3 days post-op progress

• by Janey L
• 2010-07-30 06:07:48
• Surgery & Recovery
• 1410 views
• 1 comments

Hi everyone. Thank you for all your good wishes after my ablation procedure on Tuesday. I said I'd let you all know how I'm getting on post-op...

I have a question for anyone who has had an ablation, as I've never had one until Tuesday. Did you get missed beats &/or ectopics afterwards? I ask because yesterday I had quite a few. I'm guessing it takes time for the heart to settle down after having the catheters in & having the ablation done...but how long does it take to settle? Did you have any other problems post ablation like a sore chest (not chest pain, it just feels sore now & then).

Apart from that, I'm feeling great! I am really surprised at how good I feel! My EP said I should start to feel better from the arrhythmia symptoms the next day...I thought he was joking! I was quite drugged up on morphine & sedation at the time!

I have colour back in my face for the first time in months! I was so pale all the time with the arrhythmia. I guess once it is ablated, your heart starts to beat normally & pump blood round normally again.

Also, I can now climb our stairs indoors (14 steps) without getting breathless! Wow! I haven't been able to do that for a LONG time!

Already I seem to have more energy than I've had in the 16 months since I've had the arrhythmia. I feel much more alert.

My husband is making sure I don't start rushing around & do too much too soon!! I need to take one step at a time I know!

I haven't felt up to going for a walk over the road to the shops yet. I used to do that walk everyday since I've been off sick from work, just to get some exercise....although I'd be SO breathless & get chest pain doing it. I don't feel up to doing it yet but when I do I'll be very keen to see if I can do it without getting breathless or getting chest pain now!

The hospital told me to change the dressing on my leg/groin wound daily & then leave it off from today. It is now off. My leg is VERY bruised but the wound has healed lovely & is looking good.

I managed to sit in our garden for a few hours yesterday, which was lovely. It was lovely to sit in the sunshine & fresh air.

I have to have another treadmill test in 3 months & then see my EP again. He will tell me if the ablation has worked completely & also whether I will need to go on & have a pacemaker. He did say on Tuesday, after the op, the pacemaker risk is very low...as he didn't have to ablate/modify my sinus node after all. But he will let me know in 3 months when I go back.

That's me & my progress so far....doing well. I'll keep you posted....

Best wishes
Janey