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@gloaming I guess I'm in the same boat as you in regards to sitting for a fairly long period of time probably too much, as I have a "side gig" as I call it, ( retirement being my main gig) as an editor for a medical ( not physicians, but nurses, lab and other health care providers) continuing education company, and other computer activities. I do get up and move around regularly though, exercise and try to maintain a healthy life style and diet.
I also regard the Eliquis as insurance, considering the risk factors I have for stroke, and not just from A-fib or those other pesky arrhythmias that pop up uninvited. I also have a fairly strong family history of stroke, and have seen more than one relative incapacitated and dependent on others following a stroke, or two, and I don't want to live that way.
My A-fib is paroxysmal, with a less than 1% burden, and my cardiologist knows exactly when and how long these episodes last as they show up on my pacemaker reports, but he's been insistent that I remain on the Eliquis, considering that I don't feel all the A-fib episodes, they can last anywhere from a minute or two to several hours, and I never know when they will occur. He also points out those other risk factors. At this point I can't argue with him. I'll be 79 in a couple months, and have a CHADs2Vasc score of 4, with a couple other comorbidities ( that are well managed at this point- thankfully NOT diabetic) so I have to regard the Eliquis as a small price to pay to mitigate my risk for stroke.
I'm also very fortunate that having a private ( not Medicare) drug care plan I can use the manufacturer's coupon to pay for the Eliquis at $30 for a 3 month supply. And I have no side effects I know of from this medication.
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@marybird So very glad to see your sober-thinking post. As we age, we seem to put more and more wishful thinking, dreaming, behind us. We have learned that our time and energy, not to mention our considerable life's learning, is best placed in front of intractable and recurrent problems that threaten our peace and longevity. As I have said in front of friends and family, I, a life-long competitive runner and Type A, with modest levels of achievement as an adult, went from a smug mature male to a pill-popping and rather chastened and frightened, wide-eyed older guy inside of a few minutes on an ER table with 12 leads running away from my torso and legs. It wasn't a kick in the teeth, but it was a stinging rebuke for losing self-awareness to the point where my sleep apnea, diagnosed as severe, squared me away...pronto. Like you, I now accept my mortality, and my energy goes toward making myself available to my ailing wife for as long as I can be of use to her, and for her sake. Our kids want their mom to be a grandma for a while longer, one of them with a brand new toddler girl at the ripe age of 45. And grandma wants to be around, and wants ME to be around. So, I have to adopt a realistic and mature approach to living. If the pills help me, I'll darned well take 'em. 😀