# My heart doctor wants to operate now.



## Happyflowerlady (Apr 10, 2014)

I went to the cardiologist today. My BP was 80/60, and my heart rate was 135.  He says my new meds aren't doing what they need to do. it is supposed to slow my heart rate down and help the a-fib; but now it is making the BP too low.  That is why I am so exhausted, and dizzy, especially after i take the heart meds.
So, he is sending me to another specialist, and look into what is called a catheter ablation.  Basically, they stop the electrical impulses that are supposed to control my heart (and are making it fibrillate all the time). 
The articles  I have read show about a 50% chance of success, and once it is done, cannot be reversed. It might also help the heart failure, if it stops the a-fib; so I would be able to breathe, and do more things if it works. 
It appears that they then have to put in a pacemaker to take over the regulation of the heartbeat, once they stop my natural (malfunctioning) regulator.

I am reading what I can find, pro and con; and once I go to the new heart doctor, he will assess the chances of it working in my condition, and tell me what all it entails.
It is pretty scary to me. 
Once it is done, I am stuck with the results, good or bad.
If I don't do it, then the heart failure just keeps wearing out my heart, until it eventually gives out completely.


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 10, 2014)

That is very scary Happyflowerlady, a 50% chance of success doesn't sound that great to me.  I haven't heard of this procedure before, I hope it works for you, let us know what the specialist has to say.  Sending love and prayers your way, will let you know if I come across any info that may be of help.  Hugs. :girl_hug:


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 10, 2014)

Are they talking about using this radio frequency method? http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1828541-overview


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## Happyflowerlady (Apr 11, 2014)

I think this is how they would do it, SeaBreeze. I have been reading more, so that when I get the appointment with the specialist; I will have a better understanding of what they tell me they want to do. Apparently, some procedures involve having a pacemaker afterwards, but it looks like some of them don't.  I have had the a-fib for quite a few years (think it started from a serious vehicle accident) and it said the success rate is less when a person has had a-fib for a longer time.


HappyFlowerLady


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## happycanuk (Apr 11, 2014)

Hi Happyflowerlady.  I am heading for a Catheter Ablation and it is scheduled for 03 June.  Not looking forward to it, but the afib has gotten out of control and the meds don't help.  There are pros and cons to everything, so I am willing to let them do this procedure.  If the heart starts to beat to slow, after then do it, they will insert a pacemaker.  The hospital sent me a couple of booklets on the procedure and what to expect.  I woke up at 5:00 a.m. with a bout of afib to start the day.

Good luck with your decision.


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## That Guy (Apr 11, 2014)

I'm so sorry you are dealing with this HFL!  Can only send you my sincere hopeful thoughts.


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## d0ug (Apr 11, 2014)

A-fib is a back problem the signals that come from the brain to the heart are being disrupted. There is nothing wrong with the heart but doctors see the money in drug than killing you and bringing you back to life thinking that they will reboot the heart and when that fails they go in and kill the nerves in the heart and put in a past maker. All this and there is nothing wrong with the heart. If you have a-fib you are probably ½ or more inches shorter than when you were younger. That means that the spine/discs are compressed and when this happens the nerves that leave the spine to go to the different organs get molested. If you remember hitting your funny bone how your hand felt. That is an indication of what happens when the nerves in the spine get molested.


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## Happyflowerlady (Apr 11, 2014)

d0ug said:


> A-fib is a back problem the signals that come from the brain to the heart are being disrupted. There is nothing wrong with the heart but doctors see the money in drug than killing you and bringing you back to life thinking that they will reboot the heart and when that fails they go in and kill the nerves in the heart and put in a past maker. All this and there is nothing wrong with the heart. If you have a-fib you are probably ½ or more inches shorter than when you were younger. That means that the spine/discs are compressed and when this happens the nerves that leave the spine to go to the different organs get molested. If you remember hitting your funny bone how your hand felt. That is an indication of what happens when the nerves in the spine get molested.



