I was only meant to go for a consultation but things turned and a heart ablation was on the cards.
My heart went out of rhythm 5 times this year. The first one was on 6 January 2020.
I don’t smoke, not overweight, do not misuse alcohol, and don’t have high blood pressure.
But I was born with Tetralogy of Fallot(TOF). And I have had a long heart journey.
I’ve had 4 cardioversions this year.
All of them were for atrial fibrillation (AFIB)and I felt blessed that my heart cardioverted after the joules were administered.
Some of my cardiologist’s comments.
“Every time I cardiovert you I’m surprised to see that your heart goes back into normal sinus rhythm” Well this year it stayed in rhythm for only a few months at a time and then went back into AFIB. …
The best chance you have to beat the afib dragon is……
Know as much as you can about it and then act on it.
We understand that our body is a system and everything is connected, maybe more than we think, THEREFORE!
Can you afford to ignore diet tips to prevent afib?
This post will concentrate on diet tips to prevent afib, with the understanding that your doctor, cardiologist, healthcare worker, and healthy lifestyle must always be the center of your management of atrial fibrillation and most of all. …
This was not my first AFIB episode or cardioversion.
Many people have asked me how I know if my heart is out of rhythm. In my case, I feel it. In many of my previous episodes, I even know the precise moment it goes out.
In nearly all the cases I hope and pray that it’s Ectopic beats(I have written about them previously) but this year I’ve had 4 AFIB “attacks”. I call them attacks others call it an episode. Well, they attack me. My life changes immediately after I feel that beat go out.
I start thinking about my work, cycling, time in the hospital, “farm” work, church meetings, my wife, my life, children, and mother. …
The “benign” condition that causes so much anxiety.
I have had a few ectopic heartbeats in my time and it can be very scary!
It’s the beat then the pause and then the HARD beat. Some of you know exactly what I mean. That forceful beat brings a lot of relief after that PAUSE!!
Here’s the deal.
You will agree with me that any “EXTRA” heartbeat that you can physically feel in your body or neck can upset you.
Here is some of the stuff that I have learned about this -“extra”- ectopic heartbeat thing.
Ectopic means “wrong place” as stated in Ectopic Heart Beats AF Association Australia Patient Information. There is something like an ectopic pregnancy or ectopic eruption (a tooth on the wrong path -basically) So an ectopic heartbeat is a heartbeat that is too early, it’s at the wrong place of the heart rhythm. …
Here are a few pointers to get your life back.
You would agree with me that feeling your heart going crazy in your chest, fast/slow then a “stop” and sometimes hard beats scares the life out of you! You start to think about……. the big D? Death yes. Same with this corona, with every news update it feels like it’s getting closer.
Many of us are experiencing trauma. Trauma is “a deeply distressing or disturbing experience”
But the flip side is life! If it does not kill you it makes you stronger(hopefully). Afib, TOF, and Corona can be a blessing.
So what can you do with this new friend called AFIB or Corona? I believe it can inspire you to be more, do more, and hope for more. Can AFIB or a CHD(congenital heart disease) give you a bigger better life? …
Is atrial fibrillation harmless? Can it cause a stroke?
STROKE
HEART FAILURE
CHRONIC FATIGUE
ADDITIONAL HEART RHYTHM PROBLEMS
INCONSISTENT BLOOD SUPPLY
But the main and most serious problem is the risk of stroke.
In short, a stroke is a brain attack and happens when the blood supply to a part of your brain is cut off, according to STROKE.ORG.
This can happen if you have afib because the upper chambers of your heart (atria) do not contract properly, they only quiver. …
Manage your anxiety attacks without medication. Take control!
I was born with a CHD called Tetralogy of Fallot, operated on at 5 years old, parents divorced at about 10 years old, and diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation at 23. Anxiety and panic invaded my life.
Feeling how your heart races too over 200 beats per minute while you just sit messes with your head! You feel life going out of you, it sucks!
I went to a psychologist and psychiatrist. …
My practical and free heart rhythm management tool.
This is not something out there, airy-fairy, it is my way of dealing with 49 years of heart disease, arrhythmia, and ectopic heartbeats.
I think you’ll agree with me when I say that dealing with AFIB or any palpitations is actually a type of heart arrhythmia management. People that have had some experience with AFIB know that the end of it is not always the end of it. The promise of a cardioversion or even an ablation may not be the final word on your arrhythmia.
That is why journaling may be one of the best ways of heart arrhythmia management for you. And the best part? you can start it here and now! …
I’m not anti-coffee, just looking for healthy alternatives. The best tea?
I drink coffee every day and love it in the mornings. I like the smell the taste the feeling. It’s just that I have to check my caffeine intake due to my atrial fibrillation.
My family has used Rooibos tea for ages. I grew up with it. I never knew how healthy it actually was until I did some research. So in my quest to find a healthy alternative for coffee, I re-discovered Rooibos tea.
Rooibos tea is a natural angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. This helps regulate blood pressure and as a bonus also boost heart health according to this study. …
Some fear flying others' needles. Whatever, it does not have to define you.
There is good fear and bad fear.
Good fear keeps you off the train tracks. Bad fear keeps you from asking for a raise. Fight bad fear with all you have otherwise it will keep you locked in.
One thing with fear is that if you start conquering it little by little it does seem not that intimidating anymore. You start believing you can overcome much more than you thought you could. Maybe fear does not really go away it’s just that you get the confidence to do things that you usually were afraid of. Some little bit of fear is a good thing. …
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