Posted by John Behle on April 30, 2001 at 20:45:30:
In Reply to: Not Ready for the Maze Yet? posted by Jerry on April 30, 2001 at 20:32:09:
I wish at 30 the MAZE had been around for me. At that time, I still had much of my health. At 43, the AF has taken such a toll that I was unable to have the MAZE due to Congestive Heart Failure.
I've spent many years wondering if I would have a stroke. At times I would rather have had a heart attack than face a bleak future of declining heatlth. I've missed much of the lives of some of my kids and can do very few of the activities I used to love.
I used to be a Professional Freestyle skier, race motorcycles and beat almost anyone I met in Racquetball. I jogged, lifted weights, hiked, waterskied and did about anything I wanted. I loved being healthy.
Now, I haven't skied for almost ten years. To try and feel alive again, I bought a motorcycle that sits in the driveway because I am usually too dizzy. I can only tease people about what I would do to them on the Racquetball court. I almost drowned twice last year trying to waterski and ride waverunners.
The heart problems were an annoyance as a teen. Bothersome in my 20's - but became worse by the day in my 30's. At 43, to walk around the block is a monumental task. The prices with my family have been huge, but financially too. Most of what I like to do I can't when it comes to my work. Most projects go unfinished because 50-60% of my life is in AF.
From my perspective, I'd love to turn back the clock and be in your shoes. Not that I'm not working to do so, but wish I had not gotten to this point because of increasing on and off AF that destroyed much of the quality of my life.
At 30, I may not have been fed up enough with it to undergo the surgery. I wouldn't have believed it would get so bad and of course it doesn't for everybody. I would have at least liked to have had the option.