Yeb,
You say you have chronic Afib. Is that how the doctor described it? There are actually three types of Afib: Paroxysmal which occurs off and on, Persistent which lasts longer than seven days, and Permanent which needs to last longer than a year. So, if you are newly diagnosed you should be able to get help managing it. I, too, was in persistent Afib when diagnosed. Afib with RVR was my diagnosis. My heart rate was high. Since I see a cardiologist in the HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy) Clinic at the Mayo Clinic, I contacted him and he wanted me to see an EP at their heart rhythm clinic. Of course that took a while to get in. So to make a long story short, I spent last summer on sever rate control drugs which didn't work. Saw the EP in July and we decided to try medication befor ablation. So, in September I spent three days in hospital to load with antiarrhythmic drug Dofetilide (Tikosyn). Neede a cardioversion to regain sinus rhythm. It has now been almost a year and except for one short breakthrough I have been Afib free. I am 80 years old and very active and feel great on this drug. If it fails, I will then probably have an ablation. There is definitely treatment if you haven't been in Afib for years. Find a good electric physiologist and travel if you need to. It is important to treat it as soon as possible. I can't say enough good about Mayo, but if you are closer to another large center, get a second opion there. Good luck and keep us posted.