Hi Louise, You dry skin could very well be from hypothyroidism even if not low enough to trigger alarm bells in your EP or and Endocrinologists office. even starting with Iodine repletion starting with half a tablet of Ioderol that you can buy directly through our IHerb link, that might help over time support your thyroid somewhat. Iodoral 12.5mg tablets Work you way up by and extra haby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Its no problem Barb, Just call the NP and tell her you DO require aTEE ands that Dr Natale told you so because you had a full LAA isolation. I don't know what NP you spoke with at St Luke's but just ask for Dr Barrett, explain to him that Dr N did a full LAA isolation and said you would need a 6 month TEE as part of the normal check up and that is what he will do with a moments hesitby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/821184?nlid=50465_2121&src=wnl_edit_medn_card&uac=6588DG&spon=2]Vitamin D reduces systemic inflammation This latest study in Vitamin D gives a big boost to the anti-inflammatory action of Vitamin D3 being one of its major pathways of positive action in the body. It also is fully in line with and builds on a number of early studies and suppositionby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Oops Lynn, I was adding a small comment to my first reply to your initial post to start this tread a short while ago and accidentally hit the delete button Again I have more of these buttons now at the bottom of each message as the administrator moderator and on occasion, especially when a little tired at night and using my iPhone as I was a short while ago, those buttons are very tiny on theby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Tsco, I thought I had replied earlier but I just may have typed it on my iPhone in Austin and accidentally deleted the reply before posting it. Anyway, Im glad your procedure is over and you can let things heal up. I did meet Gery Tomassoni who is your EP and had lunch with he and David Burkhardt, Natale, Salwa and Luigi Di Biase at the same table on Thursday. Dr Tomassoni is a very niceby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi researcher, I totally agree with your view about CABANA, its a nice idea but its very unlikely anything earth shattering will come out in the interim follow-up report at HRS in May, assuming they even still stick to that time schedule now that they are trying to adjust the original end points to make the full study more likely to show at least some useful results within all of our lifetimeby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Looks like another plus for going gluten free :-) ... or grain free that is. Shannonby Shannon - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
You are more than welcome Smack, Have a safe drive back home and take it easy too as Rob said. You'll probably want to take a couple naps a day the next number of days and don't rush resuming more intensive exercise. Give it several weeks before resuming anything more strenuous than good long walks and some stretching like yoga or Pilates type and mild to moderate body-weight resistaby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sally I trust you will be a fine with your choice as a paroxsymal case. It can still take a max of two procedures even with paroxysmal simply due to the potential of anesthesia to somewhat suppress certain active triggers during the first ablation, that will be much easier to ferret out in any touch up. But your odds of being one and done are certainly higher as a paroxysmal afibber, and I'mby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Nancy, glad to hear Dr Hongo said it went well. Don't be concerned with any flippies that can occur right now while your heart is still inflammed like it had a branding iron all over the inside of the LA .. Cause it did! Its likely that what felt like AFIB but much lighter could well be runs of PACs ... Or what he called APCs (Atrial Premature contractions) in his ablation report. Theby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mostly good points I agree with, but he massively underestimates the impact of uncontrolled AFIB on people's lives in my view. Yes, in some milder cases with lower intensity and more benign arrhythmia you can just 'learn to live with it', but that ignores the relentless ongoing progression of remodeling as well only making any future attempts to address it that much harder to pullby Shannon - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM
Hi Lynn, I did get your PM reply and many thanks, but just got back to the hotel after a very busy two days. Flying home first thing in the morning and will be back in Sedona tomorrow evening. Will try to answer in full on Sunday or Monday. Got good news on the communication front with Dr N's office, as the assistant there you spoke with on the phone ( to remain nameless in public) thatby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yes, very good point Lynn. Am in the middle of a break now during the morning session here on VT ablation methods and have no time now for a full answer but you are very likely on the right track with your thinking. PM me your contact info if you like and we can discuss it next week when I'm back. Very familiar with the nuances around this issue. But typing it all out is too time limitingby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
I urge any EU patients who can afford and arrange it to make Bordeaux your first choice whenever possible. Just as I recommend folks start with Natale in the US if and when they have no logistical or financial barriers toward doing so. Your odds of having this all behind you in the fewest possible procedures with the safest degree possible are simply highest when you do. If you have more simplby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank Larry and researcher for the heads up on the CF catheter approval, I guess it does not yet include the TactiCath from St Jude as their people here are not yet displaying it. I know Natale and a few other centers have been using the smart touch here the last month or two under approved FDA trial status, good to know approval is finally here! And hardly a celebrity Larry, more like 15 secoby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Lynn, That is news to me that its now supposedly perfectly safe to avoid going on blood thinners and still get an ECV more than 48 hours after a new continuous AFIB episode starts. Granted, the odds are much better for an otherwise healthy CHADS-2 score of Zero than for someone with a higher risk number, unless some new convincing series of studies I am unaware of have confirmed that posby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
