4 months post maze and feeling great.

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Posted by Pete Tabolt on October 28, 2002 at 18:48:50:

I am now 4 months post maze (by Dr. McCarthy at CC) and feeling great. I had been in chronic afib for nine years and the side effects of the heart rate medicatons were wearing me down. I came out of surgery in normal sinus rythm but two days later went into post surgery afib- aflutter. (Happens to about 40 % of us during the first few weeks. This was only stopped with amiodarone. But I have been being weaned off amiodarone since the beginning of September and have been totally free of amiodarone for the last week and a half and I am still in Normal Sinus Rythm.
I run 2 miles three times a week and walk 3 miles the other days. This something I hadn't been able to do for the last three years. In fact I could jog a lot farther if wasn't for my legs being so out of shape. I don't get near as tired. I have my sex life back (Beta blockers do a number on that ) and life is great. I hesitated for three years before deciding on the maze but am certainly glad I made the leap.

There has been some discussion on this board about "Why the Maze". Afib does not kill you directly. And some fortunate people are little effected by afib or the medications, but for most of us Afib robs us of an active life slowly wears us down. The medicatons often and in my case did cause other health problems. Reduced ability for excercise increases your risk for cardiovascular disease if you have a tendency toward it. So for most of us the maze and the new ablations make a major major difference in the quality of life. I look forward to the day when everyone who wants a maze or a top notch ablation will have access to these life improving procedures and be able to afford it.

I want to thank Jack Drum and all the regular contributors whose stories inspired me to make one of the best decisions in my life.

Pete Tabolt

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