One Year Post Maze

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Posted by Ed Wehan on January 09, 2002 at 22:10:08:

It was January 10th one year ago that I walked into CC and checked myself into the surgical unit. I was completely confident that my decision was the right one but there was risk and with a five year old daughter, I wanted to be around for awhile longer. When I woke after surgery and saw my friends and relatives (actually only two at a time), I was so so happy. I had made it.

I had AFib for 14 years prior to surgery and for almost all of that time, I was counseled by the medical community to live with it as that was the thing to do. I didn't know about the maze option because no one told me. That was until I found the Maze board and more importantly, this board. What this board did was educate me, provide support, and finally give me contacts with others who had gone through the same thing. Those individuals, now too many to name, were almost unanimous in their encouragement to proceed. They all graciously responded to my questions.

I won't list my accomplishments for the last 12 months since surgery as although they are exciting to me and indicative of what the maze surgery can do, what I really now focus on is why having the maze surgery makes so much sense. Looking back on my last couple of years prior to surgery, I can tell you about what a struggle it was to run, how playing tennis I almost passed out and how I was slowly eliminating those activities that I loved and that made my life meaningful in many ways. Triggers!!! What a pain. There goes coffee and a glass of wine. Not too much stress. Life was compressing. I remember those cardioversions. Not really painful but a pain in the rear, that's for sure. I remember all of the drugs. Trying to figure out what would work. Ignoring the side effects but always knowing that they were there. While on amiodarone which worked well for me, taking pulmonary function tests and liver tests to make sure those organs weren't being damaged. When the drugs finally no longer worked (which will almost always happen), I remember the coumidin. Having to go in weekly at first to get the levels right and then going in monthly for that stick in the arm to make sure the Pro-Time was OK. I am an active person but I had to eliminate things I loved for fear of hemmoraging from bleeding if I fell. I still tried to run but my heart had to work so hard to do very little. Cardiomyopathy?? That heart muscle had to be affected by the inefficiencies of the pumping action of my atria. I would probably live a long time without the maze but the quality of that life was becoming less and less.

Yes, the maze was a tough decision and I asked many people for advice. But, now I ask myself how foolish it would have been if I hadn't have done it.

My daughter is six now. I still can't beat her in a running race (and I never will) but I still can chase her up the hills and take her backpacking. If for no other reason, the maze has given me this.

I was fortunate at CC to have Mike Johnson and Carl Plaskett by my side. Carl is back after his maze and will soon be back to his competitive triathlon self. Mike is taking longer but he is upbeat and ready to move ahead. It was quite an experience to share CC with these two guys (and Debbie too).

Of course, I will finally sign off with my thanks to Jack Drum who I hope to meet someday and John Behle who has helped to make this board what it is. There are many other others but really important are Anders and Steve Giddings whose postings I always study.

Finally, finally. There is Dr. McCarthy who did his job so very well and Dr. Cox who started this whole thing and without whom, I wouldn't have been able to place this very lengthy post!!!! Would I do it again? In a heart beat!!

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