Life forces lessons upon us, some of them we would rather not have learned. The term A-Fib or Arterial/Atrial Fibrillation is one I could gone without learning on a personal level. This week I'll cover with you my experience last week and why I learned this phrase.
However before I do, a bit of NFTT business. Roses had planned to use this space this week to do a wrap-up diary about NFTT, however she needed to catch up the many things that had been delayed in her RL due to her involvement and chairmanship of the NFTT event. So she'll be posting it sometime next week. LOOK FOR IT! Read it and recommend it.
There is no way we will be able to list everyone involved there are just too many. From the organizers and volunteers to the donors, participants and those who provided the names the numbers approach 500. They still need to be recognized and roses will cover what they all accomplished.
Last week I was supposed to take a trip to Phoenix while you guys were in Austin. I had a niece graduating after 10 years and four schools, outstanding achievement. I didn't make it. Wednesday after meeting Timroff for lunch at the Atlanta Airport during his and Dani's 2 hour lay-over I went home and had an A-Fib episode. At the time I didn't know that's what it was. I just thought I was extremely out of shape and needed to get back into the gym. I mean afterall, I had had a full cardio exam last year and had passed with flying colors and I'm only 51. But in hindsight I have been having these episodes for over a year. The difference was this one didn't pass after 10 or 15 minutes.
What caused the event doesn't matter, after 45 minutes I became concerned about it. I called a friend of mine from DFW, a GP with whom I had played basketball with for over three years before we move to ATL. Dave is a buddy and a good Doc even tho' he's a Dukey. Dave told me I had been more than reasonable in waiting to go back to NSR and I needed to go to the Hospital.
Now what I'm about to tell you don't try at home. I drove to the hospital and parked outside the ER and walked through the door. By the time I walked to the counter I was again in full blown A-Fib. That means my Heart Rate was pushing 200 and fluttering. This causes the heart to become very inefficient. I could barely see and could only breathlessly talk. When the nurse asked me if there was anything she could help me with I managed to mumble something about my heart and beating funny. She asked me again and I started to answer but this time I didn't even get that far. The brain wasn't working and things started going black and I started for the floor, part of me was still trying to hold on to the desk so it slowed my descent.
There were several people close by and several of them got to me before I hit the floor. There was at least one Fireman/EMT behind me as well as several nurses (male and female) and at least one Doc. Next thing I know I'm on a gurney headed for a room. One detail here guys, I'm 6'4" 245lbs and was more than likely the biggest person in the area. These guys handled me effectively and without any strain, great training.
Once I was in the room I was still surrounded by at least six people. Two were putting in IVs in each arm and drawing blood for various test. Two were hooking me up to run telemetry on the heart. One hooking me up to oxygen and another asking me questions. All of this while I'm in a haze and they're trying to keep me conscious and my brain wants to take a break.
As the oxygen took effect and the head cleared I was able to respond more clearly. And as my head cleared I also felt a sense of embarrassment, not justified of course, but that was before I knew what I was going thru. By this time they had me stable enough to experience that regular ER behavior, waiting. While I was waiting they collected Insurance info and verified who I said I was with my drivers license.
Sometime in here I managed to get a call out to my wife. I had talked with her earlier and told her what Dave had said, but she thought I was just going to the doctor's office. Needless to say things had changed and she was headed my way.
I was admitted overnight and learned what atrial-fibrillation was;
Atrial fibrillation is a disorder found in about 2.2 million Americans. During atrial fibrillation, the heart's two small upper chambers (the atria) quiver instead of beating effectively. Blood isn't pumped completely out of them, so it may pool and clot. If a piece of a blood clot in the atria leaves the heart and becomes lodged in an artery in the brain, a stroke results. About 15 percent of strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation.
How is atrial fibrillation treated?
Several approaches are used to treat and prevent abnormal beating:
* Medications are used to slow down rapid heart rate associated with AF. These treatments may include drugs such as digoxin, beta blockers (atenolol, metoprolol, propranolol), amiodarone, disopyramide, calcium antagonists (verapamil, diltiazam), sotalol, flecainide, procainamide, quinidine, propafenone, etc.
* Electrical cardioversion may be used to restore normal heart rhythm with an electric shock, when medication doesn't improve symptoms.
* Drugs (such as ibutilide) can sometimes restore the heart's normal rhythm. These drugs are given under medical supervision, and are delivered through an IV tube into a vein, usually in the patient's arm.
AHA Recommendation for Stroke Prevention
Treating atrial fibrillation is an important way to help prevent stroke. That's why the American Heart Association recommends aggressive treatment of this heart arrhythmia.
Drugs are also used to help reduce stroke risk in people with AF. Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications thin the blood and make it less prone to clotting. Warfarin is the anticoagulant now used for this purpose, and aspirin is the antiplatelet drug most often used. Long-term use of warfarin in patients with AF and other stroke risk factors can reduce stroke by 68 percent.
* Physicians differ on the choice of drugs to prevent embolic stroke — stroke caused by a blood clot. It's clear that warfarin is more effective against this type of stroke than aspirin. However, warfarin has more side effects than aspirin. Examples include potential bleeding problems or ulcer.
* Patients at high risk for stroke should probably be treated with warfarin rather than aspirin unless there are clear reasons not to do so.
* Aspirin is the standard treatment for patients at low risk for stroke and under 75 years of age.
My course of treatment will be Cardizem (diltiazam) and warfarin. We're hoping a cardiac conversion will occur during this treatment, otherwise I get to experience Electrical cardioversion. I don't know about you guys but I'd rather not have them stop my heart even tho' they plan on restarting it within seconds. Either way, I'll be on the warfarin until at least October as a prophylactic against clots. Happy days, I'm taking rat poison to keep the clots away.
BTW, I had my first warfarin check yesterday and I'm not yet at therapeutic levels so this pushes everything back a week and they increased my dosage. I'm ecstatic. One more thing (and this is for Dallasdoc), since I was already on BP meds and my BP was under control they didn't what to risk cratering my BP with the Beta blockers as opposed to the calcium channel blocker.
Okay, now it's time for the fun stuff.
Mojo Friday Guidelines
1. If you comment you have to recommend all comments. (in order to recieve mojo you have to give mojo. It's only good mojo manners.)
2. Everything you say may be taken as a joke (so if you ask a question, expect a silly answer)
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4. You don't have to comment to recommend.
5. You can't steal my idea (right, like that ain't goin' to happen)
6. Please, no pictures or YouTubes until after 300 comments
7. Mojo mojo mojo mojo, mojo mojo mojo
Mojo Friday Goals
A. at least 300 different commenters and 1000 comments by 1:30 PM EST and 1500 by 5:00 PM EST Friday Night that it's posted.
B. 100 recommends for each comment, at least.
C. Stay on Recommend List at least five hours (this requires some strategic planning by you guys, refer to guideline #3)
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E. And always, fun fun fun.
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H. Overload the servers with recommends, not to mention dominate Top Comments Mojo list. (we do tend to mess with the site with all of our recommends at one time)(also, to dominate the Top Comments Top Mojo we need at least 50 comments with over 100 recommends, see guideline B)
I. That's enough for now. (Have a suggestion? Post it.)
MKinTN posted a diary to help everyone achieve greater success called How to Succeed at Mojo Friday Without Really Trying.