Notes from a temporary excommunication

Supafreak. We are all with you and mum. Take care of yourselves and we will see and hear from you on the ‘Light Side of The Moon’. AW.

AlfredWallace wrote:

Supafreak. We are all with you and mum. Take care of yourselves and we will see and hear from you on the ‘Light Side of The Moon’. AW.

+1 SF local here (similar age) had the same AF surgery sorted it he is now ripping you will be soon also good luck best wish's and heart felt for your Mum went through the same Dementia really sucks.

Thanks again for the support guys , @icandig , Booked in for Friday next week for SVT ablation, slightly different to what you had but hopefully get the same results .

@supa awesome...I was going to ask, but forgot...did the doc put you on Beta blockers? I started with two a day (one morning, one night) and they fucked with my energy levels and left me feeling like shit. As soon as I went back to one a day I felt a bit more normal. Probably doesn't matter much now, but something to be aware of. Best of luck with it - (and everything else going on in your life), please report back when you are feeling up to it.

@icandig , he put me on apixaban 5mg twice a day , pretty sure its just a blood thinner and also to treat AF , that was Tuesday. Today I met with the cardiologist that will be doing the procedure and he’s stopped the verapamil 240 mg as procedures in 8 days. I also had another ECG and now I’m no longer in AF , feel much different, energy’s returned . My blood pressure has not really changed that much , never been higher than 150 twice in the last few years, usually around the 120/80. So he explained two different ways of attacking this and because Ive had the SVT episode he’s treating it that way which basically is same as AF treatment but burning off a different part of the heart . He believes my AF won’t return by going this route. If it doesn’t work he’s then going to go the AF ablation route . I just agreed with whatever approach he believed is the right one . He said mine was an unusual case . When I was in hospital originally with AF awhile ago , my heart rate would go from 57 sitting down to 137 just from standing up . I’ve got a link here for SVT ablation . My procedure is SVT ablation +EP study . https://oneheartcardiology.com.au/service/svt-ep-study-ablation/

Hey Supa, just been reading back on your condition. Hope you're on the path to recovery.

My niece has the same AF. She has a mitral valve prolapse which has lead to her condition. She has always been super athletic. She was prescribed Beta blockers but went off them before pregnancy. The docs are monitoring her now. She doesn't take any medication at the moment.

All the very best to you.

Thanks zen , all the best for your sister , I hope she improves without any complications It’s a fairly common condition from what I’ve read and you can be born with it . I’ve mentioned before a good mate was fireman , surfer , tri-athlete and didn’t drink or smoke, he got AF ablation on both sides of his heart 3 months apart . I’m feeling so much better knowing this should all be behind me soon and keep meeting life’s challenges and move forward. Being tired all the time with stuff going on does take it’s toll though , ready for a break . These forums can be a good escape from life sometimes .

It seems that there are four main types of AF: We have at least 3 covered in this thread.
Types:
Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
Persistent atrial fibrillation.
Long-term persistent atrial fibrillation.
Permanent atrial fibrillation.

Anecdotally (from a few sources) I've heard AF is prevalent in elite athletes. (Not that I'm one).

A quick search revealed this:

"Several studies have described a relationship between long-term endurance sport practice and AF and AFl9–20 (table 1). In 1998, Karjalainen et al9 concluded that vigorous long-term exercise is associated with AF in healthy middle-aged men."

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/46/Suppl_1/i37

(It's a long read and I've bookmarked it to maybe read properly later).

That’s interesting about endurance sports . I was a shocker for staying out up to 7 hours when the surfs pumping, not these days but up to about 45 years old, since then a good session would be 3 hours then I’m buggered . This is when I’m not in AF haha .

Hey Supa and icandig - just seen this thread and hope you are OK! I can relate to all written above, little bro had AF and was reset on table, but he's back at work and has had rate rise while doing strenuous work in the heat, beta blockers the treatment. Me, I've had a journey caused by rare blood disorder, the moment when I got to look at my own heart on the echocardiogram and saw how beautiful the valves were, was the moment I decided I was going to pull through and live. Hope you find a moment that gives you the power to recover really well.
Good luck in the procedure coming up Supa, hope it really helps.

Thanks VJ , have you had covid yet ? I know because of your condition it’s a real legitimate concern . It seems to be a fair bit of it up in the tweed at the moment .

Hi Supa, yes I had it about mid last year, and survived. I had a hospital appointment that I had to be there for, and basically was fixed in place for about 3 hrs with 70+ people nearby/going past. Either that or tradies as we had work done on the house, but it is what it is. Was mostly a head cold type thing with dizziness/unco etc for me, no cough on the chest in the chestcold sense, temps went higher than I've measured but not hospital visit high, they got me on the antivirals soon (which can be their own kettle of fish, it's always nicer to have a full 7 years of medical studies on new treatments before you have them) - in summary it is better not to get infected in the first place if you are vulnerable. I heard of 5 patients that had died at about this time unofficially.

