What Do You Know About Cardiac Ablasion?

I'd like to hear from all of you who have had a cardiac ablasion, why you had it, what it was like, and whether it's helped you. I'm especially curious about whether ablasions are ever done on those who suffer ONLY from PVC's and not SVT, VT, or any other underlying heart condition.

Regardless, whatever you can tell us about ablasion, we'd like to hear about it so that we can learn from your story.

To read a bit about cardiac ablasion, click here.

You Have To Feel It In Order To REALLY Understand!

A lot of PVC sufferers find it difficult to be taken seriously by their doctors (or even family members) because once they're told that their arrythmia is benign, they can assume that we can simply forget about it.

It's not that easy, is it?

When you feel the jolt of a PVC, or the heart-stopping sensation, or a couplet... you know what I mean! Some days they may be mild, but some days can be VERY intense as we have them all day, every day, hundreds, even thousands of them, for sometimes long stretches at a time.

To just "forget" about them is like trying to sneeze with your eyes open, or not touching your eye when a mosquito flies into it. It's a natural reflex. Even though you know logically in your mind that you're in no danger, you physically FEEL like you're going to die and so you have the natural "reflex" reaction: fear, panic, worry, stress, etc.

But in a way, the doctors and loved one who tell us to not worry are right. OK, so we can't just "forget" about them. But we do need to live, function, and enjoy our lives. And that's what groups like this are for. Even though we can't "cure" each other we help each other learn to live with the natural reflex of fear.

PVC's: Another Kind Of "Night Terror"

A little over a year ago my PVC's started to bother me more at night than ever before. Unfortunately, this trend has not changed and I continue to struggle with sleepless nights because of them. It's not every night, and sometimes I can get lucky and go for weeks without a sleepless night. But every now and again I get a really bad bout of them and may have several bad nights in a row. The PVC's are bad during the day as well, but more manageable. At night, probably because I'm lying still and otherwise relaxed, they are much more bothersome. They are also different, as I get more of a sensation of my heart stopping. The pause between the extra beats seems longer and I sometimes literally jump up in bed as a natural reflex response to feeling like I'm dying right there on the spot, not to mention the jolts from the PVC's themselves.

Last night was another bad night. I decided to not just stay in bed and get more frustrated, so I got up, had a snack, read for a bit, even though I was exhausted. Still, though, sleep was elusive until about 4 am. I had to get up before 6 am for work, but was so exhausted that I had to call in sick.

I know this latest episode will pass. They always do. But it's tough physically and mentally when my sleep is cut short. And of course, fatigue only leads to more PVC's and it can make it even more difficult to get out of this round of them.

Can anyone relate? Any tips?

Panic and Anxiety and How They're Related to PVC's

If you're prone to anxiety and/or panic, like I am, then having PVC's can make you feel like you're caught in a vicious cycle.

My PVC's are not caused only by anxiety and stress, but they are certainly aggravated by both. If I get stressed, I get more PVC's. When I get more PVC's, I get anxious and panicky, which results in even more PVC's and then life is just miserable!

It's a vicious cycle!

I posted a couple of links to the right for "The Linden Method," which I decided to try and highly recommend to anyone who has ever experienced anxiety and/or panic, regardless of whether or not they suffer from PVC's. It has been very effective for me and although it's not enough to cure my PVC's, it has made living with them more manageable.

Feel free to submit and questions or comments on the topic!