Atrial
Fibrillation
The Beast Arrives
I am a 55-year-old man. Until last
September four years ago I had never been sick, other than
colds and such, a day in my life! A real tough X-Football playing macho "I don't need to go to the doctor"
kind of guy.
I had started to feel run down for a long time, had trouble sleeping, gained some
weight, I thought welcome to 50+ you're just getting old...you just need to get your lazy butt back in shape - then
it happened. The "Beast"
Arrived.
I began to suspect this was
not your run of the mill beer gut inspired, get back to jogging and it will be all right episode.
I could hardly breath, I
felt BAD, and my heart was beating faster than I could ever
remember - this lasted for days. I could not sleep. I didn't want to eat. (I knew it was getting serious
now)
I thought I was going to die. I FELT
like I was going to die. The great health I had taken for granted all the years of my life
was gone. Add depression and fear and panic to my symptoms,
I was a basket case!
My wife finally said enough
is enough we are going to the emergency room. I did not argue. There is a reason God gives us wives to
take care of us.
I got hooked up to some
monitors and wow! - My heart rate was about 170 beats per minute!! I could not get my rate up that high if I
was running a marathon. This explained being out of breath, what was going on? The doctor said Atrial
Fibrillation and that pronouncement sent me on my unending quest to find out what that was and how to fight
it.
Atrial
Fibrillation affects almost 2.5 million people in the U.S. It is the most
common and the most misunderstood - heart condition. You may have it now and not know.
Sometimes the first symptom is a stroke or sudden cardiac DEATH!
Afib as I like to
lovingly call it can be controlled and even cured and does not have to be life threatening. "IF" you become
educated about the signs of trouble and how to get help.
This is my continuing story - I hope you can benefit from hearing
about one man's battle with Atrial
Fibrillation and the steps I took to get back to healthy living.
Stingram
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