After-Action Report

Now added to my list of lifetime medical experiences: cardiac ablation for atrial fibrillation. All indications are yesterday’s procedure was a success, and the AFib should be dormant now. I’m home, taking it easy until the puncture wounds heal, monitoring my heart rate with a smart watch. Donna was with me all day at Banner University Hospital and drove me home afterward: in at 0700, out at 1700, home-made chicken noodle soup for dinner. My medical care was outstanding and we enjoyed chatting with the nurses, the anesthesiologist, and my doctor … but it’s not an experience I want to re-live.

Of course I was out for the two-hour procedure itself, where they ran probes through my veins from either side of my groin (hence the puncture wounds) up into my beating ventricle, induced atrial fibrillation and flutter in order to find the offending nerve clusters, then burned them. I came to in a curtained recovery stall, Donna by my side. Recovery was four hours, flat on my back to allow the puncture wounds to heal enough so they wouldn’t bleed once I was back on my feet. In fact that was the test for releasing me to go home: standing up and walking around a bit with no bleeding. I passed, but man, did I ever have to pee. My first stop on the walking tour was the restroom across from the recovery stall, which I’d been anxiously eyeing for the last hour. Am I over-sharing? Sorry.

Now, with luck, life will get back to normal. Thanks for bearing with me through all these damn medical updates.

Donna’s birthday is coming up soon. One known gift, a fitted sunscreen for her car; one surprise, which I ordered for one-day delivery from Amazon this morning. Our son and grandson are driving down for a weekend visit at the end of the month; the pool will probably be warm enough for swimming by then, and we’re planning to cook some ribs, maybe even a low country boil. Lots to look forward to.

Stay fresh, cheese bags!