I got to the hospital yesterday to find I'd left it too late to have a Cardio Version to return my heart to it's normal Sinus Rhythm. The standard international cutoff time is now 48 hours plus I needed to be on a special blood thinning medication to eliminate the possibility of any blood clot moving and causing a stroke or worse after the event.A Cardio Version is an electrically induced 'shock' that is applied to the heart to restart it in the normal Sinus Rhythm. A simple procedure but like most medical situations, it does carry elements of risk. The risks yesterday were deemed too high by the medical team.
I now have to wait while some new blood thinning drugs kick in so the medical procedure can proceed at some future time.
Some Facts About Atrial Fibrillation.
It's commonly called AF.
It's the most common type of arrhythmia and an arrhythmia is a problem with the rate or rhythm of a person's heartbeat.
AF occurs when rapid disorganised electrical signals causes the heart's two upper chambers called 'atria' to contract very quickly and irregularly.
AF increases the risk of stroke or heart failure.
Here's to living in the now...
We all only live in the now. Try sticking your finger in the electrical socket. (grin)
ReplyDeleteIsn't beer a blood thinner?
ReplyDeletePeople don't really realise how crippling AF can be. I have paroxismal AF and it can be no fun. Mine isn't too bad, at the moment. On some occasions it happens, I dont' always notice it. Other time though, I feel really weak and the only thing I can do it try to sleep it off. I have a friend who is quite crippled by it, he ended up having to retire. Recenty the doctors stopped the high dose of flecanaide he was on because it was poisoning him. So he is in AF most of the time, with no medication except blood thinning drugs. I pray mine does not get to that state.
ReplyDeleteIn our Rig , each morning we say to each other - " it's another good day - we both have woken up " - thats our version of "living in the now".
ReplyDelete