Getting Back To Normal

Its been a little over three years since I found myself in the hospital facing what would be #2 of 5 catheter ablations to get my heart back into rhythm. That was January of 2018. I would pretty much like to forget that entire year. on a personal level it was much worse than anything 2020 had to dish out.

It was around this time in 2018 that my back issues came in to play and by the middle of the summer of 2018 I could not walk from one end of the house for the other without being under the influence of Percocet. At that time Percocet was the only thing allowing me to function as a semi normal human being.

Over the past 3 years I have gained and lost a little over 30 lbs. Fortunately the over amount is what I have lost and am getting closer to where I want to be. I have returned to cycling and the gym on a regular basis now. Hiking, skiing and snowshoeing over the past fall and winter months have been very uplifting to my spirit and well being for sure. The life I was living in 2018 was not a life I was used to. And I was definitely not the same on a personal level and was basically just existing for the most part. Even when things started to improve later in the year it was still hard to capture my former self.

I'm thankful for the support of my family. The expertise of my doctors. and the blessings God has given me during this time.

Afib Break Throughts

I have had a total of 3 Break Through events this year.Feb 15, April 1 and April 14. Two of them happened wile relaxed and the other at the gym. Non of these happened under any conditions I am used to. My events were always just after or during sustained cardio exercise whereas 2 of these happened in relaxed states. The latest being after being called out to work and not getting any rest.
The event happened @ the 18 hour mark of being awake and lasted for an hour. I took a Flecanide since I had so little sleep and didn't want to chance not converting on my own. This event lasted 1 hour as the other 2 about 1/2 hour.

I was able to have the April 1 event captured on a 12 lead EKG. I was at the gym when I went out of rhythm so I Gathered up my son and headed to the local ambulance service. They have 2 centers in town and I just happened on the one that only schedules transportation. After spending a few minutes trying to tell them that I didn't need an ER just a 12 lead EKG they said I should try their other office.

So back to the truck and across town the their other facility. I walk in and they are having a paramedic class. One of the instructors came out into the hall and I again start explaining my needs. Their first response was to ask if I wanted to go to the hospital. After a few minutes of explaining that all I needed was a 12 lead EKG before I convert back to NSR. That I did not need a hospital that was going to charge me $1000, maybe or maybe not get to me before I converted, then try to admit me the finally got the comfort level that I was aware of what I was doing.

They took me over to the Paramedic side of the building and they briefly explained my situation and what I needed and the manager grabbed their Portable EKG and lead me to their lounge. They hooked me up and got a recording. I thanked them and made my way back to the truck and converted back to NSR without meds, so I was out of rhythm for about 30 minutes same as last time There was allot of other conversation and banter in between, mostly them trying to tell me I should go to ER. They were also confused why the doctor would not want me to go to the ER. I tried to explain the situation but they didn't seam to understand. I did appreciate their concern though.

I am currently waiting to hear back from Dr. Natale's scheduler to set a date for a touch-up ablation. I was offered a May date but decided to wait for something a little later. Hopefully June or July at the latest. She is waiting for him to release his dates for those months.My family wants to come along so I think we will make it a road trip. My son and wife can both drive so I can relax coming home. This ablation should be a walk in the park as the main focus will be on the LAA and the completion of its isolation. I have never felt to bad following any of my ablations so all should be good. We will just meander home from Texas and pass through Nashville and Memphis. Probably catch the Blue Ridge Parkway as well.

Still Riding

I've still been doing some riding to try to find the fitness I lost somewhere along the way. My rides have been averaging a minimum of 30 miles and I have had both the Pinarello and the Jari out. I took the Jari the other day out of necessity.I broke a spoke on the last outing on the Pinarello and am waiting on MAVIC to send me the spokes to repair it. I ordered them a week ago and after speaking to them yesterday it looks like they may ship out tomorrow.

