The Watchman

[canefan]

After a failed cardioversion in late October, a nuclear stress test and a transesophageal echocardiogram, my cardiologist and cardio electrophysiology have suggested I forego ablation since I have no symptoms despite being in persistent A Fib for almost five years. Instead, I will go in the hospital next Thursday for left atrial appendage closure, The Watchman procedure. This will allow me to discontinue blood thinners in about 45 days and then take something like Plavix for another 45 days before hopefully just taking a baby aspirin a day the rest of my journey here. Hopefully no more surgical procedures. Just continued PT for now hoping to walk unassisted. In six months I've gone from a mobility scooter to a walker and now canes.

[kaz]

Feb 16, 2023 20:58:17 GMT -5 canefan said:

After a failed cardioversion in late October, a nuclear stress test and a transesophageal echocardiogram, my cardiologist and cardio electrophysiology have suggested I forego ablation since I have no symptoms despite being in persistent A Fib for almost five years. Instead, I will go in the hospital next Thursday for left atrial appendage closure, The Watchman procedure. This will allow me to discontinue blood thinners in about 45 days and then take something like Plavix for another 45 days before hopefully just taking a baby aspirin a day the rest of my journey here. Hopefully no more surgical procedures. Just continued PT for now hoping to walk unassisted. In six months I've gone from a mobility scooter to a walker and now canes.

Getting old sucks, doesn't it? I spent 17 days in hospital last Oct/Nov. Hemoglobin was down to 4.8, I was admitted, got three units of blood, and then a battery of tests including endoscopy, cystoscopy, colonoscopy, x-rays, ultrasounds and CAT scans. Never found any bleeding, but they did determine my kidneys weren't functioning properly, so they stuck a port in my chest and now I get to do dialysis twice a week. 5 daily meds and 1 weekly. And during one of the procedures in hospital, supposedly I went into AFib, so now seeing a cardiologist for that. It's all better than the alternative, I guess. Good luck with your procedure next week.

[oujour76]

Feb 16, 2023 23:13:20 GMT -5 kaz said:

Feb 16, 2023 20:58:17 GMT -5 canefan said:

After a failed cardioversion in late October, a nuclear stress test and a transesophageal echocardiogram, my cardiologist and cardio electrophysiology have suggested I forego ablation since I have no symptoms despite being in persistent A Fib for almost five years. Instead, I will go in the hospital next Thursday for left atrial appendage closure, The Watchman procedure. This will allow me to discontinue blood thinners in about 45 days and then take something like Plavix for another 45 days before hopefully just taking a baby aspirin a day the rest of my journey here. Hopefully no more surgical procedures. Just continued PT for now hoping to walk unassisted. In six months I've gone from a mobility scooter to a walker and now canes.

Getting old sucks, doesn't it? I spent 17 days in hospital last Oct/Nov. Hemoglobin was down to 4.8, I was admitted, got three units of blood, and then a battery of tests including endoscopy, cystoscopy, colonoscopy, x-rays, ultrasounds and CAT scans. Never found any bleeding, but they did determine my kidneys weren't functioning properly, so they stuck a port in my chest and now I get to do dialysis twice a week. 5 daily meds and 1 weekly. And during one of the procedures in hospital, supposedly I went into AFib, so now seeing a cardiologist for that. It's all better than the alternative, I guess. Good luck with your procedure next week.

Damn. That’s a tough road. Wishing you all the best moving forward.

[canefan]

Feb 16, 2023 23:13:20 GMT -5 kaz said:

Feb 16, 2023 20:58:17 GMT -5 canefan said:

After a failed cardioversion in late October, a nuclear stress test and a transesophageal echocardiogram, my cardiologist and cardio electrophysiology have suggested I forego ablation since I have no symptoms despite being in persistent A Fib for almost five years. Instead, I will go in the hospital next Thursday for left atrial appendage closure, The Watchman procedure. This will allow me to discontinue blood thinners in about 45 days and then take something like Plavix for another 45 days before hopefully just taking a baby aspirin a day the rest of my journey here. Hopefully no more surgical procedures. Just continued PT for now hoping to walk unassisted. In six months I've gone from a mobility scooter to a walker and now canes.

Getting old sucks, doesn't it? I spent 17 days in hospital last Oct/Nov. Hemoglobin was down to 4.8, I was admitted, got three units of blood, and then a battery of tests including endoscopy, cystoscopy, colonoscopy, x-rays, ultrasounds and CAT scans. Never found any bleeding, but they did determine my kidneys weren't functioning properly, so they stuck a port in my chest and now I get to do dialysis twice a week. 5 daily meds and 1 weekly. And during one of the procedures in hospital, supposedly I went into AFib, so now seeing a cardiologist for that. It's all better than the alternative, I guess. Good luck with your procedure next week.

