No time to wait…

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of many living with #AFib, a common type of irregular heartbeat. He teamed up with BMS & Pfizer to encourage those with symptoms that could indicate AFib or another condition to speak with a healthcare professional. Learn more: NoTimeToWait.com

heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...

[malaekahana]

As a former basketball player, this man is one of my heroes. He has been a leader on and off the court, and it is no surprise he takes this route, too. I had no idea he suffered from the same affliction as I until I read your post. Thanks!

[john-boy-92]

A few years ago I featured in a short video about the consequences in my case, of not taking an anticoagulant when you have AF. The video was for clinicians in the UK and USA and funded by the manufacturers of Pradaxa. I recall that the video producer (a lovely guy) was later the FX producer for the film Bohemian Rhapsody. Trudie Lobban was going to see if it could be placed in the public domain. It's still on Vimeo in the producer's portfolio, but requires a password to view.

[TracyAdmin Partner in reply to john-boy-92]

Thank you for your post John, please contact our Patient Services Team at [e-mail], as we would really like to hear more about your story. We look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Kind regards

Tracy

[john-boy-92 in reply to TracyAdmin]

Hi Tracy, I will write something in the next week.

I had a history of running between 30 and 50 miles a week, plus cycling. I was prescribed dronedaone that precipitated pulmonary toxicity. That required being on a steriod for twelve months which gave me high blood pressure. That combined with AF were the probable cause of my stroke. As is fairly common with strokes, it affected the part of my brain dealing with vision. It also meant that I didn't have any FAST indicators, so the ambulance paramedics talked to me for an hour before realising that I'd had a stroke.

I'm honoured to be a lived experience participant in stroke and AF studies for Bristol, Liverpool, and Manchester Universities, as well as projects for the Stroke Association. One of my messages is that absence of FAST is not absence of a stroke. The second is that I had been a gym bunny and runner, but that didn't stop me having a stroke. Back in 2016 and for a few years, people who had strokes and were ambulant didn't warrant attention. In the past 18 months, the Stroke Association and the Universities have been brilliant in asking stroke survivors' opinion, and involving us in their projects.

[TracyAdmin Partner in reply to john-boy-92]

👏 thank you for sharing your journey with the Forum - I look forward to hearing all the details in the next coming week or so. Many thanks again for sharing.

[john-boy-92 in reply to john-boy-92]

This morning I was in an online AFFIRMO meeting chaired by Trudie, and I said that I would look for the contact details to pass to Trudie to try and get the video released to the general public.

[BobbyGee]

Interesting that such a fit-looking man could have Afib. I'm sure, however, that getting regular exercise, eating wisely and maintaining a healthy weight all help to manage the condition (along with the standard medications, of course). Thanks, Kareem and Katrina.

[TracyAdmin Partner in reply to BobbyGee]

Unfortunately, AF does not discriminate and can affect anyone of any gender at any age. Our Patient Services Team at the AF Association receive enquiries from many individuals who are often young and athletic, hence why we campaign the importance of getting to checking your pulse on a regular basis. The first early warning signs of an arrhythmia such as AF is an irregular or rapid pulse.

Know your pulse to know your heart rhythm - it could save your life!heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...