Two weeks ago yesterday, I had my cardiac catheter ablation. Yes, it is just as awful as it sounds. Ha! Seriously, it really was not so bad and....a necessary evil to get where i want. I am currently taking 6 pills a day to keep my heartbeat in check thanks to my atrial fibrillation and that is not where I want to be. The side effects from my current medication - tiredness, lightheaded, dizzy, headaches, fluid retention, severe lack of focus and energy - so you get it, feeling like crud in general on the regular. I am a barrel of laughs most days let me tell you.
So - in theory - the ablation cauterizes the heart tissue that is causing my heart to misfire and if all goes as planned i will be weaned off my meds here over the next few months. I am hope hope hoping like crazy that is what the outcome is.
I decided to not tell many people about it - mainly as i did not want to concern my parents unnecessarily. One of the weird things about my current condition is that the rest of me is completely healthy (thank god). All my blood work has been near perfect. No blockages or heart issues. Cholesterol is perfect. Blood pressure is always spot on. But....still have that irregular heartbeat. They are not sure what is causing it. So after much consideration - and deciding I absolutely did NOT want to take medication the rest of my life to sorta kinda control my heartbeat - I decided to move forward with the ablation.... mind you this was after lots of research, questions, running all this by my physician friend, and talks with Chad. I can now say 2 weeks out that I am glad I did it and I am really trying to not wish away the next 2.5 months!
After an ablation it takes a few months to verify that it actually worked. I am wearing a heart rate monitor now (and for the next 27 days) that has electrodes hooked up to me, with a monitor and a cell phone that records my heartbeat. So far... this has been the worst part! I hate having all these wires under my clothes and the cell phone will randomly beep. The electrodes are the worst.... i have four attached to me - two of which go right under my bra underwire - and holy hell is that uncomfortable. Very frustrating and is putting me in a generally grump ass mood. Thank goodness my husband and my coworkers have a good sense of humor and can deal with me bitching and complaining most days about my current situation. But... I also know this is temporary and a necessary means to and end so...that helps. Big picture this is small potatoes.
I have noticed that the past 2 days I have been pretty exhausted. I wake up tired and feeling like I could sleep 8 more hours. Maybe I am not sleeping well with this damn HR monitor on? Or maybe now that my heart is working properly these meds are really effecting me? I don't know. I also was in Dallas for a few days last week for business and it was a pretty busy trip so - could just be exhausted from that still. Hoping I can really get some quality sleep this weekend and - looking forward to 4th of July long weekend.
One funny thing that has happened - yesterday I had to leave work a little early as this was my first day at work wearing the HR monitor and I realize it is about to die and I left the charger at home. Frick - not good. So I leave work to head home, zipping down the highway on my merrily way home, my mind a million miles away....until....blue lights behind me! I pull my car over while cursing at the time of my lungs.....
Officer: "M'am, I pulled you over going in 78 in a 60mph zone...any reason you were driving so fast?"
Me: .... I just looked at him, pulling my shirt slightly down so he could see my wires and electrodes with flashing lights, bells and whistles and explain "Sir, I am headed home as my HR monitor is about to die and I need to charge it before---"
Officer: he puts his hands up and says "M'am....as far as excuses go, that is a pretty damn good one. Please slow down and get home safe. I don't need to delay you any further"
Moral of the story.... I'm keeping this damn HR monitor in my car for driving purposes after these 30 days are up! No more speeding tickets for this girl ;) I am hoping the next 27 days fly by and i get good news at my next dr apt... as in YES I can start decreasing the meds. Please think of me and send healing vibes my way - much needed and much appreciated!