I really enjoy the Jari but it is a different animal from the Pinarello. Allot more relaxed and in by no measure a speed machine. At least it isn't with the tires it has on it now anyway. It does allow for me to get off of the beaten path which I did again the other day. I had hoped for a 40 mile day but time wasn't going to allow for that on the Jari so I opted for something a little shorter. I still ended up with 34 miles but was able to finish up on one of the local Rail To Trails in the area. It was nice as I was able to ride a portion of the trail I had never ridden before. Here is a link to the ride. I didn't set the world on fire so far as speed goes. And I didn't get the mileage I was looking for. But I did get close to 3 hours in the saddle and that is what I am looking for more than anything right now. Time in the saddle will translate to fitness soon enough.

Such a Disappointment

The shop where I bought my last bike sold out to another. I really liked Glens shop. Lots of eye candy and great customer service. Glen understood what it was to be a cyclist and also what it took to connect with the customer. I judge all bike shops on how I ran mine in another life time. Not to toot my own horn but I was good at it. Not only the mechanical side of things but also the sales side. The connecting with people and helping them find what they needed to make cycling enjoyable and hopefully become a passion for them as it is for me.

I never prejudged anyone that came though my doors. Not even the guy that came in to my store to purchase a bike to ride across the country that had only ridden some rails to trails up until that very day. That's a story in and of itself. Weather they wanted me to fix their Walmart special, purchase a comfort bike or something super high end for those that already had the passion. It didn't matter to me. I love cycling and love to share that with others and get excited to see someone interested. I got to know so many interesting people on my cycling journey and continue to to this very day.

So my wife and I ventured to the shop that had bought out Glens place. I've been three before as they sponsor a cycling team that I used to sponsor. I have never been real impressed and this time was no different. Not only did they not have the parts I needed which has happened before their customer service also sucks. 

My wife was window shopping as her interest in cycling has returned. She was unfamiliar with the store and happened in a part where they sell electric bikes which she has zero interest in. A sales person approached her and started to try to sell her on the electric bike. Her response was why would I ever want something to help me i would rather exercise. Instead of helping her he just walked away. She would have never been neglected like that at Glens place or mine for that matter. this is a woman that cycled almost 3000 miles, completing several centuries the summer leading up to the birth of our son. She actually cycled up until she was into her eighth month of pregnancy.

As we were leaving, both disgusted, she eyed a Pinarello with pink graphics hanging on the wall. She inquired about it and the salesman blurted out a price and walked away. We left even more disgusted after that. She was really interested and would have like to take a look at it but after that decided to look elsewhere.

Waiting With Bated Breath

That's how I picture the 2 or 3 of you that visit this blog randomly.

Anyway, things are going well right now. I am completely off of the anti-rhythmic drugs and my heart continues to stay in rhythm. Its really nice to be off of the Flecanide, though I have never had any issues with it. I can't say the same for the Metoprolol but I'm stuck with that for a while I guess. I am assuming that Dr. Natale will have me stop that as well within the next month.

So far as the spinal issues those are on the mend as well and had my last visit to therapy last week. I would still like to keep going for a while but my script ran out. She was sending a letter to the doc so we will see what he says. I also got a bike ride in last week as well so things are looking up. Its been just a little over a month since I was unable to walk from one end of the house without stopping to take a break. The bodies ability to heal itself is truly amazing, though I am completely aware that the slightest wrong move could set me back to where I was. That right now is my biggest fear.

I also made my first visit back to the gym last night. In the same way I am in awe of the bodies ability to heal itself I am also frustrated in the way that it loses its fitness so quickly. The upside to that fitness and healing are pretty much the same so I know that in a relatively short period of time I'll be back on top of it.

We Will Monitor Your Every Move

So I received a care package today from my Doctors office. Hooray its one of the final steps in seeing how successful my ablation was. I wore a similar type of monitor back in 2010 several months after my ablation back then.

The monitor constantly records my heart activity and sends it via cell phone to a central recording station. If I am to have an issue it will alarm to notify both myself and my doctor. On the up side I can still wear my WAHOO TiCKER HRM with it so I can monitor my rates while exercising.

I often wonder what the recordings looked like last time around as I was instructing spin classes at the time and doing a good bit of riding because the weather was so nice.

Really...... We Are Monitoring You

So FACEBOOK is in the news again for privacy infringement. I'm pretty sure the only reason this is happening is due to the current buzz about the trump campaign purchasing data from a third party source during the last election cycle. Otherwise we would probably not be hearing about it. This only further entrenches my opinion that the left will go to any extreme to undermine our current president. Even to turn on their own if necessary.

