Big day for heart problems

[Conan The Librarian]

My friend's wife is in the hospital for "atrial fibrillation". We are scared now. Husband has been up all night worrying. Looks like she'll pull through, but this is a big event.

[yellowtail3]

sorry to hear it - hope they pull through

[Conan The Librarian]

It's something I see all too often lately. They've both had good health all their lives, and this is their first health scare. They're both in their mid-60s. It's just another example of how we need to treat everyone as precious, and every day as being worthy of good deeds. The wife is affected directly because it's her heart and health. It also affects the husband because he's sick with worry and wants her to be alright.
 
Children and grandkids are involved too.

[yellowtail3]

It's just another example of how we need to treat everyone as precious, and every day as being worthy of good deeds.

I've become ever more aware of how temporary our time here is, and as such... the value of folks while we've got them - even those I don't know.

[oldandslow]

My wife has had a-fib for many years. It's scary and can be very unplesant, However you are no more likely to have a heart attack than a person without the condition. Stroke is where the danger lies and you are much more likely to have one if you have a-fib without the proper drugs to control your blood thickness. As far as I am aware there are three available now from the old stand-by warfarin (rat poison) to a couple of fairly new ones. Newer is better. Warfarin is a real pain in the butt.

There are also a number of drugs to control the a-fib. My wife took every one of them with mixed sucess but would always build up a resistance to each and it would quit working. A pacemaker will take care of it but you still have to do the blood thinner thing.

[Sourdough]

It's a wake up call for all involved.  Some listen some don't.  The initial shock is hard on everyone.  But take your meds, and do as told by the doctors.  Try and extend it as long as your can.

I was told Friday by the Cardiologist I would be taking Plavix the rest of my life.  Makes me wonder how much longer do I have?  How much longer do we all have? 

[FPH]

It's a wake up call for all involved.  Some listen some don't.  The initial shock is hard on everyone.  But take your meds, and do as told by the doctors.  Try and extend it as long as your can.

I was told Friday by the Cardiologist I would be taking Plavix the rest of my life.  Makes me wonder how much longer do I have?  How much longer do we all have?

I wouldn't worry about the Plavix.  I take 75 mg three times a week.  Both my Hemotologist and my Cardiologist take Plavix and say they think everyone should be on it.  Our time here is a blink of an eye.

[KIMBER45]

Both my wife and a friend suffered from it. They had it fixed by haveing the nerve abliated. Ask your cardiologist if that is an option. It's the same procedure as having a stent put in ,but they abliate the nerve going from the atrium to the ventricle. Both my wife and friend don't have atrial fib any longer after the procedure.

[Conan The Librarian]

OldAndSlow, Sourdough, FPH, and Kimber45:
 
Thank you for your thoughtful responses and ideas. It is really a wake-up call for all involved. We'll have to see what the docs want to do in her case.