talk about discouraging...

[Guest guest]

As many know I'm in a clinical trial for a cryocor ablation, but I drew the

" medicine " card and have to be medicated until March 12th, and THEN have three

MORE events before I can cross over and have the procedure.

For some reason in August, my Tikosyn just stopped working well.. I had an

event on Aug 24, then another on Oct 1, and Oct 11. I basically cut down

drastically on all the no-nos that had never caused me problems in the first

place.. chocolate, wine.. made sure I was hydrated, taking life easy, getting

plenty of sleep, anti-stress techniques... etc...

had another event on Dec 18 right before people arrived for my christmas

party.. cut down even more on " bad things " (refined sugar) and upped my veggie

intake.. had ANOTHER event last Sunday, sitting in the movies eating carrots...

I am being very good about what I am putting into my body... last night I gave a

talk to a garden club... easy .. not much setup... drank water, ate raw

cauliflower (a bit).. came home, brushed my teeth, and bamo... afib AGAIN...

I popped an extra 50 atenelol and a .25 digoxin just for so... slept poorley

and woke up still in afib... so now I'm off to the hospital AGAIN.. the burn

from the zap last Sunday is hardly gone!

I am so discouraged, and it's hard for me to be discouraged... I had nothing

for 15 months and now I've had 6 episodes in little more than 4 months... March

seems so far away...

thanks for listening.. I know my situation is a piece of cake compared to

others, but it's still a bummer...

Stef

[Guest guest]

Stef, very sorry to hear about your disappointment. Trying t figure

out what triggers it makes you crazy doesn't it? I know just how you

feel. Chin up girl!

Sue

>

> As many know I'm in a clinical trial for a cryocor ablation, but I

drew the " medicine " card and have to be medicated until March 12th,

and THEN have three MORE events before I can cross over and have the

procedure.

>

> For some reason in August, my Tikosyn just stopped working

well.. I had an event on Aug 24, then another on Oct 1, and Oct 11.

I basically cut down drastically on all the no-nos that had never

caused me problems in the first place.. chocolate, wine.. made sure

I was hydrated, taking life easy, getting plenty of sleep, anti-

stress techniques... etc...

>

> had another event on Dec 18 right before people arrived for my

christmas party.. cut down even more on " bad things " (refined sugar)

and upped my veggie intake.. had ANOTHER event last Sunday, sitting

in the movies eating carrots... I am being very good about what I

am putting into my body... last night I gave a talk to a garden

club... easy .. not much setup... drank water, ate raw cauliflower

(a bit).. came home, brushed my teeth, and bamo... afib AGAIN...

>

> I popped an extra 50 atenelol and a .25 digoxin just for so...

slept poorley and woke up still in afib... so now I'm off to the

hospital AGAIN.. the burn from the zap last Sunday is hardly gone!

>

> I am so discouraged, and it's hard for me to be discouraged... I

had nothing for 15 months and now I've had 6 episodes in little more

than 4 months... March seems so far away...

>

> thanks for listening.. I know my situation is a piece of cake

compared to others, but it's still a bummer...

>

> Stef

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Stef,

I feel your pain too...literally. I was just cardioverted the other week and as

of last night while sleeping in my hotel room following an exhausting 16 hr

trip, I was awoken by the all to familiar AFIB. I am still in it now hours

later, but will not be returning home for a couple weeks because of business. I

am hoping that Tikosyn will convert me, but not yet.

I have never been converted other than by my cardio. I am on comuadin and assume

that the risk of clots is protected? Should I wait to return or seek treatment

here in a strange place?

I still have my burns from the last conversion...

Good luck and hope you can last until March this time!!!

Bob

susan andrews somniacismyname@...> wrote: Stef, very sorry to hear

about your disappointment. Trying t figure

out what triggers it makes you crazy doesn't it? I know just how you

feel. Chin up girl!

Sue

>

> As many know I'm in a clinical trial for a cryocor ablation, but I

drew the " medicine " card and have to be medicated until March 12th,

and THEN have three MORE events before I can cross over and have the

procedure.

>

> For some reason in August, my Tikosyn just stopped working

well.. I had an event on Aug 24, then another on Oct 1, and Oct 11.

I basically cut down drastically on all the no-nos that had never

caused me problems in the first place.. chocolate, wine.. made sure

I was hydrated, taking life easy, getting plenty of sleep, anti-

stress techniques... etc...

