The DU Lounge

I honestly don't think I would have noticed if, due to Covid-19 precautions, we had not listened to advice to purchase an oximeter for home use to measure blood oxygen levels and heart rates.

My a-flutter/a-fib came to my attention one night when I wasn't feeling well and decided to check my pulse and oxygen level with the oximeter. As it turned out, I was in tachycardia, meaning my heart rate was over 100 bpm and was not going down. That is my only symptom, although I now know that stress is my main trigger. I ended up going to ER that night, and they figured it out. But without that little bit of new (for me) home technology, I would never have noticed this.

They always ask me if I am "feeling palpitations," and I say "no" because I never FEEL anything. I only know if I check my pulse. The only other symptom is fatigue because being in tachycardia does make me super tired, but we csn feel fatigued for any number if reasons.

Our situations are different other than the extra beats. I don't have plaque buildup, for instance. But I hope what I've experienced with ablations is helpful for you. It is not an invasive heart surgery. They just go into your heart through a blood vessel entered through a small incision in your groin. They will insert a device through the breathing tube for anesthesia that gives them a live, in color, map of your heart activity. The elecyrophysiologist locates the nerves that are causing extra beats and turns them off electronically. You will never notice anything much at all after the surgery, but within a few days, you will start to feel better than you've felt in a long time! At least that was my experience.