when I was in pieces especially at the start. X

[Snowgirl65]

Wow! Your story gave me goosebumps with astonishment. Best wishes for a speedy recovery on all fronts.

[Keano99]

It sounds like your EP is doing his utmost for you, I’m sure this will be rewarding for you, best wishes……

[C66t]

You have a wonderful and courageous spirit. Best wishes with everything. Healing hugs 🥰🙏🙏🙏

[Dr-Gohan]

I admire your use of meditation in this situation, as your always going to improve outcomes by getting your minds fears reduced. A note about consent forms. They all say that should anything happen to cause you pain, side effects, or death you understand going on that it is your fault.

[dedeottie in reply to Dr-Gohan]

Yes that is a really good point to get across I think. It is always tempting to sign without reading but at least armed with knowledge ,you can make informed decisions about whether or not you want to take the risk. I had thought long and hard about this and decided to go ahead fully understanding what could happen.

Thank you and best wishes

Jane

[Nandini66]

OMG! Good news and bad news. So sorry you had to go through this. I had a minor complication from my ablation, a partial clot in the Greater Saphenous Vein in my thigh. It wasn't life threatening, but it was scary. The clot dissolved after 2 weeks. Going back on Eliquis helped, no doubt. I've had 3 episodes of tachycardia since the January 31 ablation. (While Atrial Flutter was suspected, my final diagnosis was AV Node Re-entrant Tachycardia.) Each episode resolved after several hours, and I returned to normal sinus rhythm. In October 2021 I was hospitalized for unremitting tachycardia and it took a cardioversion to get me back to normal sinus rhythm. I didn't panic in these recent episodes like I did before, thanks to now being part of Health Unlocked/British Forum and reading about participants' experiences. BUT: I will be wary of another ablation and hope I won't need one.Wishing you all the best for a speedy and complete recovery!