Several thoughts, monigue (?) (Is it 'Monique?'):
You're not too old for catheter ablation. My father had a TAVR a year ago, at 93+.

Yes, AF is a progressive disorder. Medications work, sometimes well, for years, then the heart slowly wins. Catheter ablation has about the same track record, but you only need anti-coagulants after a successful ablation..no metoprolol/bisoprolol/flecainide/sotolol/amiodarone/diltiazem/propafenone/etc.

Maintaining high (enough) levels of potassium and magnesium helps. Coconut water, beets, nuts, Kiwi....for potassium. Nuts, green leafy vegetables, or take magnesium taurate, malate, or citrate, at least 200 mg/day. One person I know of controls his AF using only these methods, but he also minimizes calcium consumption, chiefly via dairy products. When he forgets, he has to PIP with flecainide soon after.

Why the bisoprolol in addition to the PIP Flecainide? Because bisoprolol is a RATE control, not a RHYTHM control. Flecainide can get your heart back into, or maintain, the correct sinus rhythm, but it can't control your heart's speed when you are in AF. Bisoprolol and metoprolol control how quickly your heart beats in arrhythmia, except I think it only has modest success that way.

A pacemaker can speed up the heart rate, but it can't slow it down. At least, that's the way it used to be...maybe the modern ones are more controlling. But if you go into bradycardia (45-50 is generally not so low, but below 45 is getting potentially problematic for some to retain BP) due to rate control medications like bisoprolol, you should reduce the dose of that compound, but not without doctor's orders. Or find another drug. It's your physician's responsibility to monitor you that way.

When your heart begins to beat chaotically and uncontrollably, it is time for a pacemaker. When all other methods fail, and your heart rate can't be safely brought down to 100 or lower, the only other option I'm aware of is to have your SA node destroyed, also by catheter ablation, and then a pacemaker is installed and it takes over.

Again, paroxysmal AF will almost always progress to persistent, and finally to permanent, AF. The saying in the field of heart electrics is that 'AF begets AF.' So, you want to be out of AF as much, and for as long, as possible. The drugs, magnesium, low stress, good diet, good sleep....they'll help, maybe for a long time. Eventually, for all but a very few, we'll need surgery of one kind or another.