Damn, dialysis sucks. I mean, it's great we have it but what a pain in the ass. Are you on a transplant list for a new kidney? My hemoglobin dropped low after each of my joint replacement surgeries but we figured it was just due to blood loss in the surgery. Took 65mg of Iron three times a day until a week or two ago and brought that and my MCHC back into normal range. And welcome to the wonderful world of AFib. I am one of the fortunate ones who can't tell I'm in AFib until I see the ECG strip. Have they tried to cardiovert you yet?

[Panama pfRedd]

Wow you guys, I had no idea. I've lifted up prayer for both of you and will continue to do so. Cowboy too.

[cbisbig]

Wow, good luck to you two!🙏🙏
Positive thoughts and prayers

[kaz]

Feb 17, 2023 8:33:30 GMT -5 canefan said:

Feb 16, 2023 23:13:20 GMT -5 kaz said:

Getting old sucks, doesn't it? I spent 17 days in hospital last Oct/Nov. Hemoglobin was down to 4.8, I was admitted, got three units of blood, and then a battery of tests including endoscopy, cystoscopy, colonoscopy, x-rays, ultrasounds and CAT scans. Never found any bleeding, but they did determine my kidneys weren't functioning properly, so they stuck a port in my chest and now I get to do dialysis twice a week. 5 daily meds and 1 weekly. And during one of the procedures in hospital, supposedly I went into AFib, so now seeing a cardiologist for that. It's all better than the alternative, I guess. Good luck with your procedure next week.

Damn, dialysis sucks. I mean, it's great we have it but what a pain in the ass. Are you on a transplant list for a new kidney? My hemoglobin dropped low after each of my joint replacement surgeries but we figured it was just due to blood loss in the surgery. Took 65mg of Iron three times a day until a week or two ago and brought that and my MCHC back into normal range. And welcome to the wonderful world of AFib. I am one of the fortunate ones who can't tell I'm in AFib until I see the ECG strip. Have they tried to cardiovert you yet?

No transplant list yet, but I'm gonna talk to the social worker at dialysis about it next week. Seems like quite an evaluation process before they'll add your name to the list. They were calling mine an acute kidney injury, with the slim hope that things would improve, but the numbers aren't getting better, so the nephrologist changed it to chronic kidney disease. Saw him this morning and he wants to do the fistula now as a permanent access point, so that was a bummer. Could be worse!

Only saw the cardiologist once, and he's scheduled a TTE for April, so I don't think he's overly concerned about it. He mentioned ablation as one thing they could do, but said it's too early to talk about stuff like that yet.

[kaz]

Feb 17, 2023 7:46:25 GMT -5 oujour76 said:

Feb 16, 2023 23:13:20 GMT -5 kaz said:

Getting old sucks, doesn't it? I spent 17 days in hospital last Oct/Nov. Hemoglobin was down to 4.8, I was admitted, got three units of blood, and then a battery of tests including endoscopy, cystoscopy, colonoscopy, x-rays, ultrasounds and CAT scans. Never found any bleeding, but they did determine my kidneys weren't functioning properly, so they stuck a port in my chest and now I get to do dialysis twice a week. 5 daily meds and 1 weekly. And during one of the procedures in hospital, supposedly I went into AFib, so now seeing a cardiologist for that. It's all better than the alternative, I guess. Good luck with your procedure next week.

Damn. That’s a tough road. Wishing you all the best moving forward.

Thanks, Harry!

[kaz]

Feb 17, 2023 9:35:34 GMT -5 Panama pfRedd said:

Wow you guys, I had no idea. I've lifted up prayer for both of you and will continue to do so. Cowboy too.

Thanks - keep 'em coming.

[kaz]

Feb 17, 2023 10:31:53 GMT -5 cbisbig said:

Wow, good luck to you two!🙏🙏
Positive thoughts and prayers

Thanks, Bammer!

[canefan]

Feb 17, 2023 11:18:00 GMT -5 kaz said:

Feb 17, 2023 8:33:30 GMT -5 canefan said:

Damn, dialysis sucks. I mean, it's great we have it but what a pain in the ass. Are you on a transplant list for a new kidney? My hemoglobin dropped low after each of my joint replacement surgeries but we figured it was just due to blood loss in the surgery. Took 65mg of Iron three times a day until a week or two ago and brought that and my MCHC back into normal range. And welcome to the wonderful world of AFib. I am one of the fortunate ones who can't tell I'm in AFib until I see the ECG strip. Have they tried to cardiovert you yet?