Al Frankin was the first victim of this particular strategy now Mark Zckerberg.  What is really telling about the situation with Zuckerberg is the fact that it was the Democratic Party, The O'Bama Campaign in particular, that perfected this strategy.  So I feel it is safe to assume that during the same election cycle the Democrats were using the same strategy but have somehow not found their way into the news for doing it. I'm not saying this isn't news worthy. I'm saying if your going to cover a story cover the whole story not just the parts that you agree with or think will further a particular agenda or narrative.

Of course if you didn't already know that FACEBOOK, GOOGLE and any other Internet savvy company isn't collecting and selling data on you your a fool. This is why I like many others don't use their full names or use and alias for FACEBOOK Identity. Not this this really stops it but it will curb it and at the very least keep the average Joe or potential employer form immediately identifying you on social media. 

Not that we all have anything to hide, However, in industries I have been involved in I had to work with people and companies that I know for a fact that I was diametrically opposed with both politically and in some cases morally, and didn't care to be judged on that basis as I know many of these institutions and companies would.

Facebook Isn't All Bad

It really isn't. It has allowed me to reconnect with old friends and to stay in contact with old. I'll admit I'm not a FACEBOOK hero having thousands of followers and friends. I'm a big believer in quality not quantity and live by the mantra "Be the best friend you can be, someone may be counting on it." In other words, don't pick your friends based on their financial stature or popularity because those criteria will surely let you down.

To that point back in January when I was sitting in the hospital waiting to see if I was going to be able to have my surgery I get a cryptic messenger text from a friend. "Do you still hate me?" the text read. "How could I ever hate you", I responded. Which lead to a great conversation which included the uncertainties and fears people have with situations like the one I had currently found myself in and how we personally dealt with them. Which I topped of following my surgery with, "I'm still alive so we will continue to be friends". She found this particular statement amusing.

Back story.......

This particular friend was a girl I dated back in high school and Quite frankly I cant really remember how long we dated or why we stopped,  but I really did like her and we had allot of fun together and that is the part I do remember. She was spunky and outspoken and I really liked those traits in a person and still do to this day.

I'm not completely sure where her question stemmed from, but I wont over think it or inquire as to the particulars beyond the conversation we had that day. I'm content in the fact that we remain friends today.

That Didn't Work Out So Well

So I had mentioned in one of my last posts that my EP wanted me to start tapering off of the meds.  I was apprehensive and excited the same. So I started tapering. 1 3/4 dose,  1 1/2 dose, 1 dose . Each step separated by 4 days or so.  the single dose is as far as I got before I started having trouble.

The weather turned at about the same time and I had started riding my bike. Not hard by any means but riding. Watching my heart rate as best I cold without a HR monitor. This was probably a big mistake. I was doing fine until my second day of cutting y dosage in half.

This had been my third day in a row on the bike. I had been doing about 30 miles each time and again taking it easy. The third ride went really well but I was pretty tired. Riding on the meds I'm on seams to really take its toll. I finished the ride a little faster than i had planed so I know that I pushed my HR higher than I had wanted to. About an hour after my ride my heart was out of rhythm. Needless to say I was bummed but understand that this can happen early on.

So the first thing to do at this point is get my heart back in rhythm so I went back to my normal dose times 2 to try to get my heart to convert to NSR, This is also what I did back in January  and ended up passing out. I didn't pass out this time but my heart did not convert either. The next day I was still out of rhythm and whet back to my normal dose. I was wiped out and disgusted as I hardly slept the night before.That evening when I got home I took a double dose again and about another hour later I converted. I must say this whole thing is enough to make a Guy nuts but I have faith it will get better. I had similar issues last time around then went almost 9 years without any real issues.

So I am back to my normal dose 2 times a day for a whole now. The doctor will be sending an event monitor in the next couple weeks and I am very anxious to get back to normal life.

Follow Up

Had my 2 month follow up appointment with my Electrophysiologist 

today and we reviewed what he found and did during my procedure. Apparently Atrial flutter showed up during the procedure just like it did in 2009. So he was able to go back and touch up the area he did back then. Its amazing, and in this particular case annoying, how the body heals itself. That is exactly why I found myself back in the Electrophysiology lab. 

