What You Need To Know - a-fib 101

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101

All the Newbies to this forum could benefit by reading " What You Need To

Know - a-fib 101 " at:

http://members.aol.com/mazern/afib101.htm

Just to add my 2p worth, here is my crib sheet I posted this before but due

to my Lack of PC skills I have lost this from my HD.

1. Learn about your condition, this can be done via this site and trawling

through Google. There are other sites on the net joins one of those and

compare all the information you have at your disposal.

2. Learn about your meds, find what the inactions are (contraindications)

This can be done via the net or look at the Pharmacy books available in

your country. In the UK we have the monthly BPJ British Pharmacy Journal or

MIMS a copy of this can be found in the reference library. Remember the

pharmacist will not remember every patients that comes in for drugs, so its

up to you to check.

If your taking some of the more powerful meds like amiodarone or

Doefetilide. Get into the habit for everything you buy med wise Vitamins

Minerals herbs to ask first before you buy.

3 Make a friend on the net with another sufferer that you feel has something

in common with you. This way you can telephone for support cross reference

your symptoms and maybe visit that person in hospital. You will be surprised

how close you will get to that person. Plus you can speak about any private

issues that you may have with out blasting this on this page.

4. FIND A GOOD DR. somebody you trust, that speaks to you in your language,

remember your entrusting your body to them. Imagine you have a brand new

spanking car, would you take it to Joe soap on the corner. Nope you would

take it to the best garage in town. That's how you need to treat your body.

5. Write a list for you consultation then after the meeting sit down strait

away and make notes of what the dr tells you. Its surprising how much you

forget.

6. Make a diary but for you own benefit, Drs will not listen they make out

they do but they do not, they simply have not got time. Mark the diary as

follows. Ie Jan 1st 2006 felt like crap, taking xxxx, sleeping x amount of

hours at night. Mark a distance out ie to the bus stop, to get a news paper

and state in your diary walked to XXX made it ok mark it out of ten. Give

your self an over all mark out of ten for that month, then you know your

getting worse or improving.

6. Always set your own self a limit for going to the A-E ER. If you fell

crap and you are getting pains, especially in the left forearm say I am

going to give this x amout of hours. Set up a regime, where you sit down

make yourself a cup of tea (uk only), put some nice relaxing music on. What

ever works for you. Say after your own time limits up your feel worse then

go the Hospital.

My regime was to site down count my pulse, wait 20 mins count it again, then

see if I could breath ok. If it all went well then rest for the day,if you

can.

You will find that you will get good days and bad days, on the good days you

tend to over do it a bit and the next day is a bad day > Mark it in your

diary then you know why you feel rough.

That's all I can think of for a bit please feel free to add your top tips.

C. Hornchurch Essex AFib for this month 100%ok Thyroid problems nil

Points.