We interrupt this series on running-as-therapy for some 'other' health news...
I have now had two AFib recurrences since being hospitalized in November and having a cardioversion done to shock my heart back into rhythm. The first was just before New Years and the second was this past Sunday night through yesterday morning. The former lasted from mid-afternoon until the next morning after showering. The one yesterday lasted an additional day and... I'm not really sure what caused my heart to reset. I'd tried all the "tricks" (coughing, bearing down, holding my nose while trying to breathe, cold water on the face, shower) and nothing worked. But as I was carrying my bowl of oatmeal to the table and sat down at the computer, I noticed I suddenly felt a lot better (I'd been feeling really tired and just 'not right' and actually skipped my workout yesterday). I checked my heart rate and it was steady again and back to normal. Weird. It's been fine ever since (so instead of a run I almost immediately got on the Assault bike and worked up a 30-minute sweat).
I guess I haven't had this condition long enough to understand that one or two days in AFib is apparently not that big of a deal (as long as I'm on a blood thinner and feeling relatively okay). Apparently some people have an erratic and high heart rate for months, years, or even all the time. It still freaks me out quite a bit, but I suppose I will get used to it eventually.
Ironically, I had my first scheduled post-hospitalization follow-up with the electrophysiologist doctors yesterday. I asked Jane to accompany me in case they asked any difficult questions or there was anything I needed to remember. I'm glad I did.
We met with a super nice NP and he spent almost an hour talking with us about AFib, its causes, treatments, and whatnot. He said my case is fairly minor at this point and my age plus the fact I am in excellent physical health means I am only at a "1" on the stroke chart (or something like that). This all means I am a "good candidate" for an ablation and that is their recommendation (instead of continued treatment with medication). So... I am being scheduled for a catheter ablation where they stick a tube up a blood vessel in my leg and burn parts of my heart! It will likely be in a couple months or so.
Actually, it was a really good doctor visit. The NP was super down-to-earth and we both really liked him. He listened to us, talked to us like normal people, and I swear he would have went out for supper with us if we'd asked him (Jane also liked his Australian accent). He was very reassuring and helped ease our concerns about how to live with this for the time being. I think we were both hoping for an ablation too, so I can maybe get off some of the meds eventually and hopefully not be as tired as I have been lately.
For now, I guess I just keep doing what I've been doing: No drinking, drugs, or smoking (I stopped drinking entirely mid-November and the others long before that), eat a heart-healthy diet, and continue exercising. I'm not sure whether to stick with the marathon training because the ablation will likely happen sometime between now and then and I'll need to take some time off. We'll see. Otherwise I feel a lot better about things. So, I'm just waiting to hear from the doctors office (who are likely waiting to hear from the insurance company). Not much else for me to do...
Maybe the hardest thing has been getting used to the fact I have so little control over this. I can't fix it or make it go away on my own. In some ways, though, learning to accept that is kind of freeing. Life goes on (or not) and there's really no point worrying about it. And there ya go. :)
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