Posted by Carl Plaskett on January 06, 2004 at 23:00:01:
In Reply to: Re: afib & PVC's posted by John Behle on January 06, 2004 at 20:42:41:
John,I started my "research" into the Maze earlier than you, thanks to an EP who saw me on a "consult" after my one and only hospitalization re:afib/chest pain. He told me about the Maze in '96, and said that he had worked with Jim Cox at Washington Univ. and would refer me if I ever became a candidate. He drew a picture of what is done, explained it in detail, and wrote his private # on the paper, should I ever have any questions.(I still have that paper) About 3 years later, I was really bad, with many multi-day episodes with HR of 145-260, so I called him. He saw me immediately, did a flutter ablation 2 days later on 3/1/99, and I THOUGHT I was cured. I could run (which I hate, but enjoyed after being denied that pain for so long--a masochist I AM). Alas, afib came back, even though he put me on amiodarone. At least the max HR was now only 165.
I started looking for info on the maze and finally screwed up the courage to contact Dr. Cox' office at Georgetown in the Spring of 2000. Disappointment again, as he had stopped doing surgeries because of double knee replacement surgeries.
Time passed, my lungs got bad, the prospect of dragging an oxygen bottle around or a lung transplant or worse nagged me. In September, Jack Drum started this site, which he announced on the Afib Page Message Board. I started reading it daily, and in a matter of a couple of weeks, Maze vets were posting and I was corresponding and talking with them. Jim Pope, Jack Drum, SuLynn Mester (her husband had the Maze), Tom Meyer, Anders Kingstedt, Tom Glass, Steve Giddings, Bob Reiley, Bill Bullard, Kathy Ronka(sp?), They or their spouses were ALIVE! They were HAPPY! I was EXCITED! I WAS SCARED TO DEATH!!, like John.
Then I got an email and a call from Karl Wickstrom, whose early posts disappeared with Jack's old site as new posts bumped off old ones. Karl told me his story, which was horrific. He survived the maze, but developed an ungodly infection, so bad that they had to open his chest and prop it open for a week while they topically treated the infection and they kept him in a coma for a week. He was hospitalized for 3 months and as he put it, it was nip and tuck for awhile. Nevertheless, he said, he would do it ALL again to feel as he did then,in late 2000, playing tennis, fishing,etc. and working as Founder and Editor of Florida Sportsman, a well known magazine (at least in Fla).
Like you, John, when I tried to relate his story to my wife, I couldn't speak because it had affected me so much. I could only lead her to the computer so she could read his words. Right then, I decided that if he would do THAT again, I was going for a cure ASAP!!!I advised my EP that I wanted to go for it, and he made the arrangements at the CC, since Dr.Cox was not doing surgeries.
Was I scared? At LEAST as frightened as John, but through this board, I knew of at least 2 others who were going to be at the CC the week before me (so I could chicken out if they didn't make it or look good when I saw them before my procedure). I was also determined that I would rather die trying to be cured than to become any more of the "vegetable" I had become, or having to find a way to do it myself.
Seeing Ed Wehan's & Mike Johnson's smiling faces after their Mazes (Ed already released and in the Guest House on day 4), made me even more determined. Meeting Dr. Hammer the next day and finding immense comfort in his manner and willingness to answer ALL questions, however long I wanted to ask them, further empowered me. My surgery had been scheduled for Monday, but perhaps they grew tired of my telling everyone that I didn't want to "sit around over the weekend", they moved it to Friday. Then Wed at 10PM, they called me in the Guest House and told me to come in early Thursday for the Maze. (The squeaky wheel, DOES get the grease!).
The rest is history. I am cured. I ALSO was turned down this year for life insurance by Capitol Life, even after spending 25+ years in the life insurance business. I haven't given up, but I figure I'll lose more weight and get back into competitive activities so I can prove to some underwriter that we ARE cured. I guess we who want insurance need to find personal physicians who have had the Maze, and can write intelligently, with authority, about curing afib. There are only a few I know of, and they all are too far away to become my doctor.
If I could relive the 1990s, knowing how badly I would feel by the end of the decade, I would have gone for the Maze much earlier, but I didn't know much about computers, the internet, and darn it, Jack hadn't started this site yet, which would have precluded me from "meeting" the folks I cited above, and others I have probably forgotten, meeting in person about a dozen "cured" Mazers, and speaking with dozens more pre and post-Maze.
We share a common bond. We are cured, and to paraphrase John, would not recommend waiting for the "next best thing to come down the pike", when the KNOWN best cure with a 16+ year track record is available at a number of locations,and the second best cure (PVA/PVI) is available at a few locations.
I am excited about some of the new technology which really appears to be on the horizon, but would not personally opt to be one of the early recipients, given the experiences of so many "Vets" who went before and after me.
I am going for my annual visit to my EP on Thursday, 10 days short of 3 years post-maze. He will be doing an EKG requested by Dr. McCarthy at the CC so they can come up with definitive long-term results for the Maze through a continuing study the CC is doing. I suspect that he will ask me to talk to some other chronic afibbers about my experience (as I have for the last 3 visits), and scold me about losing more weight (like he couldn't stand the same).
Good luck and NSR to all, and to all a good night.