Doug, I think you may be right. I always thought it was caused from a bad car accident, when I was hit by a drunken driver, and pushed over a steep bank. I was driving my tiny Yugo, and the other guy had a 3/4 ton truck, and was doing over 100 mph when he rear-ended me on the freeway. My car rolled both endways and sideways, and landed upside down, with the truck on top of the car. It was one of those accidents that I should not have survived; so God must have had a purpose for me still.
It was after that, that the heart started acting up, but I was still able to do everything until a few years ago, when the heart failure (from the a-fib) set in. Now I am at around 25% EF, and each year it gets a little worse.
I do have degenerated disks, it showed on my x-rays; and the chiropractor thought he could help, but my medicaid doesn't cover chiropractors.
I will look online and see what I can find regarding DDD causing a-fib, and what might help.
Thank you for the great input ! ! 


HappyFlowerLady


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## Pappy (Apr 11, 2014)

You may be right dOug but the doctor showed me what the heart was doing. I could see some blood remaining in my heart not being completely being pumped out. He now has me on Xrelto. This is to prevent the blood from clotting, thus a stroke.


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## Ina (Apr 11, 2014)

HFL, I am holding you in my heart, and I will keep you in my prayers.


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## Pappy (Apr 11, 2014)

I also wish you the best HFL. I didn't mean to hijack thread with my own problems.


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## Happyflowerlady (Apr 11, 2014)

Pappy said:


> I also wish you the best HFL. I didn't mean to hijack thread with my own problems.



Thank you, Pappy ! You are not hi-jacking the thread; you are totally on topic. Sharing our conditions and what we found that helps is always a good idea. 
I am on Pradaxa for a blood thinner, and have taken it for several years now. It works so much better than Coumadin did, and I don't have to have INR checks, or worry about some food that makes it not work right. Do you like the one that you are taking ?? 
I have mitral regurgitation, so my heart doesn't throw the blood out properly either, besides the a-fib making it so uncoordinated when it is trying to do that.


HappyFlowerLady


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## Warrigal (Apr 11, 2014)

All the best HFL. Whatever you choose to do, choose also to live in the moment and be aware of all the people you love.
We all should do this every day but we too easily let ourselves be distracted from the most important things in life until we find ourselves facing serious health issues.

May your doctors be skilled and may your recovery be smooth.


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## d0ug (Apr 11, 2014)

Pappy said:


> You may be right dOug but the doctor showed me what the heart was doing. I could see some blood remaining in my heart not being completely being pumped out. He now has me on Xrelto. This is to prevent the blood from clotting, thus a stroke.



If you are worried about a stroke Dr Joel Wallach sue the FDA to be able to say that omega 3 fatty acid will prevent  the chances of heart attack from clots and stroke from blood clots


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## Fern (Apr 11, 2014)

All the best HFL.


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## Jillaroo (Apr 11, 2014)

_Good luck with the procedure Lois_


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## i_am_Lois (Apr 12, 2014)

You are right Happyflowerlady, this is a scarey and serious decision you must make. Anyone in your shoes would be scared too. You are wise to learn as much as you can. I wish for you the courage and strength you need in determining the best path to follow, and the best possible luck with the outcome.


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## Happyflowerlady (Apr 13, 2014)

I now have an appointment the end of May to see the specialist. The more that i am reading about the procedure; the more it sounds like it has definitely helped most of the people who have it done, either with or without the pacemaker. My daughter will be able to go with me for the consultation. and after that I should have a lot more information about what it can actually do in my specific case.
Thank you to everyone for all the prayers and good thoughts and wishes !   

My daughter gave me an e-book that helped her to deal with her MS.   It is called "The Secret", by Rhonda Byrne, and is about the power of attracting the right results into your life by focusing on the good things, rather than the things you don't want to happen. I watched the movie version on Netflix, and am now reading the book. 


