A Bit of a Day

I posted back in January about being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation & how great the treatment I had in hospital was. 

Something like this is a wakeup call & has certainly made me think about things. I found a book my sister recommended called The Doctor's Kitchen - Eat to beat illness which was written by a doctor, Rupy Aujla who developed atrial fibrillation & didn't want to have the procedures that normally would be offered to patients with this condition. Basically he has written the book which he describes as "a culinary journey through food in medicine". He takes a holistic approach and looks at how food and your lifestyle can improve and maintain your health and there are lots of recipes too. The book isn't just for dealing with atrial fibrillation it's for everyone even those with no health problems.

I've been trying to do some of the things recommended but changing your lifestyle isn't something you can do overnight. My main struggle is with exercise, I do swim a couple of times a week but I need to do more. I hate the gymn & our climate isn't always conducive to walking so I need to find another way to exercise.

The main problems I have day to day are with sleeping, walking up the slightest of inclines, carrying bags plus swelling feet & ankles. Not too bad compared with a lot of people & I was resigning myself to making the best of it as I had decided not to have a cardioversion procedure which was offered. Basically they they give you a light anaesthetic, stop your heart & then give you an electric shock or two to start it which may get your heart back into a normal rhythm. I wasn't too keen on the whole thing especially the risk of stroke & the fact it's not always successful & may not last.

Out of the blue I got a hospital appointent for the procedure & after some thought decided I was going for it as I was sick of having massively swollen anles & feet & was worried about the amount of medication I was taking. 

Well the day was today & with a lot of apprehension I was at the hospital for 7.15am. It's a new surgical centre which is really lovely, I had a lovely view of a little patio. 

I have to say the people were wonderful & thankfully
the whole thing went well, with one shock they got it back into rhythm. So it's thanks once again to the amazing NHS which gets so much unwarranted criticism.

Now I have to wait & see whether it will last. Time will tell, but in the meantime I have to follow more of the advice in the book!



Postscript:

Sadly the atrial fibrillation returned last Thursday so we're back to square one just using the medication. Don't really like taking lots of stuff but don't think I'll go for any other procedures if the medication route works. 

Thank You!

Freda & Finch

Well I'm feeling a bit ashamed at having such a long gap between posts but quite a lot has happened in just a few weeks. 

First of all I missed those cats I fostered in October so much that in early December I managed to persuade my husband to let me get them back, permanently. So here are the sisters, bigger, fatter & they settled back in no problem.

Then 10 days before Christmas I had a rude awakening when out of the blue I was admittted to hospital with a heart problem. That was certainly a shock to the system as the doctor who admitted me commented "You haven't been here since August 1973". He was right, that was just for 48 hours when I had my daughter Claire & I have enjoyed really good health since then apart from a dicky underactive thyroid well controlled with medication.

So what went wrong? I had noticed that I was having some palpitations, which I associated with needing a blood test to check my thyroid levels. The medication level was changed & I felt fine. Well until just before Christmas & one morning I felt dreadful.

Turned out I have atrial fibrillation. This is the British Heart Foundation's definition:

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common abnormal heart rhythm that happens when electrical impulses fire off from different places in the atria (the top chambers of the heart) in a disorganised way. This causes the atria to twitch, and is felt as an irregular heartbeat or pulse. Atrial fibrillation is a major cause of stroke.

I had never heard of it but it's very common apparently, especially in people over 80. Lots of people have it & lots have it & don't know. It was like having a bag of frogs jumping about inside me trying to get out. A bit like John Hurt in Alien!

There doesn't appear to be any particular reason for me having it, my thyroid is underactive not overactive, I certainly don't drink excessively, don't do drugs, don't drink more than 25 cups of coffee a day & I'm not nearly 80! 

I didn't take kindly to taking what seems to me to be a lot of medication, a beta blocker to slow my heart down & a thinner to avoid a stroke but on the plus side it looks like I don't need any operations as thankfully there has been no damage done to my heart. Taking things easier & living life at a slower pace is difficult but have to say it's a good excuse for doing less housework & more sewing, knitting & crochet. As if I needed one!

I'm so grateful to the NHS for the wonderful care I received both in hospital & locally at every level. I've never come across so many lovely people who all obviously enjoy their jobs & couldn't do enough for you, whether it was a cleaner, nurse or doctor they were all wonderful. I felt like writing a review for Tripadvisor for them! The NHS comes in for so much criticism but all I can say is thank God for it & all those amazing people who work for it.

The cats have been a blessing too. They've made me smile at their antics & been a real comfort when I've been awake during the night. Cat stroking & listening to the purring is so therapeutic. 

Something like this is a real shock as I've always been so healthy & able to walk, swim & had no restrictions on my life. It certainly makes you rethink your priorities and be grateful & thank God for every day you have, even with its limitations. It could have been so much worse!