Re: Are we the pioneers or the guinea pigs?

[Guest guest]

Desperation can be a substantial motivating factor. I personally found the

risks to be acceptable to solve what was for me an intolerable situation. It

seems to me that there are many varieties of afib, reactions to the

medications in addition to the emotional and intellectual reactions to afib. If

the

procedures were not fairly safe, and were not that effective, there would be no

financial incentive for hospitals to perform them.

As for the long term effects, the ablation scenario should be compared

to the long term effects of taking the medications. I chose my " poison " and

that was ablation.

As for the costs, there is probably some break even point where the

costs of the meds surpasses the cost of the ablation. If this were not so, I

believe that the insurance companies would not pay for the ablations.

[Guest guest]

This is an excellent post ~~~~~ thank you Germaine! Now - I have a special

request of the members who will be responding. Please click the *Reply*.

Do not create a separate message or thread.. In this way, the message and

its responses will become one thread and become part of my Suggested Reading

Database ~~~~~~~

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AFIBsupport/database

Thanks everyone!

Ellen

**************

----- Original Message -----

(snip) Many thanks to you all for your stories.(snip)

> If, from your own extensive knowledge, any of you can shed

> more light on the questions I have put forward, I am sure I

> and others who are new to the group would be most

> appreciative. Thanks, Germaine Canada

**************

[Guest guest]

Re: Are we the pioneers or the guinea pigs?

> This is an excellent post ~~~~~ thank you Germaine! Now - I have a

special

> request of the members who will be responding. Please click the *Reply*.

> Do not create a separate message or thread.. In this way, the message and

> its responses will become one thread and become part of my Suggested

Reading

> Database ~~~~~~~

>

> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AFIBsupport/database

>

> Thanks everyone!

> Ellen

> **************

> ----- Original Message -----

>

> (snip) Many thanks to you all for your stories.(snip)

> > If, from your own extensive knowledge, any of you can shed

> > more light on the questions I have put forward, I am sure I

> > and others who are new to the group would be most

> > appreciative. Thanks, Germaine Canada

> **************

>

>

>

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> Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or should

be acted upon without consultation with one's physician.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Germaine,

Just one big note, A Dr may mention to you a pace and ablate.

This is where the sinus node is ablated (disconnected) and a

pace maker, dual lead is fitted to pace the atria and the

ventricle.

This is a way of cutting out the symptoms but your heart is

still in AF. Its old fashioned now and some Eps are still

touting this, as the best in class.

A few years ago ,it was all we had and for those EP who have

not caught up it still being offered.

Drawbacks You still in AF all the time 24x 7.

You will will still need to be on a anti coagt ie warfarin

for

the rest of your life.

In some cases it may make you feel worse and there is no

going back once this procedure is done.

It was described as Palutive treatment and the last resort.

BE WARNED.

C Uk

Codling

Hornchurch Essex England

[Guest guest]

I have left the post below in-tact so you get to the point I

am making.

I agree with the sentiment of this post. My only motive in

deciding that the treatment for AF was desperation, sleeping

most of the weekend, No energy, side effects, serious in some

cases and to most of the medications and the loss of will

to carry on. It was only this web site and a very good friend

I found in Scotland and Ellen and a guy in Sweden that I use

to converse with on a regular basis that got me through my

darkest hour.When I could not get my breath and my heart was

pounding on my bed.My first choice was a Maze procedure in

Sweden or Holland and I was making waves to have this done.

Then Stuart in Scotland told me of all the good work being

done in

France and how Jais and Hassigure were developing treatments

for us all.

Then there was Dofetilide that took me over a year to get the

drug and getting letters from Pfizer saying please do not

contact us any more with your " Numerous faxs, email's, letter,

etc " .

So yes we are guinea pigs and yes I am glad we were and are,

as in this insignificant life I know that there is some good

that I have help others to over come this terrible condition.

I must also confess, that I find my self very uneasy, when I

get posts saying I am not sure if I should have the ablation.

For me I had been waiting for the procedure for three years

and watched in keen interest its progress,and I have said

this

many times on this board, if on those dark nights, when

speaking with Ellen and Stuart, if Dr or Prof Hassigure

had called at my house and said lets go up and do the

procedure now, I would have said thank you.

Thats when you know if you need the procedure.

One last thing, do not and I say again do not let a DR

practice on you, go to the best DR you can find and afford.

You were made in the best way you and don't let somebody

mess this up. They still get paid and if your messed up they

do not really care. Sit there and say to your self would I

trust this person with my life.

C Uk

> Desperation can be a substantial motivating factor. I

personally found the

>risks to be acceptable to solve what was for me an

intolerable situation. It

>seems to me that there are many varieties of afib, reactions

to the

>medications in addition to the emotional and intellectual

reactions to afib. If the

>procedures were not fairly safe, and were not that

effective, there would be no

>financial incentive for hospitals to perform them.

> As for the long term effects, the ablation scenario

should be compared

>to the long term effects of taking the medications. I chose

my " poison " and

>that was ablation.

> As for the costs, there is probably some break even

point where the

>costs of the meds surpasses the cost of the ablation. If

this were not so, I

>believe that the insurance companies would not pay for the

ablation.

>

>

>

>

>