>

> had another event on Dec 18 right before people arrived for my

christmas party.. cut down even more on " bad things " (refined sugar)

and upped my veggie intake.. had ANOTHER event last Sunday, sitting

in the movies eating carrots... I am being very good about what I

am putting into my body... last night I gave a talk to a garden

club... easy .. not much setup... drank water, ate raw cauliflower

(a bit).. came home, brushed my teeth, and bamo... afib AGAIN...

>

> I popped an extra 50 atenelol and a .25 digoxin just for so...

slept poorley and woke up still in afib... so now I'm off to the

hospital AGAIN.. the burn from the zap last Sunday is hardly gone!

>

> I am so discouraged, and it's hard for me to be discouraged... I

had nothing for 15 months and now I've had 6 episodes in little more

than 4 months... March seems so far away...

>

> thanks for listening.. I know my situation is a piece of cake

compared to others, but it's still a bummer...

>

> Stef

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Bob - have you ever converted out of an afib event on your own before? If the

answer is yes, and your afib is not currently intolerable AND you are theraputic

on your coumadin, then the choice is really yours. If you have never converted

on your own before, then this time is unfortunately not likely to be any

different.. especially with the added stress of being on travel for several

weeks and not home relaxing...

If it were me, and I knew I was not going to convert, and I knew I was in for

weeks of stress, I personally would go to the nearest ER, explain my situation,

and ask for the cardioversion. Actually it wouldn't be any choice for me.. I'm

so symptomatic - even after taking extra drugs to slow things down - that I'd

either have to get converted, or go home.. it was all I could do this morning to

blow dry my hair before going to the ER... I am that wiped out in afib.

I got cardioverted at the beach this summer and it was a piece of cake..

actually much easier than dealing with my local ER. I walked in, gave my

history, told them how long I'd been in afib, and asked for the cardioversion.

From walking in to walking out in NSR was about 2.5 hours.. that's it! I

also sought care down in the islands in 2004.. went into afib on a dive trip..

they couldn't cardiovert me, but they put me on digoxin, which helped me be able

to almost enjoy the rest of the vacation.. I converted with an increase in my

Tikosyn from 500 per day to 750 per day.

You can always call your cardiologist office back home and get their

recommendation on what to do.. they might adjust your medication, they might

give you a perscription for something else that might help convert you (like

cardizem, or atenelol), or they might be able to coordinate treatment at the

local ER.

Good luck with whatever you decide, though... you really do have options and

they do depend on how you feel and function in afib. Don't be afraid of seeking

help locally, though.. most US hospitals are pretty ok for this type of thing,

and remember.. you CAN always walk out of an ER or refuse whatever they have

suggested... we forget this but we are in charge of our own health and bodies..

Stef

p.s. you WILL want to get your INR levels checked - probably weekly - if you

remain in afib... that you'll have to do locally, sounds like... important to

remain theraputic if you're in afib.

Deyermond rdeyermond@...> wrote:

Stef,

I feel your pain too...literally. I was just cardioverted the other week and as

of last night while sleeping in my hotel room following an exhausting 16 hr

trip, I was awoken by the all to familiar AFIB. I am still in it now hours

later, but will not be returning home for a couple weeks because of business. I

am hoping that Tikosyn will convert me, but not yet.

I have never been converted other than by my cardio. I am on comuadin and assume

that the risk of clots is protected? Should I wait to return or seek treatment

here in a strange place?

I still have my burns from the last conversion...

Good luck and hope you can last until March this time!!!

Bob

susan andrews somniacismyname@...> wrote: Stef, very sorry to hear

about your disappointment. Trying t figure

out what triggers it makes you crazy doesn't it? I know just how you

feel. Chin up girl!

Sue

>

> As many know I'm in a clinical trial for a cryocor ablation, but I

drew the " medicine " card and have to be medicated until March 12th,

and THEN have three MORE events before I can cross over and have the

procedure.

>

> For some reason in August, my Tikosyn just stopped working

well.. I had an event on Aug 24, then another on Oct 1, and Oct 11.

I basically cut down drastically on all the no-nos that had never

caused me problems in the first place.. chocolate, wine.. made sure

I was hydrated, taking life easy, getting plenty of sleep, anti-

stress techniques... etc...

>

> had another event on Dec 18 right before people arrived for my

christmas party.. cut down even more on " bad things " (refined sugar)

and upped my veggie intake.. had ANOTHER event last Sunday, sitting

in the movies eating carrots... I am being very good about what I

am putting into my body... last night I gave a talk to a garden

club... easy .. not much setup... drank water, ate raw cauliflower

(a bit).. came home, brushed my teeth, and bamo... afib AGAIN...

>

> I popped an extra 50 atenelol and a .25 digoxin just for so...

slept poorley and woke up still in afib... so now I'm off to the

hospital AGAIN.. the burn from the zap last Sunday is hardly gone!