I was going to suggest you can get shopping home delivered and I've found this to be excellent. With me in charge of shopping, been choosing more organic veg etc, too!

What I've learned since is that the treatment for the condition is thought to provide a degree of protection too, I mean but almost everyone from Professor down to nurse to retard youtube channel has their own opinion on everything corona...

Recent trip to MNC, all the way up in NSW people had a cough, who knows if it were covid or not? Tested negative when home after that.

Glad to hear your mum did not get a bad experience with it. How is it going for you? I got my breathing back pretty soon, and I cannot determine if any lingering symptoms from it kept going, as I seemed consistent to how I was before. I'm still hanging back from courting getting infected again, if I can avoid it. I've worked out being outdoors and going surfing is next to zero risk so I just go surfing :)

Sounds like the place to be ….amongst the waves that is . Glad you got through it fairly well . It probably contributed to setting off my AF along with other factors . Mum got moved to a covid wing in hospital because a few days ago she was a close contact. Seemed a strange move to me as she fully recovered from it a few weeks before . She’s had 2 negative PCR tests since . Sore a bloke in there that had just got out of ICU , he was elderly, obese , diabetic but survived . Keep on surfing mate , I will give it time before jumping back in but it’s a treasured goal I’m aiming for .

Double post

Just throw this out there too, I'm working through this one now, maybe worth a look for anyone who has autoimmune system conditions of any kind:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-wahls-protocol-terry-wahls/book/9781583...

Cheers Supa, you recover well mate, make a note of how you go too and you'll be able to measure how you are vs how you were before, hopefully the same and as capable.
For the AF, mum has had it too and she didn't really get treatment, now at 78 she does have her daily afternoon nap but she still keeps active in the garden, driving, and gets to the shops. I worry about my little bro a bit as he will tend to push it with work and chug a pill, would love to see him wind down a bit, chill and go fishing which he loves most.

Also Supa, after 3 heart attacks caused by condition, and recovery (scary stuff, scary experience the whole lot) and 6 months out, the first little knee high wave that rolled past me as I walked out on a gentle little pointbreak at 1.5ft was magic, just magic. Just think of that first clear clean little day.

I’m thinking my mother probably gave covid to me after possibly getting it from her daily carer who came in 1 hour each morning to shower and dress her . Although she didn’t show symptoms of fever , sore throat, runny nose , cough , aches and pains or headaches it’s pretty obvious her mental health has taken a severe beating. Her dementia has skyrocketed . Not much to do but try and keep her as comfortable as possible in hospital until we can find a placement. Spending my days with her and face timing family and friends . She sleeps a lot . https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/coronavirus/dementia-risk Delirium is a worsening or change in a person’s mental state that happens suddenly, over one to two days. The person may become confused, or be more confused than usual. Or they may become sleepy and drowsy. Delirium can be distressing to the person and those around them, especially when they don’t know what’s causing these changes.
Delirium may be the first sign that someone is becoming unwell, and is one of the most common early symptoms of coronavirus infection in people with dementia.

@icandig quick update . Had the SVT ablation today , all went well and over in 1 hour . Only had light sedation as they needed to put me in svt mode , got the heart cranked up to 200 bpm . When eventually I was completely knocked out they did the zapping and I can’t remember any of it . Ive been under 3 times in my life with a general before and wake up really groggy and feeling fucked but this was lite and I’m feeling really good . Been lying in bed for a few hours now and they are going to get me up and moving in about 30 minutes . Drs pretty happy with how it went BP 120/80 and resting HR 57 . If the AF returns then it will have to be a AF ablation which takes longer and higher percentage of something going wrong which is why they took this route first . Looking forward to possibly going for a paddle in a week. Mums improving , the delirium isn’t as bad and can string sentences together and eating well . Good days are now more than the bad ones . Still a nightmare trying to get a placement in aged care though.

That's great news SF.

Yeah really good to hear Supa!

Good on you Supa, I'm glad you got through so well. Glad to hear your mum isn't so delirious too.

Supafreak. Love your writings, great contributions all round. Glad to hear a ‘little ray of sunshine’ has come to you and mum. May improvement be the the theme from here on in. AW.

+1 to what Alfred said @supa.

SF, have you looked into getting a consultant/company that provides aged care placement services. I used one for Mum in Perth, had to do my due diligence but ended up with someone who helped significantly in getting a place quickly. Cost a couple of grand but he put in the hours and took me to inspect 10-15 places before deciding. In my case it was well worth the money as Mum was deteriorating rapidly.

