Posted on 11/06/2022 12:46:05 PM PST by Hot Tabasco
Not looking for medical advice, just a support group from fellow members who may be undergoing the same medical issues.
Got what I thought was the flu. It progressed over time to what I thought was double pneumonia. Couldn't lie flat to sleep - had to be elevated.
Finally went to the ER. They hooked me up to an EKG and immediately called a "Code Blue".
Ejection Fraction was at 17%. Heart couldn't keep body from water retention. My internal organs were almost shut down - estimated two days from death.
Five days in the hospital - and only an extremely powerful drug (with side affects of stroke and/or blindness) was the only thing that could knock my heart back into normal sinus.
Went from no prescription drugs to lots.
Fast forward...
3 months of cardio rehab. Went from barely walking on a treadmill to jogging almost 3 miles on it. EF was measured after that to be at 55% (normal).
They told me I would be on prescription drugs for the rest of my life. Didn't want that.
Had an ablation procedure with a 3% risk of not going well. They accidentally punched a hole in my heart, filling the pericardium up with about 1 cup of blood. Oops. They fixed it and inserted a drain.
Kept exercising and building up my endurance.
Today I'm free of all prescription drugs. Take a baby aspirin three times a week.
If I can do it, so can you.
Best
He is on heart meds and his condition is slowly improving, up 7% in efficiency over the past 4 weeks. The docs will take the vest off of him when the numbers stabilize at 35%.
Suffered from AFIB for 10+ years, had multiple hospitalizations with drugs and/or shock treatments for cardiac conversion. In 2006 it was suggested that I consider ablation. The first procedure helped but I still had occasional AFIB. After another hospitalization I had a second ablation procedure. I have now been AFIB free for 12+ years without having to take any drugs. While it worked for me, there are some trade offs that affect mainly strenuous activity when you would want your heart rate to be elevated. That said, I am generally well pleased with my results.
I had a bad episode of Afib 2 years ago. Woke up one morning and was so dizzy I couldn’t couldn’t get out of bed without help. Took me to the hospital in an ambulance and they told me I was having Afib. It resolved itself in the ER. To my knowledge that is the only time I’ve ever had it. It left me with some dizziness and balance issues but physical therapy helps. I am on Eliquis and baby aspirin to prevent clotting in case another episode occurs. I keep a close watch on my blood pressure and use a Kardia monitor check for Afib whenever I feel “off”. Best wishes for a full recovery.
bttt
A fib can be treated with meds to slow the heart like Beta blockers and Calcium channel blockers. In the cath lab they can do an ablation to cut the electrical pathways in the left atrium which can be the problem. They will want you on some anticoagulant to keep slow moving blood from forming clots.
Look into the Watchman device in the left atrial appendage as a more permanent clot prevention therapy.
My problem was a bad valve, and my EF was down to 15% 5 1/2 years ago. I had it replaced surgically, and my EF is now up to 30%. Still working and living life, but I have slowed down. Thank heaven for good health insurance and short and long term disability policies. I took 6 months to recover.
Take a look at Strophanthus as a remedy. I think this is a metabolic problem. Change your diet to a proper human diet.
Check out Dr Tom Cowan, https://drtomcowan.com/pages/strophanthus ,
and Dr Ken Berry on YouTube.
Underwent a Heart Cath. and all arteries and veins were 100% clear.......Which was a good thing.
The vest will only activate a shock in the case that I go into afib and pass out............Instructions will be broadcast from monitoring device to call 911.....amazing technology
Told me the same, only 36%.....Don't know what follows until I meet with cardiologist in the next two weeks.........Thanks
I suspected I had AFIB, but when doctors examined me they all said I was fine.
I had to get a new cardiologist, because mine retired. The new guy is from India. When I talked to him about AFIB, he said it doesn’t look likely, but he put me on a mobile monitor to track me.
The next day I had the symptoms and the cardiologist immediately called me. He asked how far I was from my pharmacy. I told him I was in my car maybe 1,000 feet from the pharmacy. He told me to go to the drive through and they would have a prescription ready for me. I was to take the prescription and wait at the pharmacy until he told me I was OK to leave.
I’ve been on the medication ever since and I bought a watch that can detect AFIB. I’ve not had any serious issues since starting the medication. But he said it was severe AFIB.
I have had AFIB since 1998.It came and went for a few years, so in 2007 I had a catheter ablation....piece of cake.. It seemed to stop the AFIB for a few years, but now it is back and it is serious. Because with low blood pressure (sometimes as low as 61/42) walking 25 feet requires sitting down immediatelyto keep from passing out. I have a pacemaker and am on blood thinner plus Amiodorone. They are recommending another Ablation and that sounds ok with me. I am 87. If I don’t make it that is ok as long as THE BIG RED WAVE TSUNAMI comes through on Nov. 8th.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
When it happened to me 20 years ago my cardiologist said that about 30% who went back into normal sinus rhythm stayed there. I was not one of those unfortunately.
The upside is I will probably drop dead someday instead of taking a long time to die of cancer or dementia. Works for me.
I have been recently diagnosed with this and feel pretty much the same way. I drink lots of purified water, which is God’s natural blood thinner, and take high quality fish oil, and natural nitros oxide like beet powder, verses the pharmakea junk they wanted to put me on. Staying active, not overdoing it. Don’t lift any heavy weights, do more cardio activity. Mostly Mediterranean diet.
I sinply don’t trust the medical industrial complex anymore, so am definitely not interested in giving them any money. I’m much happier for it, no matter long much longer I live. Thank you for sharing your own story which made me feel better about my own situation. God Bless.
You won’t need it while you wear a vest, but some wear devices like the Garmin Vivosmart or the Fitbit charge to monitor their heart rate. Not sure whether they will detect random fibrillations, but if you go into atrial flutter it will read as a high rate.
Devices like the EMAY Portable EKG Monitor ($99 at Amazon) will let you look at the waveform if you are feeling unwell.
I belueve its called the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association
Ask about a cardiac ablation for AFIB
I have a 49 year old male coworker who may have gone into AFIB twice or had a stroke? They made him wear a monitor for 4 weeks and didn’t have a second episode until a few days after his monitor was removed.
Cardiologist and neurologist visits are underway and they are trying to figure out what the hell is wrong. He is not overweight in the least. He and I have worked closely for 21 years and he is otherwise healthy… though his father was the first male to live past 65/70.
He has been vaccinated (don’t recall if it was the one or two jab) but has not had any boosters.
Side note: have an extremely health and trim 30 year old female coworker who is getting over her first bout of COVID. Heard her tell another coworker that this was a wake up call for her to get her second booster 🙄
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