At 9:30 am this morning, at the Peace Health Hospital in Vancouver, a team led by Dr. Reese will perform a cryo-balloon catheter ablation of my heart. We hope this will correct some of my current electrical heart problems. This is a non-invasive procedure, is "relatively safe," and does help 60-80% of people who undergo the procedure. Dr. Reese told me he thought I was a good candidate for using this procedure.
At age 77, I have been slowed down by shortness of breath, mild chest tightness, fatigue, and lightheadedness caused by paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. My heart went into atrial fibrillation in May of 2022.
We shall see what happens in the next month to me as a result of this technical procedure.
Friday, 7 am, 2/3/2023
The procedure went smoothly. AFib controlled. Dr. Reese said it would take three months to feel fully back to "normal." Little discomfort, and no pain. Sutures in thighs healing OK thus far. Feeling very good. Alert and thinking all night with little sound sleep. Moving 10-15 minutes at the end of one hour of sitting. Moving slowly, carefully, gently. No chest tightness. No lightheadedness or dizziness. Clear vision.
Cancelled February retreat to a yurt at Pacific Beach State Park in Washington. My next retreat will come in April. Waiting nearly 3 months to go on retreat. Staying close to home until recovery comes. Also, Karen has upcoming hip surgery on March 7th.
Saturday, 4 am, 2/4/2023
Still feeling pretty good. No problems. Sutures healing OK. No chest pain or discomfort. Don't get out of breath. A few cases of blurred/odd visual disturbances - wavy edges. Trying to sit for 1 hour and then get up and gently exercise for 20 minutes today: walking, treadmill, qigong, taijiquan, yoga stretches.
Before the ablation, I was in AFib frequently. My heartbeat averaged 61 bpm when at rest. Now my average heartbeats per minute is between 70-80 bpm at rest.
Sunday, Noon, 2/5/2023
A little punked today. Did not sleep well again last night: too much thinking. My legs are a little sore from lots of Taijiquan practice yesterday. Truly, a day of complete resting for me. Sutures healed and looking good. Very little chest discomfort. Somewhat anxious. No exercise. Read, relax, sit, nap. Ate up to my recommended limit of calories 1500/carbohydrates 150.
Monday, 2/6/2023,
Four days since the ablation procedure. Slept 7 hours last night - excellent for me. Feeling alert and ready to move.
Thursday, 2/9/2023
Met with James Mathey, Physician's Assistant, Peace Health Hospital today. He ran an EKG and checked my pacemaker memory. I am in normal heart rhythm with no AFib. He checked my leg wounds. In his assessment, overall, I am progressing well. I return to be evaluated by him on March 6th. I can ramp my walking up to 5,000 steps per day in the next 10 days. No heavy workouts, sweating, or hard labor.
Sunday, 2/12/2023
Injured my right leg. Limping and in pain. Start recovery process.
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