Seaslug - didn’t even know that service existed. I’ve got aging parents and that is definitely something to consider.
SF - thanks for the update for you and your mum. Good vibes

seaslug wrote:

SF, have you looked into getting a consultant/company that provides aged care placement services. I used one for Mum in Perth, had to do my due diligence but ended up with someone who helped significantly in getting a place quickly. Cost a couple of grand but he put in the hours and took me to inspect 10-15 places before deciding. In my case it was well worth the money as Mum was deteriorating rapidly.

Yeah thanks seaslug , the social worker put us onto one that charges $995 and do everything . We haven’t used it yet as my sister has been doing all the enquiring online and I’ve personally seen a few that we shortlisted because of how they were rated . A nurse suggested we take anywhere that has a vacancy then when our preferred care centre becomes available, move her . A big problem in many of these centres is staffing, they just don’t have enough carers working there and the patients suffer because of it . When you look at the ratings out of 5 stars you might typically see , facilities 4 stars , food 3 stars , staff 1 star . This 1 star is because they don’t have enough people. Sad when you are waiting for someone to die to get into a decent care home . Sydney is also not the only place where aged care centres are closing , Byron has recently had one close . Tweed shire has a large elderly population . https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-20/families-scramble-to-find-alterna... ……thanks again for the support guys , looking forward to getting wet .

Great news Supa. The return to normal rhythm for me has felt like a new lease on life. I'm doubling down on staying fit and healthy. Surf has been good here too. Managed a few sessions. Hope it does the same for you.

Finally got mum into a decent aged care facility, moved in this morning. High care room with 2 others and she is really happy . I’m stoked she’s sharing a really large room as there’s more likely to be a nurse or carer in the room with 3 patients . It’s also at piggabeen which is 2 klms from home . Huge weight off the shoulders and looking forward to a surf holiday .

Good work Supa. AF fixed. Mum sorted. Flights sorted. I'll wave to you on the way past @ Denpasar airport. I'm flying in on the 9th same day you leave. My biggest problem now is hunting lefts for practice. Hope you get your fill.

icandig wrote:

Good work Supa. AF fixed. Mum sorted. Flights sorted. I'll wave to you on the way past @ Denpasar airport. I'm flying in on the 9th same day you leave. My biggest problem now is hunting lefts for practice. Hope you get your fill.

Great news indeed.

@icandig , hey mate , just checking in on how your recovery is going . How was indo ? did you get to push yourself ? Cardiologist is keeping me on blood thinners just in case AF returns but he believes the SVT ablation has solved the problem . I went for a job ( and got it ) as school bus driver so had to do medical and fitness test plus disclose any surgery in the last 6 months. I have noticed my blood pressure is higher than normal since procedure and reading on a forum of others experiences post operation, I’m not alone . Cardiologist wasn’t overly concerned about it . It fluctuates a fair bit from normal 120/80 to 150 /100 . I’ve also noticed I can’t hold my breath for as long . Anyway enough about me , how’s your recovery going ?

Hey Supa. Thanks for asking. Good to hear about your new job - Hope you don't spike your blood pressure further dealing with school kids : ) . My recovery has been pretty good. No heart issues and I thought I was heading into Bali pretty fit and ready to take on some (semi) serious waves - you mentioned that I was walking into a swell - and you were right. I ended up spending the first week at Kuta with the intention of easing myself into the first few days and surfing beachies and maybe some medium reef days. The size for most of the first week was a little more than I anticipated and I erred on the side of caution. Hunted a few waves around Legian and Kuta mainly trying to tune up, but basically I just didn't feel ready for anything serious. Later in the week I managed some shoulder high surfs around middles and 2nd reef. Body and breath started to come good into the 2nd week. The 2nd week I was further around Legian and I surfed the beachies at Padma and out the front of Jayakarta while it was smaller. The swell spiked again later into the second week, but by then I'd kind of given up on challenging myself too much and just enjoyed 'the vibe' of hanging around Bali. In summary - I feel like my fitness is returning, but more slowly than I'd hoped. I'm surfing quite a bit back in Vic, but my energy levels fluctuate a lot which is kind of frustrating. Resting heart rate is around 54 - which I think is good for a bloke my age (59) . Blood pressure is historically a bit high around 130/85 - it stays around there most of the time.

Also....I took a day trip to Lembongan with my wife (and without a board). Scoped shipwrecks and it actually looked pretty good. Oh well....next time.

Hail to the bus driver.