>

> I am so discouraged, and it's hard for me to be discouraged... I

had nothing for 15 months and now I've had 6 episodes in little more

than 4 months... March seems so far away...

>

> thanks for listening.. I know my situation is a piece of cake

compared to others, but it's still a bummer...

>

> Stef

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Sue .. last night really was my fault.. one of my very early KNOWN

triggers was drinking cold water standing up.. I think the esophogus is

stretched thin against the heart wall. I have not had this trigger afib in a

bazillion years, so I guess I got sloppy, and last night I gulped a big glass of

cold water when brushing my teeth... I realized it the instant it started, but

just couldn't get out of it. So a big " DUH " for me and hopefully lesson

learned!

other than this, my triggers are quite random and unknown.. reading in bed?

eating carrots at the movies? watering in the greenhouse? the list of unknowns

is much longer than the " knowns " ....

thanks for your kind words though.. I'm already itching from the paddle burns,

but in NSR since about 2pm. I'm a little paranoid now, of course... they're

coming faster than they ever have in the past.

Stef

susan andrews somniacismyname@...> wrote:

Stef, very sorry to hear about your disappointment. Trying t figure

out what triggers it makes you crazy doesn't it? I know just how you

feel. Chin up girl!

Sue

>

> As many know I'm in a clinical trial for a cryocor ablation, but I

drew the " medicine " card and have to be medicated until March 12th,

and THEN have three MORE events before I can cross over and have the

procedure.

>

> For some reason in August, my Tikosyn just stopped working

well.. I had an event on Aug 24, then another on Oct 1, and Oct 11.

I basically cut down drastically on all the no-nos that had never

caused me problems in the first place.. chocolate, wine.. made sure

I was hydrated, taking life easy, getting plenty of sleep, anti-

stress techniques... etc...

>

> had another event on Dec 18 right before people arrived for my

christmas party.. cut down even more on " bad things " (refined sugar)

and upped my veggie intake.. had ANOTHER event last Sunday, sitting

in the movies eating carrots... I am being very good about what I

am putting into my body... last night I gave a talk to a garden

club... easy .. not much setup... drank water, ate raw cauliflower

(a bit).. came home, brushed my teeth, and bamo... afib AGAIN...

>

> I popped an extra 50 atenelol and a .25 digoxin just for so...

slept poorley and woke up still in afib... so now I'm off to the

hospital AGAIN.. the burn from the zap last Sunday is hardly gone!

>

> I am so discouraged, and it's hard for me to be discouraged... I

had nothing for 15 months and now I've had 6 episodes in little more

than 4 months... March seems so far away...

>

> thanks for listening.. I know my situation is a piece of cake

compared to others, but it's still a bummer...

>

> Stef

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Yeh. I had it bad last night most of the night and only came out of

it when I got up this a.m. by which time I was totally knackered.

May have been treading on the cracks in the ****** pavement but more

likely the choc I treated myself to. So " Duh " over here too!

Sue

> >

> > As many know I'm in a clinical trial for a cryocor ablation, but

I

> drew the " medicine " card and have to be medicated until March

12th,

> and THEN have three MORE events before I can cross over and have

the

> procedure.

> >

> > For some reason in August, my Tikosyn just stopped working

> well.. I had an event on Aug 24, then another on Oct 1, and Oct

11.

> I basically cut down drastically on all the no-nos that had never

> caused me problems in the first place.. chocolate, wine.. made

sure

> I was hydrated, taking life easy, getting plenty of sleep, anti-

> stress techniques... etc...

> >

> > had another event on Dec 18 right before people arrived for my

> christmas party.. cut down even more on " bad things " (refined

sugar)

> and upped my veggie intake.. had ANOTHER event last Sunday,

sitting

> in the movies eating carrots... I am being very good about what I

> am putting into my body... last night I gave a talk to a garden

> club... easy .. not much setup... drank water, ate raw cauliflower

> (a bit).. came home, brushed my teeth, and bamo... afib AGAIN...

> >

> > I popped an extra 50 atenelol and a .25 digoxin just for so...

> slept poorley and woke up still in afib... so now I'm off to the

> hospital AGAIN.. the burn from the zap last Sunday is hardly gone!

> >

> > I am so discouraged, and it's hard for me to be discouraged...

I

> had nothing for 15 months and now I've had 6 episodes in little

more

> than 4 months... March seems so far away...

> >

> > thanks for listening.. I know my situation is a piece of cake

> compared to others, but it's still a bummer...

> >

> > Stef

> >

> >

> >