If at first you don't succeed, try try again

[DFW]

I’m back in the cardiac clinic for another procedure. Ablation this time. Many on DU have told me they had it and it was no big deal. You had better be right, or I will return to haunt the board with glitches and typos!

[lapfog_1]

1. 32 years ago

WPW since birth... plus a bad mitral valve... only in those days they stuck me in an oxygen tent and hoped ( blue baby ).

waited years for corrective surgery to catch up. Was one of the first microwave ablation patients in the nation.

Threaded 7 catheters into my heart while I was sort of in and out on the table with a large imaging system over my chest... the doctors were over in a corner of the room with a video game screen and joysticks. Used at least 4 trigger nodes to put my heart into and out of arrhythmia while they guided the microwave tip over the each trouble spot and created a little scar tissue.

I stayed overnight because of the size of the incisions they had to make in my neck and inside of my thigh to thread the catheters into my heart ( I'm sure that's improved by now ). Otherwise it is almost an outpatient procedure.

No WPW events since then ( knock on wood )... 32 years. Doc told me I was good for 20 years "most likely" ( double knock on wood ).

Good luck with yours!

[HeartsCanHope]

2. Sending healing vibes for a succesful procedure!

Will be thinking of you and your family.

[irisblue]

3. Sending you and yours all the vibes, hopes and wishes.

[4Sitka]

4. Had one in 2016

The procedure only took one hour for me! I was in A-fib when I had the procedure, so the electrophysiologist and his team knew exactly when they got it. It was a success, but I have had some A-fib moments. Watch your diet to notice 'trigger' foods and always take your meds. Turns out, milk and cheese triggered A-fib for me. Good luck, DFW!

[SheltieLover]

5. Healing vibes on the way to you.

[2naSalit]

6. Sending the vibes!

[livetohike]

7. Holding positive thoughts for you and family DFW.

You’ll be in and out of there soon .

[hlthe2b]

8. I have two ER staff members who have had it repeatedly and it does help dramatically...

Their own form of (non a.fib) arrhythmias allow for new inciting sites to pop up over the years--thus the need to repeat, but that isn't the case for many/most. Regardless, they manage to bounce back dramatically and nearly immediately after those procedure(s).

You got this!

[DFW]

9. Thanks one and all!

I am already in recovery. Still half awake, but aware enough to have spoken German, Polish and Russian with hospital staff and French and Dutch on the phone. So, my modest mental faculties do not appear to have been compromised. If I ask for a cup of covfefe, all bets are off.

[Fla Dem]

10. All the best to you DFW.

[DFW]

11. The greatest danger to overcome so far has been:

Hospital food.

I got no breakfast, no lunch, and dinner was two slices of dry bread with a far too thin layer of cream cheese.

Best cardiac care in the world and a diet that would starve a cockroach.

[question everything]

12. Wishing you the best