He is very pleased with where I am right now and wants me to stop taking the blood thinners tomorrow and taper off the antirhytmic drugs over the next week. At that point I'll be med free and in sustained NSR.

Beautiful Day

For a bike ride. You don't get many 70 degree days this time of year and blue sky days happen rarely throughout the year so you don't dare pass them up if you can help it. I pieced together a loop and ended up with about 34 mile according to strava but I think its off a little bit.

First Ride Of The Season

Got out for a ride yesterday. First cardio exercise since my ablation back in January and it felt really good to be out doing what I enjoy most. It was a LER (Low Effort Ride) which suited me as my fitness is low and being on lopressors and arrhythmic drugs its about all I could muster. I did 20 miles with very little climbing. the skies were cloudy but the temperature was above 60 so no complaining here. I hope to get out again before I have to go back to work on Wednesday. I'm also going to set up the trainer and maybe sign up for ZWIFT.

It's Not About The Bike

I'll never understand the psyche of some cyclist, case in point......

As I was headed out I saw another cyclist turn onto the road ahead of me.He happened to look back so I waved to him. I really had no intentions of riding with anyone nor did I have any plan to try to catch up to him. However, he did slow up allowing me to catch up to him.

Turns out it was not a someone I already knew so I introduce myself to him. He did the same in return, then proceeded to tell me he thought that I was somebody else. At this point I had even less interest in joining him for a ride than I had moments before.He then proceeded to ask me where I was headed. When I told him just out for a short one he then sneered at me and rode off. Normally this woudl be the point I would speed up my pace and just sit his wheel to annoy him but considering my current condition I decided that would not to be a good move. Ill get opportunity again I am sure.

Its Been A Week

So we are just over a week since my second ablation and I feel really good which is a double edged sword. There are so many things to do, 5" of snow in the driveway, projects around the house that need completed and a plethora of other things I can think of. Oh well. I suppose those will all have to wait.

Smoking

No not cigarette's. I purchased an electric smoker a few weeks back and can see it was a good investment. I had always planned on building a small smokehouse but never got around to it. A couple guys as work bought electric smokers an always say how nice a job they do so I went out and bought one for myself. I smoked salmon fillets a couple weeks ago and made smoked mac and cheese and both were amazing. I also threw in a couple potatoes.I have a Venison roast thawing out right now that will find its way into the smoker tomorrow. Probably smoke some mac & cheese again a some veggies as well.

Been A While

Lets Dust Off The Cobwebs

So its been a long time again. I just cant seem to get into a rhythm here any more.

Speaking of rhythm, I had my second ablation done last Thursday. It is something I had spoken to my Electrophysiologist about back in October but we decided to put it off as the runs of arrhythmia's still weren't affecting me that badly. Also we weren't sure what we were dealing with yet.

In 2009 I was treated for both atrial fibrillation and flutter with RF ablation but there were n current recordings of what was ailing me currently. So when I was back to see him several weeks ago he ordered a portable recorder to try to catch the arrhythmia in action. While waiting for the recorder I was contacting my insurance. Since the first of the year my new supplier is BC/BS, and as anyone in the Pittsburgh area know BC/BS and UPMC don't play well together and all my doctors are UPMC.

So in the midst of this my heart continued to carry on. So last Wednesday night we headed to the ER as I am have never been on blood thinners and was concerned with possibility of throwing a clot. We decided to go to UPMC Shadyside for allot of reasons. The least of which is that is where my EP works out of and to see anyone else was unfathomable to me.

This time around I had Cryoablation done. My EP thought it was the correct approach since I had RF done last time.

I'll keep this blog up to date on my recovery. So far so good by the way. NSR is a wonderful thing and for those that have never known anything else consider yourself blessed.

Blanking

Blanking is the process of the heart healing form an ablation. This process lasts for 3 months as the heart heals form the procedure. So I wont be doing much cardio for a while. I do plan to get on the rollers after my visit in February. Just light spinning and low HR until the 3 months is up.

Perseverance.........

