My life has been very stressful for years..thats why I took up running prior to my divorce. In August while running my body was sluggish and I just thought it was due to me being unfit. But over the next week or so I was tired and more and more anxious. One day I went to emergency and the doctor identified Atrial fibralition which is an irregular hearbeat. So I am on Pradax (a blood thinner) so I do not get a stroke and after all the texts, EKG, x-rays, Holtner monitor, etc the cardiologist told me yesterday my heart is in constant A-fib. This means there are too many electrical signals to my heart and my hear beat flutters and beats abnormally.
Anyway in mid December the Ottawa Heart Institute one of the best cardiac Institutes in the world is going to put me to sleep and shock my heart back hopefully to a normal rhythm. Anyone have this before? Did it work? Did your running improve? Wish dtoce was around..Helpful to have someone that knowledgeable give some non specific advice, especially since he is a runner.
Any help appreciated.
Tallrunner
Recent Best times: None recently
Trails are hard!
Hi Tall,
. I had it intermittently for about 8-10 years and was able to control it with medicationfor quite a whil, first just when i went into a-fib and then as a daily dose. About three years ago it became steady. I went through an ablation (using heat to destroy the nerve pathways that caused the uncontrolled fluttering) on both sides of the atrium. it was done with a bunch of catheters threaded in viens in the groin.
My running level wasn't anywhere as high as yours, before or after. In genreal it did not bother me while running, although I did have it come on during a 5K and while I finished, it wasn't pretty. Since the ablation I've done 4 half marathons. Granted, they were not fast, but I was able train without any problem. My work schedule has affected my running a lot more than the a-fib and its aftermath.
I'm looking around for some articles that I had that you might find interesting. I'm also very happy to talk with you about anything related to this if you like.
Best wishes on your treatment and I feel sure you'll do fine with the running after.
Need a fast half for late fall. Then I need to actually train for it.
...Tall//........I have no advise since MedicalProcedures aren't My Thing
......Go Easy
and
remember
.......You don't have anyone to to Impress but yourself.
..nothing takes the place of persistence.....
Stumpy thank you for the feedback. Looks like it has not affected you much and it is under control. Good for you. Tom thank you for the advise. Yep I am taking it easy...I am different than when I was pounding those crazy miles.
Bad luck again this morning. Went into the bathroom in this new place I have and hit my head on the upper door frame so I Immeadiately bent down,hitting the door hanger hook right between my nose and the right eye. The blood since I am on blood thinners just spurted out, grabbed a white towel and covered (yuck) screamed for my daughter since I figured I had to go to the hospital...but then the bleeding slowed down..daughter put big band aids on it...and when I finally looked at it...I knew I needed stiches...5 stiches later ...I look awfully scary...it runs about an inch and a half between the side of my right eye up to the beginnning of my forehead...wow...missed Halloween by a few days. Once I take the bandage off tomorrow I will post a pic...what a morning already...Life.
Tall, no advice here, but take care of yourself.
Keep us posted.
"Champions are everywhere; all you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard
There are times when being tall is not an advantage--this being one of them. That's one of the main reasons I fought tooth and nail agianst having to go onto blood thinners. At the time I was still playing in a rather physical basketball game that I would have had to give up. I was (and still am) on a full strength asprin. Once I went into a-fib full time I lost my arguement against the coumidin.