Glad you’re doing well , geez indo started slow but it’s been pretty consistent from june onwards . Keep on keeping on icandig , hope ya aren’t freezing ya balls off down your way .

Good work both of you.

@icandig , hows your health going? AF hasn’t returned I trust . I’m currently lying in a hospital bed after having my second procedure in 6 months , this time AF ablation . Haven’t spoken to Dr yet but expecting him late arvo . There were a few more risks involved but seems like it went all good. I’m in pindara private hospital this time as they have latest state of the art equipment and technology. Procedure takes 40 minutes instead of 2-6 hours. Pays to have private health insurance as I’ve racked up over $23,000 this year . Success rate is supposed to be 80% so here’s hoping it’s all good this time. Gotta stay on meds for 6 weeks then go off them , hopefully for good.

Hey good stuff Supa, go well mate, hope you recover well.

That is good news Supa, hopefully you're on the mend for good.

Hey Supa...That's a bit of a surprise, I thought you were all good... I've had no noticeable AF since the Op and health overall is pretty good. Still working on fitness (as much as work allows) but the weather down here is getting better which makes easier. Had 3 sessions this week, the best one in small but fun surf today, so pretty happy. Side note: I rarely drink a lot, but I think my tolerance for alcohol has diminished and hangovers are brutal - only twice but that's 2 too many. I hope your ablation works well and you're back in the water soon. Success rate according to my sources are closer to 90%, so hopefully you've knocked it on the head for good.

@icandig , yeah I unfortunately had some extremely stressful personal news , didn’t sleep for 5 nights and my head was spinning out on what has gone down and it brought on my AF , had to get jumper leaded in emergency to put me back into rhythm. Could have had procedure 3 weeks ago at john flynn but cardiologist said he gets access to this new equipment at pindara once every 8 weeks . I haven’t had a drink for going on 2 years or more now but stress can be a killer . Didn’t see Dr this arvo but will tomorrow . Thanks for the well wishes guys .

All the best Supa. Take care.

Recover well Supa, you are right the stress can be a causative factor in these kind of events. If possible cruising as much as you can in your daily work and life and circumstance might seem to be a really obvious answer, or just a change of mindset especially if you are naturally hard-driven. I used to log every km, every minute... but you just breathe out. And sometimes in personal situations the stress cannot be avoided and you just worry or grieve. In my recovery I found myself still stressing, so went and saw a psychologist and he was really into mindfulness and said something which stuck with me, "Why do you have to do anything?" I've since realised sometimes I will do better work and life wise by doing nothing, which is really weird but works. "What will be will be." Still took me ages to overcome the go go go nature. I found more detachment in the Bhagavad Gita "The wise lament neither for the living nor the dead," which might sound impersonal or cold hearted to us at first, but it dovetails into an acceptance of the way things happen. I've also found that anger gets directed back at my own heart so there's no point in any hatreds as they only hurt myself.

This morning we have cooler cloud and rain falling after a hot beautiful day of little surf yesterday, and the rain sounds magic on the tin roof.

@VJ , sounds like good advice to me . Just spoke with Dr and he’s happy with how everything went, was the smoothest op he had all day . Ive got a week off now then 7 weeks work then taking 2 years off and moving back to lembongan at xmas . I have mates with boats so will be hitting the east coast of Bali and next year possibly taking a boat from Brisbane to mentawi with no time limit on trip . Not being in a hurry to do everything is my goal .

Supafreak. Hi mate. I do hope you recover well. Booze is no good for you and you state that you haven’t had a sip for 24 months, you’ll be all the better for it.
Stress, no good for anyone, having pursuits that engage you with the natural world totally free up your mind, you focus on them instead of yourself.
You gain knowledge and a better understanding of how the biological world functions, you are exercising, breathing in fresher air and working your late 50’s muscles.
My interests in nature have saved my bacon on many occasion. Rapid recovery to you mate.

P.S. Don’t you go leaving this world prematurely, we will lose our Golf Course wildlife correspondent.. All the best.AW

All the best with your recovery Supa, the recovery plan sounds epic! Unplugging the socials might help with lowering the stress levels too ;)

That's epic Supa, that sounds like a great way to heal and recharge!

Fliplid wrote:

All the best with your recovery Supa, the recovery plan sounds epic! Unplugging the socials might help with lowering the stress levels too ;)

@fliplid , yes unplugging from all media is the plan come xmas , social media for me is more of an escape and it’s become an addiction. I never owned a smartphone until I returned to Australia at xmas 2017 . I will continue with SN subscription though as I value craigs indo reports as it helps with planning where and when to go .

referendum is almost over so should be an easy run to xmas now

Yeah all the best Supa with what you're dealing with. And that's much appreciated.