When I purchased this framed poster some 20 years ago I did so because it spoke to me. Not so much as it had cyclists on it but the message below the cyclists. "There Is No Substitute For Hard Work".

There has never been a statement so true, in sports or in life.  And work does not specifically apply to 9-5 it applies to plain old living as well. 

Now don't misunderstand  me. Perseverance does not guarantee success in everything you do in life, but it will propel you through it. It can allow you to achieve that which you thought was unattainable or lead you in the direction you need to go. 

It can even help you to overcome obsticals others see and turn from, or carry you through the toughest times and allow you to become an inspiration to those that see it. It will make you a better Husband , wife, friend, employee or student. It is aplicable in every aspect of life.

Throughout my life I have known many people that are great examples of the benefits Perseverance. So here are a couple examples. 

The first and one of the most recent being my wife. Who despite working full time and helping maintain a household, was able to complete her BSN in the same amount of time most students do with nothing else to do in their lives but study.

Another would be my good friend Scott. Having been injured in a train accident and losing an arm, he decided not to feel sorry for himself but to continue to live his life as if he had both arms. He is currently racing for the Paralyzed Veterans Racing Team.

Of course if you have been keeping up with this site you know I have had my own obsticals to overcome.

I could list many more but I believe I have made my point. So get out there and do something. Live your life to the fullest and when time get tough, or you dont think you can go the distance, put your heart into it and go for it.

Thanks Mark

For those of you that know me, this heading may send your mind reminiscing to the days of old. When a group of rag tag cyclists, some racers some not from Indiana County, regularly put a team together to participate in the Tour De Strongland. bike race. Yes that was actually the name of our team one year, "Team Thanks Mark". One of many off the wall names. It actually got to the point where the race promoter would just call us those guys from Indiana. 

Now there may be other reasons for that. Not the least of which was the year of infamy. The year we actually took the traveling trophy home for the year. The year I know the Strongland Chamber of Commerce, reluctantly put our team name on the trophy. You see this particular year was a year that everyone will remember to this day. A year of slow speed police chases. The year an American icon, A professional football player and hack actor, would be accused of murder. The year an infamous lawyer would make a name for himself with a tag line, "If the glove's don't fit, you must acquit". the year a complete police precinct would be turned upside down. I digress.

So as usual this particular year we show up for the race and have yet to pick a name for ourselves. So after having gone through the usual litany of  names that would never make the cut, one team mates wife says, "Why don't you guys call yourselves The Flying Fuhrman Four". So there it was, we looked at each other , laughed and filled out the paperwork. Needless to say at the awards ceremony, that is always painfully late and long, they refused to call us by our team name, and just referred to us as those guys form Indiana. And that is how it would be for years to come.

Anyway.....

Back to the reason for the original heading.

It is not often you get 70 degree sunny days in early March. Lets face it, here in PA we only get about 50 blue sky days a year, so one must take advantage when they can. So of course a ride was in order. So I made plans with a couple of friends to get out after work. One could go early and one a little later. So I devised a plan to do a short 15 miler with the one friend then meet up with the other to go for a longer ride, reaching for the 50 mile mark for the day.

I've been seriously lacking in saddle time this year and figured this the perfect plan to get some good long tempo riding in. So Matt and I headed out at a good even pace. The winds were not too bad, compared to what they have been lately and of course the weather was perfect. We cruised around the first 15 miles without a hitch. As we rounded the bend to where we were to meet our 3rd rider I see a 4th. A familiar face to me, and immediately knew that my steady tempo ride was about to turn into a hammer fest, wrought with reign-deer games.

There sits Mark, a guy that I have spent countless hours with on the bike. Riding places on our road bikes that most would cringe at. No winter maintenance was our battle cry. A gravel road, a good excuse to find out where it went. Bad weather, no problem. So I knew I was in for some major pain.

So after some niceties we were off again, like a shot out of a cannon. It was not bad at first as I had a 15 mile warm up. Attacking the first climb, then ramping up the speed on the decent, only to catch the draft of a pickup and accelerate even more. But as the ride progressed, my lack of mileage for the year started to show, and Mark loves to take advantage of such situations, so he never let up for the entire ride. Needless to say my legs were thrashed at the end but in a good way.