Posted by Terry Gann on January 07, 2004 at 13:53:14:
In Reply to: Again posted by Glenn Camp on January 07, 2004 at 12:43:02:
Glenn,
When I was having daily episodes of a-fib and feeling exactly as you describe, I heard "just calm down" from family and friends so much that I could scream!!! - even from my good friend who is a general practitioner. No one seems to understand how bad it can feel when you feel like your heart might jump out of your chest. Many times, the whole bed would shake from my heart. I know there are many people who don't feel a-fib; they don't know that they are in this irregular rhythm until they have an EKG. Maybe it's a difference in the size of the chest area. I don't know, but I do understand your frustation.I experienced a-fib for 15 years before having the maze surgery in January, 2001 by Dr. McCarthy at the CC - I've been a-fib free since! Thank God! Over the 15 years, I sort of got used to it; after a while I didn't call the Doctor or rush to the ER because I knew that they really couldn't do anything more than what I was doing at home - so I tried to relax. I hope you can get the appropriate tests soon - if you know progress is being made, it makes life a whole lot easier.
Terry