No transplant list yet, but I'm gonna talk to the social worker at dialysis about it next week. Seems like quite an evaluation process before they'll add your name to the list. They were calling mine an acute kidney injury, with the slim hope that things would improve, but the numbers aren't getting better, so the nephrologist changed it to chronic kidney disease. Saw him this morning and he wants to do the fistula now as a permanent access point, so that was a bummer. Could be worse!

Only saw the cardiologist once, and he's scheduled a TTE for April, so I don't think he's overly concerned about it. He mentioned ablation as one thing they could do, but said it's too early to talk about stuff like that yet.

Good luck. I've been in constant AFib since June 2018 and have never felt anything with it. As long as you take blood thinners or get the left atrial appendage closure done, your risk of stroke from a clot is pretty low. It does sound like you are heading for the transplant list on your kidneys though.

[oujour76]

Feb 17, 2023 11:18:00 GMT -5 kaz said:

Feb 17, 2023 8:33:30 GMT -5 canefan said:

Damn, dialysis sucks. I mean, it's great we have it but what a pain in the ass. Are you on a transplant list for a new kidney? My hemoglobin dropped low after each of my joint replacement surgeries but we figured it was just due to blood loss in the surgery. Took 65mg of Iron three times a day until a week or two ago and brought that and my MCHC back into normal range. And welcome to the wonderful world of AFib. I am one of the fortunate ones who can't tell I'm in AFib until I see the ECG strip. Have they tried to cardiovert you yet?

No transplant list yet, but I'm gonna talk to the social worker at dialysis about it next week. Seems like quite an evaluation process before they'll add your name to the list. They were calling mine an acute kidney injury, with the slim hope that things would improve, but the numbers aren't getting better, so the nephrologist changed it to chronic kidney disease. Saw him this morning and he wants to do the fistula now as a permanent access point, so that was a bummer. Could be worse!

Only saw the cardiologist once, and he's scheduled a TTE for April, so I don't think he's overly concerned about it. He mentioned ablation as one thing they could do, but said it's too early to talk about stuff like that yet.

Getting old ain’t for sissies. 😎

[daleko]

Feb 17, 2023 11:18:00 GMT -5 kaz said:

Feb 17, 2023 8:33:30 GMT -5 canefan said:

Damn, dialysis sucks. I mean, it's great we have it but what a pain in the ass. Are you on a transplant list for a new kidney? My hemoglobin dropped low after each of my joint replacement surgeries but we figured it was just due to blood loss in the surgery. Took 65mg of Iron three times a day until a week or two ago and brought that and my MCHC back into normal range. And welcome to the wonderful world of AFib. I am one of the fortunate ones who can't tell I'm in AFib until I see the ECG strip. Have they tried to cardiovert you yet?

No transplant list yet, but I'm gonna talk to the social worker at dialysis about it next week. Seems like quite an evaluation process before they'll add your name to the list. They were calling mine an acute kidney injury, with the slim hope that things would improve, but the numbers aren't getting better, so the nephrologist changed it to chronic kidney disease. Saw him this morning and he wants to do the fistula now as a permanent access point, so that was a bummer. Could be worse!

Only saw the cardiologist once, and he's scheduled a TTE for April, so I don't think he's overly concerned about it. He mentioned ablation as one thing they could do, but said it's too early to talk about stuff like that yet.

Damn guys, hang in there. Positive thoughts about you both extended.

[canefan]

Well, after a night in the hospital, I am back home with orders to stand down for about a week. Not so much for my new left atrial appendage filter but instead because I have punctures in both groins over my femoral arteries. Don't want me bending or lifting so as to prevent increased pressure popping that insertion site open again. The procedure went very well and I feel fine. I fully expect them to give me a pacemaker within months or even a few years but for now, I remain in AFib but am also protected from an ischemic stroke that typically gets AFib patients. Knowing my luck now I'll probably have a hemorrhagic stroke instead (no protection from that). The good news is in 45 days I should be able to stop taking blood thinners. I will be taking baby aspirin daily for the rest of my life but that doesn't have the bleeding implications of prescription blood thinners.

And Kaz my brother, I am praying for you to have as great an outcome as I have.

[cbisbig]

Still praying for both of you!
God is good!🙏🙏