Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group

@gloaming This is a wonderful explanation/reassurance for a person newly-diagnosed with a-fib. I have had this condition for 30 years + with several ablations and the whole menu of medications, plus a Maze procedure. I am still here, still treating the condition as it changes over time.
@munchkinsmum I will tell you a true story of the day I had my first a-fib episode at age 35. I ended up the hospital, and although my rhythm had corrected itself I was still disoriented and scared. The cardiologist on call came into my hospital room and took my by the hand. I will never forget this. He said, "Look at me." I looked him in the face, and he said, "You are going to die....(and here he inserted a comically long pause)...OF SOMETHING ELSE." I gasped, then laughed. He knew he needed to get my attention, and he had it! And the message is absolutely true. Yes, I will eventually die, but not from a-fib! He became my cardiologist for two decades. And his message has kept me from being desolate and afraid many, many times over the years when my arrhythmias acted up and I didn't feel good. Learn about treatments, trust your doctors, get support, and move on with life. 😉

@jenrev
That’s a funny story. 😂

@californiazebra Yes, and it's the same with prostate cancer. The patient is highly more likely to die in a road accident, falling down stairs, or from a bad case of food poisoning than they are to die from prostate cancer. AF is the same. It's hellish for some, quite tolerable for others, and some don't find out they have AF until someone with training looks at them wide-eyed and asks, 'Do you have AF? You're fibrillating right now.' Who knew!?

Once again, though, the sober reality is that uncontrolled/unmanaged AF will cause degradation in heart structure and in heart function over many months or a few years. So, unless someone just doesn't care, it's best dealt with sooner rather than later because the success rates of the various 'remedies' (there is no 'cure' for AF, just palliative management, and this includes ablations) falls as the complexity and advancement of the disorder progresses.

@gloaming
Hoping to get an ablation soon. Despite the fact that I’ve had at least 150 long afib episodes in the past 5 years, my second opinion EP says if he can find a safe path to my heart (rare venous anomaly) there is a 90% chance he can stop my vagal and PV afib in one ablation. Let’s hope there is a safe path and one and done plays out. I’m one of those very symptomatic people with a multitude of afib triggers.

The first EP told me 2-3 ablations and maybe that will do it, but it will keep coming back and you’ll need more ablations in a couple years. Who would sign up for that (especially since I have trouble with anesthesia)? And he had no plans to do any mapping despite me showing him an MRI report indicating I have a rare venous anomaly as an incidental finding. Definitely get a second opinion.

As for afib not being deadly, that always feels a little misleading to me. If afib can cause a stroke and a stroke can kill you then in my book afib can kill you. If someone fell off a cliff and died, you wouldn’t say the fall didn’t kill her, it was the landing that killed her. You get my point. If a=b and b=c then a=c. Maybe it’s more accurate to say you likely won’t die from managed afib but you very likely could die as a result of unmanaged afib.

In any case, I do think we’re lucky to have solutions. I do agree on treating it. When I had that last TIA with aphasia (could only speak and text gibberish and was alone at night) that was pretty scary and when it started I assumed it was a major stroke starting and this was either curtains or disability. Luckily it stopped in a few minutes but it had some lingering effects. It did light a fire under me to deal with the afib though so something good csme out if it! Best of luck to all! ❤️

Gloaming, as a followup to my last post, let me add how much I do appreciate all the valuable information you’ve provided to all of us over time. It’s a huge time investment to provide detailed responses to posts out here so thank you. Best wishes for your good health and your wife’s that you mentioned in another post. Zebra

HI, everyone in the Group! I am Kamlesh ,73 years Male from India. I was first diagnosed Sick Sinus Syndrome way back in July 1983 and since than on Medtronic Single chamber Pacemaker. In between I had 5 Redo and, abandoned during 2005 Redo. My 2nd Lead was found raptured after 2022 Redo and battery otherwise projected to last till 2029 is draining. My other parameters and health normal.

I ams scheduled for2nd Lead Extraction which is challenging as dwelling over 22 years. Any exp ,suggestion,welcome