A field report about Smackman's ablation today in Austin. It all went very well, and it was very interesting watching much of it unfold with about 170 EPs from all over in the large amphitheater-like video education room at St David's Med Center. It turns out Smackman has persistent but not long standing persistent and thus Dr Natale stopped just short of full LAA isolation afterby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Just an update, I spoke to Smackman a short while ago and he is all set and raring to go at 5am tomorrow when he is due to arrive at St Davids Med Center for the first ablation of the day starting around 7:30 or so in the morning. He and his wife and grown daughter drove the 8 hours to Austin from Monroe Louisiana as did his brother and his wife. Dr Natale asked if he would be willing to let hby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Randy, Yes in most cases you could detect a 'silent' AFIB with a radial pulse.. but then it is no longer silent . What they mean by silent AFIB is that the transfer of atrial quivering isn't as strongly translated to ventricular beats and thus symptoms tend to be very mild or second order such that the person has not awareness that any symptoms they may feel, if any at all, aby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Judianne and Lou, South Lake is the place in Canada, I believe Dr Khaykin is a colleague of Dr Atul Verma as well there and its Dr Verma, who worked with Dr Natale at Cleveland Clinic that Dr Natale has said was his top choice for an EP in Canada. So that group and likely both EPs having a very high regard, and Verma getting the direct nod for a Canadian Ablationist from one of the very beby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Dr Ernst has a very good reputation, I got a copy of her fully illustrated book with great photos of Cardiac Anatomy for Electrophysiologist which explains all the nitty gritty of cardiac anatomy and all the little structures and chambers we are always discussing here and explains all these parts of the heart anatomy in relationship to their EP connections with ablations and EP studies and diaby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Gill, Most people who come to the ER for AFIB do so after the start of a discreet episode and the vast majority of those for whom an episode suddenly appearing would drive them to an ER, are pretty discriminating and symptomatic about when they are or are not in AFIB. As such, while its true a person could be in silent AF and then suddenly become majorly symptomatic such that it would driveby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
You are still under the influence of some Multaq effect Smackman, that can result in these effect, especially during a taper. Just take it easy, tomorrow evening you can wash your car again when youy get to Austin, if you make it all the way to AFIB then you are only a matter of some hours before Dr N will put a stop to it. Drive safely and will see you Thursday afternoon after the conferenceby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Smackman, Have a safe drive, and ignore the second guessing , the vast majority of the time people do not trigger in the five days after going of AAR drugs prior to ablation. There is some residual effect of the drug leading up to about 12 hours before the ablation and very often it can stay quiet for some time before the inevitable happens and you are back in the the pits again and I can pby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Erich, You are welcome, and to address your three questions above... 1. Your Cardio no doubt is well meaning, but the odds of any of the supplements making this worse is not that big an issue and, for instance in the unlikely, but possible, event Taurine isn't needed for you or even that it helps trigger AF more, you will learn that quickly with little to no harm and will know to drby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
You're welcome Nancy And thanks for more details about your nutritionist and its great to hear they aren't using muscle testing as the final authority and that you and your husband made the choice based on considering all factors and not just what a muscle test said by itself. Again best wishes on Thursday and you'll do well no doubt. Just look at it like a process toward frby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Best of luck to you too Nancy, it seems like this is ablation week around here with you, Smackman and Tsco all jumping over the fence to greener pastures this week! You are in very good hands too and it will soon be over before you know it. Will be thinking of you too Nancy on Thursday while I'm watching Smackman's ablation live in Austin and Tscos recorded from today, Tuesday, thatby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Will do, I'll try to take a snapshot with my Iphone of your procedure! Enjoy dreamland with the Propofol tomorrow! Shannonby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Bon voyage Tsco and you will do fine! the car thing is telling you nothing but that its time to fix your car right after you get your heart fixed. This is the period just before a first ablation call the willy's where the reptilian brain takes over for a bit with fight or flight issues that are nothing more than a chicken running around without a head trying to figure out if the sky is reaby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Nancy, I want to share with you my experience with relying too religiously on muscle strength testing results to guide ones impression of what will or will not work for them before hand. Mind you, I didn't have an opinion one way of the other when first exposed to this kinesiology method but have worked with at leatst 20 people over the last four years who would not dare let anything pby Shannon - AFIBBERS FORUM