Ablation Special Issue Newsletter 05 Autumn 2011 News and information for young people living with cardiac conditions
Upcoming meetings The next meeting will be held on 11th December at Reigate Manor Hotel (just outside London). In 2012, we hope to also have meetings in Leeds and Birmingham. If you are interested in attending a myheart meeting where you can socialise, share experiences, take part in group counselling and talk to an expert cardiologist in comfortable surroundings. Please contact Karla Griffith, the myheart Coordinator, on 01737 363222 or myheart@c-r-y.org.uk.
Abi – right ventricular outflow tract ventricular tachycardia (RVOT-VT) My condition came to light at the end of 2008 when I was 34. I’d been to the doctors to discuss these strange palpitations and dizzy spells I’d been experiencing but was sent away and told it was due to “stress”. This seems to be the usual response from a GP the first time you report these symptoms. I remember thinking, I didn’t even know I was stressed but perhaps I was and this was how my body was coping. Fitness wise, I was reasonably active. I swam and ran every week and generally felt well, so wasn’t worried that this was anything more serious than stress related palpitations. After a routine trip into hospital to have four wisdom teeth removed under a general anaesthetic, the nurses told me they had trouble stabilising my heart rhythm when I was in recovery. Once back in my hospital room, I was advised to see a cardiologist to ensure that everything was fine. Again I wasn’t too concerned but thought I would mention it to my doctor when I was fully recovered. The next evening I was home, in bed recuperating when my heart started to behave very strangely. It began flipping, jumping, and felt like it was falling over itself. A strange way to describe it but it’s how it felt. It would flip and felt like it was stalling. I felt dizzy, sick, scared, as if I was going to fall unconscious. I rang the emergency medical line and they told me to call for an ambulance who took me straight into hospital. From there they referred me to a cardiologist who over a period of weeks carried out a series of tests; a stress test, echocardiogram, an MRI of my heart and I had to wear a 24 hour Holter monitor etc. The results were in – the good news was that structurally my heart was fine, but the Holter Monitor found something. It was a run of tachycardia around 250bpm – it was then that I received the diagnosis of RVOT–VT, a benign heart arrhythmia, although
P2 Life after ablation P3 What is an ablation?
Abi with her husband Christian
P3 Your fundraising P4 About myheart
sometimes frightening for the sufferer. I was sent home and told to see how things go and to try beta-blockers. For some people beta-blockers are great and work wonders, but they made me feel dreadful, tired and depressed so I came off them. As time progressed the symptoms got worse and having felt like I’d exhausted all routes of medical help in my local area I went online and came across the London Bridge Hospital website and from there contacted an Electrophysiologist who felt confident that they could help me. After my consultation and more tests, my first ablation was booked. I’d read up a little about what was involved but I can still remember shaking when I was getting ready in the hospital room. All kinds of things were running through my head; will it be painful, will I survive, what if it doesn’t work, how long will it take? I was given a huge gown to wear, one that has loads of pockets that can be pumped full of warm air to keep you comfortable when you’re in theatre. I looked pretty funny and my husband and I were joking about it, he even took a picture of my theatre outfit! Autumn 2011
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