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Terrified of ablation on friday

Posted , 6 users are following.

alishiabug
alishiabug

I was just diagnosed with svt, atrial tachycardia, last month. Started having symptoms 6 months ago but it was only happening once a month, until last month, then it was happened every day sometimes 3-4 times. And it mainly hit me at night while i was sleeping. Would wake from a dead sleep to my heart rate at 200bpm. Was first put on metroprolol which made me super dizzy and naseous to where i couldn't eat anything and was losing weight. Then they put me on diltiazem which wasnt stoping the episodes. So then after a night in the hospital and 5 episodes being caught on the monitor they started me on flecainade, which helped with my episodes but the side effects were keeping me from my day to day life as a stay at home mom. So two weeks ago they decided ablation would be a good idea cause my body is so sensitive to medicines and my quality of life has been horrible. My dr said success rates for this type of tachycardia starts in the 70% range depending on where the spot is on my heart and said if its on the back side of my heart it will be harder to get to and that thats when a better chance for complications happens. He said that its only 1% chance of any major complications though. And that its a low risk procedure. But im still terrified and cry everyday cause im mainly scared of dying from the procedure. I dont want to leave my kids :'( my ablation is in 2 days, may 12th. Was wondering if i could hear some stories from any of you who have had the ablation done and your thoughts and expirences.

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • ciaran33745
    ciaran33745 alishiabug

    Posted

    Hey there. Sorry you're very anxious about the ablation.

    The first thing to get out of the way is that you will not die from the procedure. Travelling to and from the hospital is probably more life-threatening smile

    Its normal to be apprehensive and anxious about stuff like this, but these people are experts and they would not be performing an ablation on you unless the tests have shown that it will be a very low risk procedure in your particular case. 

    Sometimes the first ablation does not cure SVT because they cannot locate the precise site of the anomaly, but if so a second attempt on a different day is very likely to work. Whatever happens, its extremely unlikely that the outcome will leave you worse off than you are now. 

    I had my ablation when I was very ill during chemo, and just after I'd had my spleen removed, but it still worked and cured my SVT permanently, so why on earth wouldn't it be a success for you!

    Try to keep very busy between now and Friday morning so you have the least spare time to worry.

    The day itself will be much easier and less stressful than you think. Soon after you arrive in the hospital they will give you something to chill you out. From then on things will seem pretty relaxed.

    I'm a man, but would guess that if you have given birth to children then the procedure will be relatively painless and straightforward. 

    You will get a local at the entry site so you wont feel any pain. It'll then probably feel a bit strange but not painful when the device is moved inside you to the site, then they'll probably briefly trigger your SVT, burn away a small amount of tissue (which I can't remember feeling at all) and the next thing you know is that they remove the device and its all over. 

    The chances are that you will be allowed home the same day, and this horrible condition will be gone for good.

    I only wish I had mine years earlier, before SVT made my life so scary and unpredictable, and stole much of the fun of behaving like a dad to my own kids.

    You will be fine. And please do come back on here as soon as you can afterwards to let us know how it all went!

    If there's anything you'd like to ask here then please do.

    Will be thinking of you on Friday, take care smile

    • alishiabug
      alishiabug ciaran33745

      Posted

      How scary for you to have to go through all of that at once! Glad it all went well and cured your svt! Thank you so much for responding. Ive been a crying mess for days. Your response did help me feel a little bit better. Im kinda scared of feeling the wires in my veins and around my heart cause im scared that will make me pass out cause of how squimish i am lol but my main fear is dying. I've read online where people have died anywhere from 48 hours after to 3 months after. Scares me alot rolleyes

    • ciaran33745
      ciaran33745 alishiabug

      Posted

      Hi again. Others here might have had different experiences or sensations, but I just remember lying there relaxed and talking and joking with the medics. The local didn't really work in my case but it still wasn't painful. Apart from the chill pill, the whole thing was so bizarre and quick I really don't remember being at all stressed during it. I'd be surprised if you don't say something similar when you come back to us here.

      Overall, I can honestly say that it was no worse than just one SVT episode of the same duration. But the reward of being SVT free is wonderful smile

       

    • alishiabug
      alishiabug ciaran33745

      Posted

      thank you again. I'll definitely come here after the procedure to give an update.

    • ciaran33745
      ciaran33745

      Posted

      About the scary stuff you've read online....

      I know from personal experience that, apart from complex medical papers, its often only the really sad and really bad stuff that makes it online. Often posted there by grieving loved ones trying to console one another.

      It might be an idea to browse this site to find first hand accounts about ablations. Particularly from people whose first ablation procedure failed for some reason and who still went on to have another successful one, or are currently waiting for their second one.

      If it was that bad or dangerous or scary they wouldn't go for another one smile

  • bob51648
    bob51648 alishiabug

    Posted

    Hi. Cirian is 100% right. I had mine one month and one day ago. There is nothing to worry about. I am a caregiver and, apart from any lifting, was back at work 2 days later. Like you, I was terrified. Look forward to a life without SVT. Concentrate on life after the procedure. All the best.
    • alishiabug
      alishiabug bob51648

      Posted

      Thank you for replying. Im glad you are doing great after the procedure smile
  • ann82027
    ann82027 alishiabug

    Posted

    Good luck with your ablation,will be thinking of you on Friday. I,m waiting for mine,just diagnosed in February and like yourself I,ve had loads of attacks waking me up from sleep.  
    • alishiabug
      alishiabug ann82027

      Posted

      Its such a scary feeling to wake up from a deep sleep like that. Do you know when you are having your ablation?
    • ann82027
      ann82027 alishiabug

      Posted

      I,m waiting for an appointment at Barts Hospital, i only just saw a specialist a month ago who referred me.   I did not know how many have this condition, i thought there was something wrong with me, found this site and realised there are so many.   I,ve always been an anxious person, i put it down to that.
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