Thanks Nancy for the info. I just can't find a way to splint effectively to cough and deep breathe without tremendous pain. Now you have to figure in the wimp factor....
Thanks to all of you who have been so nice to me.
Paula, your call was absolutely appreciated, thank-you.
As far as the a-fib goes. I've been on the flecanide and cardizem about 8 or 9 months and the episodes of very rapid rate (160-180) have been generally in the minutes rather than hours. When they do an electrocardioversion all they do is re-establish sinus rhythm but it doesn't do anything to help maintain it. During this time my left atrium has continued to enlarge to the 5.5cm to 6.0cm range. This is about the uppermost limit of hoping to recoving and maintaining a post-op sinus rhythm. When I went into a-fib post op their first thoughts were to schedule cardioversion and hope the flecanide that was still on board (half life of flecanide being 5 and a half days....don't you just love the conferences that take place just outside your door
) would help too. They also gave me some soltolol (sp?).
When I then later went back into sinus rhythm everything changed. Dr. Glower said I may find myself having a hard time staying in sinus since the atrium is dilated and that could improve as the atrium naturally reduces in size over the next weeks and month but hopefully one day it may just stay there. I do feel better in sinus so that is my hope.
I'm back on flecanide. Not currently on Solotol nor cardizem. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be or not, I'll have to check. I never woke up until they knocked and spoke my name so I could get as much information as possibile
. I particularily liked the conversations of the cardiologists "I could make a case for..." regarding EKG interps and medication choices.
This whole thing has been better than I expected but I am so very glad to be home. I've slept uninterupted for hours and got up with very little help and now that the pain meds have kicked in and I've coughed, breathed and walked I find life to be absolutely wonderful.
Steve, take good care of the waiting room. It was the best place around for the last few months. I will still daily check in. Everyone was right......The wait is the hardest part. I am so so glad to be over the mountain! I guess I tried to wake up and see the scenery for myself during surgery but I don't remember that at all. I do remember being extubated but my focus was pain in my right eye from somehow getting scratched rather than breathing. So as far as the cards go I don't know.. I couldn't keep my eyes open to read anything. I was temporarily a "wild woman" but very little nausea in the whole post-op period. You guys were with me the whole time and I sure appreciated the company.
Melissa! You still sound so so good. When is your first check-up?
More later.
