What Part of Growing Older Irritates You the Most?

OneEyedDiva said:
I think I'm too thankful for my blessings to be irritated my much. Probably close to two decades ago, I was diagnosed with arthritis and my orthopedic specialist said I'd need a knee replacement. Haven't had to have it done yet and do not experience arthritic pain. I've lived through decades of A-fib that made me feel like I would die sometimes. It was corrected in 2016. I was diagnosed with CHF last year but I'm still here being relatively active and not acting like a sick person at all. I'm especially thankful that I still have my eyesight, considering I developed blind spots in both eyes over the last 3 decades, but still manage to see almost 20/20 in one eye and 20/40 in the other; blind spots not noticeable!

If I have to choose something, I'll say I'm mildly irritated that my memory isn't quite what it used to be, but that could be because I'm sleep deprived...I don't know. It could also be because at any given moment 100 different things are in my head. In any case, I keep engaged and challenge my brain.
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I spent a week with a heart monitor and the results are indicating a-fib. Waiting for an appointment with the cardiologist. Last night I was miserable. Today I went to senior luncheon and felt pretty good. Wondering how you dealt with it.
 

Alizerine said:
I spent a week with a heart monitor and the results are indicating a-fib. Waiting for an appointment with the cardiologist. Last night I was miserable. Today I went to senior luncheon and felt pretty good. Wondering how you dealt with it.
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Alzerine, I was diagnosed at age 28 and suffered with A-fib for 41 years. When I got the attacks (or episodes), sometimes I felt like I would die (literally). The episodes lasted anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks. When I had them, most of the time I just stayed home and relaxed as much as possible. I was blessed to have a job with understanding supervisors who were part of my "work family". Our clinic nurse would listen to my heart when I felt unwell then scold me because I came to work in that condition. Due to the A-fib, I never could accumulate much sick time.

I had all kinds of tests, including a tilt table test...yes, I was placed on a large table up high that actually tilted downward. I went through a few cardiologists, a couple who prescribed the wrong meds before I found the right doctors and treatment. The treatment managed the episodes but did not stop them. None of the doctors could figure out what was causing my condition.

Even after fainting at home a few times, I avoided going to the hospital because I felt it would be more of a trigger. You definitely can't get any rest in a hospital and being stuck with needles every time you turn around would have given me serious anxiety, especially since it was hard to get blood from me back then. All that, plus how noisy, busy and cold hospitals can be would have made my attacks worse.

I had to wear a Holter monitor three times over the years. I had a cardiac cath procedure but that didn't yield anything or help in any way. My A-fib was finally corrected in January 2016 when I had an ablation done. I resisted the procedure for about 10 months until my attacks became to frequent and lasted too long. I was told that there was a 60% chance it would work. After the procedure, I didn't have any palpitations, no episodes at all until earlier this year. That's when I found out that the ablation usually lasts for about 6 years...I'm heading towards 8, so that's good. Now I have very mild episodes during which I just relax and watch T.V. or do stuff on my devices.

I wish you the best outcome. I hope your condition is something that can be managed well with medications and perhaps lifestyle changes (if you are stressed a lot). Please keep me (us) updated.
 

OneEyedDiva said:
Alzerine, I was diagnosed at age 28 and suffered with A-fib for 41 years. When I got the attacks (or episodes), sometimes I felt like I would die (literally). The episodes lasted anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks. When I had them, most of the time I just stayed home and relaxed as much as possible. I was blessed to have a job with understanding supervisors who were part of my "work family". Our clinic nurse would listen to my heart when I felt unwell then scold me because I came to work in that condition. Due to the A-fib, I never could accumulate much sick time.

I had all kinds of tests, including a tilt table test...yes, I was placed on a large table up high that actually tilted downward. I went through a few cardiologists, a couple who prescribed the wrong meds before I found the right doctors and treatment. The treatment managed the episodes but did not stop them. None of the doctors could figure out what was causing my condition.

Even after fainting at home a few times, I avoided going to the hospital because I felt it would be more of a trigger. You definitely can't get any rest in a hospital and being stuck with needles every time you turn around would have given me serious anxiety, especially since it was hard to get blood from me back then. All that, plus how noisy, busy and cold hospitals can be would have made my attacks worse.

I had to wear a Holter monitor three times over the years. I had a cardiac cath procedure but that didn't yield anything or help in any way. My A-fib was finally corrected in January 2016 when I had an ablation done. I resisted the procedure for about 10 months until my attacks became to frequent and lasted too long. I was told that there was a 60% chance it would work. After the procedure, I didn't have any palpitations, no episodes at all until earlier this year. That's when I found out that the ablation usually lasts for about 6 years...I'm heading towards 8, so that's good. Now I have very mild episodes during which I just relax and watch T.V. or do stuff on my devices.

I wish you the best outcome. I hope your condition is something that can be managed well with medications and perhaps lifestyle changes (if you are stressed a lot). Please keep me (us) updated.
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Thank you so much. So sorry you have had such a long battle. I wish you the very best going forward.

I will need to look up ablation.

My 63 year old niece in NY has A-fib and she recently had a mild stroke. If stress is a factor she was certainly a candidate. In the last couple of years she lost both parents, her dog, and her husband asked for a divorce. I have also had a lot of loss recently and felt I was coping quite well. Apparently not. Covid kept me from seeking help. At least that was my excuse.

I will keep you posted.
 
Alizerine said:
Thank you so much. So sorry you have had such a long battle. I wish you the very best going forward.

I will need to look up ablation.

My 63 year old niece in NY has A-fib and she recently had a mild stroke. If stress is a factor she was certainly a candidate. In the last couple of years she lost both parents, her dog, and her husband asked for a divorce. I have also had a lot of loss recently and felt I was coping quite well. Apparently not. Covid kept me from seeking help. At least that was my excuse.

I will keep you posted.
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You're welcome, of course. Wow, your niece has been through it !! I wish for her a full recuperation and that her A-fib will be better controlled. Of course she'll have to be proactive in trying her best to reduce her stress levels, despite her tragic losses. Like you, I suffered terrible loses too over the past few years..my husband, a very good friend, online friends that I cherished after years of interaction and finally, my DIL.

After my DIL, who was like a daughter to me, passed away...my BP went up higher than it's ever been, which is why my PCP sent me to the first "new" cardiologist. Sometimes, no matter how well we think we're coping, things can come down on us. So you hang in there and do your best to manage your A-fib, despite.........
 
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