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
Visit our Pinterest Board with Over 50 Celebs with A-Fib
Atrial Fibrillation doesn’t discriminate. It hits performers and musicians, politicians and public officials, sport professionals (from the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL), track & field competitors and Olympic champions.
Browse our Pinterest board of over 50 celebs who have dealt with A-Fib. You’ll be amazed at the many personalities and celebrities with A-Fib. For example:
Kevin Nealon
KEVIN NEALON, comedian-actor-writer and Saturday Night Live alumni; Had his first A-Fib episode while on vacation in Mexico. He ended up in an emergency room thinking it was a heart attack. Back home he was diagnosed with A-Fib. Today as a spokesman for Janssen pharmaceuticals, he promotes stroke and clot prevention.
Lynne Cox
LYNNE COX, Champion long-distance open-water swimmer, swam the English Channel at age 15; became the first woman to swim across the Bering Strait from the United States to the Soviet Union. