The monster has struck!

[Samazeuilh2]

Good news this morning -I was told that I might be discharged tomorrow. All my monitors were removed in the morning including the temporary pacemaker and ECG. I went for a couple of walks on the ward which went quite well. I checked my pulse rate manually afterwards and all was steady at about 70bpm. In the afternoon I had two tuna sandwiches and a yogurt and noticed a faster heartbeat (about 90) very soon after. This was a light meal. It was clearly irregular soon after-in other words AF, soon rising to 115bpm. Again this was confirmed manually and on the Kardia. I called the nurse who is generally excellent and he said that it *wasn’t* AF but significantly didn’t take an ECG or attach me to the continuous ECG monitor to try to verify this. Later he said “well, we know you have AF, but not so often, is that correct? He then returned still later (perhaps consulting someone?) adding that I had been given a water tablet and this might have caused loss of electrolytes. I was given more potassium and sodium to try to rebalance them. I have continued to pass water frequently. No doctor has been sent for. This glass awakened a great fear of 4 years since I was diagnosed with PAF- that the condition will become permanent. I know many here are ok with permanent AF but I am not, and have been plunged into despondency. I was told that my post-bypass temporary pacemaker showed that “the underlying rhythm was sinus” which lead me to believe I was not going to get permanent AF. But now I fear they don’t see the AF as a concern and will discharge anyway. It’s an uncomfortable AF with the heart thumping away heavily.

[irene75359]

Try not to worry about it too much; your body has just come through a major trauma with open-heart surgery and is protesting. Hopefully everything will calm down. I am guessing that the hospital has taken away all your medication but a few days down the line you should be safe to go back on whatever worked for you before. Worry really won't help, so concentrate on keeping calm and not anticipating the worst. You are no longer living with the sword of Damocles over your head that you were prior to your op, that is a lot to be thankful for!

[Shorty55]

food triggers me even after my ablation. Tuna fish is one - it causes lots of gas for me(burping), bbq, or eating red meat later in evening If I don’t give it time to digest🙄, stress and too much alcohol also trigger my AFIB