HappyFlowerLady


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 13, 2014)

Your daughter sounds like a lovely person, so glad she's there to support you during this time. :glittered:


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## Happyflowerlady (May 23, 2014)

Quick update :
I went for the consultation today , and the doctor who will do the operation said that he thinks it will make me a lot better. He said that even though I have had this for over 10 years, for most of the time, my heart was operating at around 40%, and has just dropped in the last year or so, so he thinks that they can stop the a-fib impulses, and it will also help reverse the heart failure.  He said I should feel the difference right away.  He said a pacemaker would not help me, so they won't be doing that, which was one thing I wasn't sure about before.
They do two different operations (one after the other)on both the inside and the outside of my heart, and then 2 days of recovery in the hospital, just to make sure it is all working right.
They have to schedule the operation yet; but it should be in the next month or so. I am still worried about having the operation, but excited that it will help my heart, and I can walk without puffing all the time. 
I will let everyone know when I am going to have it done, and if I find out more.


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## Ina (May 23, 2014)

HFL, I hate that you have to go through an operation, and I will pray for your speedy recovery. I'll hold you in my heart, and ask our creator to hold you in his hands. ray:


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## SeaBreeze (May 23, 2014)

Thanks for the update Happyflowerlady, I hope the operation goes smooth and makes you feel better, but I don't blame you for being worried, I know I would be.  We'll all be sending lots of positive karma your way, when the time comes. :love_heart:


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## i_am_Lois (May 24, 2014)

HFL, please continue to keep us updated. You are our friend and we want to know how things are going with you.
This also goes for Happycanuk's procedure scheduled for June 3. I hope all goes well for the both of you.
Pappy, you're in my thoughts too with all you are going through.
Everyone, please take care and be well again soon!


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## CPA-Kim (May 24, 2014)

I wish you success.  Focus on how much better you will feel.

I've had an EP study and the doctors attempted to ablate the nerve path that was causing my supraventricular tachycardia.  It is similar to A-fib but not the same.  They couldn't do the ablation because of where the path was located.  It is not an operation.  They thread a needle through the femoral artery into your heart and zap the pathway.  I had to be flat on my back for 6 hours after the procedure but it was because of the incision in my leg.  After that I went home and had a meal.  

I hope your procedure goes smoothly.  This procedure has been performed many times and is not something new.  Don't let other people scare you.  Just focus on the potential good.


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## Rainee (May 25, 2014)

Thinking of you also HFL and will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.. pray that all will 
go well for you..


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## Happyflowerlady (May 31, 2014)

CPA-Kim said:


> I wish you success.  Focus on how much better you will feel.
> 
> I've had an EP study and the doctors attempted to ablate the nerve path that was causing my supraventricular tachycardia.  It is similar to A-fib but not the same.  They couldn't do the ablation because of where the path was located.  It is not an operation.  They thread a needle through the femoral artery into your heart and zap the pathway.  I had to be flat on my back for 6 hours after the procedure but it was because of the incision in my leg.  After that I went home and had a meal.
> 
> I hope your procedure goes smoothly.  This procedure has been performed many times and is not something new.  Don't let other people scare you.  Just focus on the potential good.


Thank you, Kim. What the doctor wants to do with me is very similar to what you had done, but they will be doing two operations. The first one is actually in the heart, and they go in through my chest and into the heart from there. They stop the inside electrical impulses from there.
Then they take me to another operating room, and a second doctor does the other procedure, where they come up through the artery (or maybe it is the vein) in my groin, and when they get to the heart, they do the same kind of procedure on the outside of the heart.
Then, they keep me in the hospital for two days, just to make sure that everything is healing up right.
The doctor said that I might notice a big difference right away. 
Huntsville has one of the very best hospitals, so it is a good place for me to have it done. They work with Vanderbilt in Nashville, so they are right on the front line with all of the best procedures.


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## LindaV (May 31, 2014)

What ever you decide to do, best wishes.


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## Ina (May 31, 2014)

HFL, when will you have your procedures? I want or I be sending blessing on the day. :wave:


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