from Ariela many thanks

Thank you so much for all the information and answers you gave me. It is wonderful to be able to have so many people with so much knowledge! I wonder how all of you learned so much … My field of studies is literature, and I have no science background. The heart has been a mystery to me, and anything electric scares me – not a good thing for someone in my situation. But, I’m making progress, thanks to all of you: I bought a book that explains the functioning of the heart, and I have been pouring over all your information trying to digest everything possible. I’ll get there!
I continue to feel lousy, and with all my responsibilities it has not been easy. Today I finally received a call from my PM office – there was a cancellation tomorrow, the doctor is willing to see me, and the PM Tech quit her job. She left today, so I requested to have a St. Jude representative present. I don’t know the reason but, in the past, whenever a “representative” worked with the physician the settings were much better. I don’t know if my request will be granted; however, was this out of line?
I am hoping and praying that tomorrow things will be straighten out for my heart, and I’ll be able to take care of my husband and all my other responsibilities.
Oh! And I almost forgot… last time I saw my PM doctor he mentioned that he was considering ablation. Since I had no idea what he was talking about, I did not respond. Now, after I read some posts, it seems that it may not be a good idea to come to this kind of conclusion, so quickly, after a 10 min. visit!
Again, my gratefulness for all your kindness! Ariela

4 Comments

That's great!!!!!

by donr - 2013-02-26 02:02:45

Ariela, you'll get some kind of satisfaction earlier than you'd hoped.

No you were NOT out of line to request the St jude rep being there. You can request anything you want. Now, if the Cardio chooses not to honor your request, that's another thing altogether.

The PM Tech leaving precipitously like that is an indicator that something is rotten in Cedar Rapids cardio.

Yes, it's a bit fast to make a decision about an ablation - but not too early to be thinking out loud about it & considering it as a potential solution to your problems. To keep from precipitating an argument, look at it in that light & if he suggests it, tell him that you want to read about it & think about it before giving him a decision. From everything you have said, it sounds like it would be a AV Node ablation - or in the vicinity of the AV node. those are extremely difficult to pull off successfully. As soon as he suggests Ablation, that's your cue to ask for a referral to Iowa City for more & independent information.

You sound much more confident about your situation than a week ago. Keep at it & you'll be an old pro.

Best of luck to you tomorrow.

Don

Yay you!

by Tracey_E - 2013-02-26 08:02:57

You were not out of line at all requesting a St Judes rep be present!! Good for you. I've always had excellent luck with mine. Glad to hear you are being proactive in talking to your dr and learning more about your condition. No one will be our advocate for us!

Ablations can work miracles, on occasion they can also cause problems or just not work. It's not something to fear but it's nothing to rush into, either. Try programming and meds first.

Check out these videos, excellent explanations on how the heart beats, what the various arrhythmia are and how the pm works
http://health.sjm.com/arrhythmia-answers/videos-and-animations

Tomorrow came & went

by donr - 2013-02-27 02:02:21

How'd it go today? or was it yesterday?

Don

Great!

by Many Blessings - 2013-02-27 09:02:24

I hope everything went well for you! Good job getting your St. Jude tech there! They are your angel during this time and will help you more than you know!

Good luck!

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It may be the first time we've felt a normal heart rhythm in a long time, so of course it seems too fast and too strong.