Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."
Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."
Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI
“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.
Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017
“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD
Atrial Fibrillation Patients: Team with Your Doctor—Be Your Own Patient Advocate
Advice from Patients Free of the Burden of Atrial Fibrillation
Charn Deol, Richmond, BC, Canada. Now A-Fib free after 23-years with Atrial Fibrillation, reflects on the doctor-patient relationship:
Charn Deol, BC, Canada
“As a patient, the relationship is somewhat like that of a child with a parent. The patient is naïve, scared, distraught and looking for a path of reassurance from the medical profession.This was not the case in this situation.
This is when “gut instincts” come into play. My gut said to ‘no longer trust’ this supposed best electrophysiologist at the hospital and search for an alternative path. (This is another cardiologist I dropped.)…
…From this experience I’ve learned to obtain as much knowledge as possible of your condition. Trust your gut feelings if you feel uncomfortable with your doctor.”
Tony Hall, Evansville, IN. Now A-Fib-free: he shares about learning he had A-Fib along with his wife’s best advice:
“I sat there for probably 40 minutes waiting for my A-Fib to convert back to normal sinus rhythm, but it would not. The EP agreed to release me with prescriptions for Xarelto and Metoprolol, and a non-driving restriction.
As we drive away and I sit in the passenger seat feeling like a pet heading to a kennel. Suddenly things are different. I no longer have that “healthy as a horse” attitude. …
Learning About A-Fib. Anyway, I took the meds for a few days and read as much as I could on the internet about this condition I have now called Atrial Fibrillation.
My wife spent at least as much time as I doing her own research. We are soon better informed but in many scattered directions.
“My Wife Knew! While she was very concerned and extremely supportive, she knew that until I became my own advocate, that I would not pursue the most effective path to addressing and dealing with this condition. She was right there.
I started doing more research through the help of Steve’s book, and found comfort in the education about the variety of heart rhythm conditions, treatment options, testimonials, personal stories, etc… .”
Michele Straube, Salt Lake City, Utah, cured after 30 years in A-Fib, encourages you to be more active in your own treatment plan:
Michele S.
“My experience with cardiologists was hit and miss. Early on I was told that they had never seen someone so young with A-Fib (at the time, I was in my mid-20’s).
Some told me the best they could do was medicate me so I could walk from the bed to the window and back. I changed doctors.
Best advice: Do not take ‘this is as good as it gets’ as an answer—do your own research about what’s possible. Take a co-leadership role with your doctor.”
For More Personal Insights
It’s encouraging to read how someone else has dealt with their A-Fib. These A-Fib patients have been where you are right now. They tell their stories to help bolster your determination to seek a life free of A-Fib.
For more personal experiences, go to Personal A-Fib Stories of Hope and Encouragement.
Team with Your Doctor—Be Your Own Patient Advocate
