Feeling Fabulous

Here is the update on my heart.  It's doing it's job and I feel amazing.  I mean, I felt pretty good for awhile, then felt bad, then felt good, but once we finally got this all worked out, I feel better than I can ever remember feeling!!

Last time I updated, I just had my ablation.  It was to take three months for my heart to heal.  I did feel good however, I went into Afib and never worked myself out of it, which is what always would happen.  When I went to my three month check up, I had reported that I was getting really short of breath constantly and this was new.

I wore a halter monitor for 24 hours and was scheduled for a stress test.  In between those two things, I had another Cardio Aversion, where they stop and then shock my heart back into rhythm.  I felt so good that day, then in two days I was feeling awful again.  I went to my stress test.  To say I failed the stress test was an understatement.  I lasted 2 minutes and 45 seconds on a slow, uninclined treadmill before I was so short of breath, I nearly passed out and felt like I was going to puke.  I was convinced I was in Afib again, but I was not.

I was so discouraged at this point.  I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life feeling like shit.  I was almost to the point where I was going to admit defeat.  Then, my Pittsburgh doctor recommended that I stop all of my heart meds for a week to see how I felt.  Those meds were keeping my heart rate low and I mean low, like 52-56 low.  I agreed to do it and call in one week to give a report, since I would be on vacation.

Day seven came and went and I totally forgot to call, I was feeling great.  I called on day 10 to report that I felt fabulous.  I feared that it was mind over matter, since I was not only on vacation, but I was in Hawaii.  Who wouldn't feel fabulous there?

As the days wore on and turned into weeks and now at the one month mark, I am convinced that I have beat this!  FINALLY!  I feel amazing.  I still have my meds just in case I go into Afib and need to slow my heart rate down.  I will still, most likely, keep taking my blood thinner just in case I would go into Afib since I am at risk for a stroke if I do.

So no matter what your struggle is, no matter how long you have been struggling, do not ever give up!  There is a light at the end of the tunnel and when you reach that point, you will be so thankful for all that you still have left to live for and the ability to live it with joy!!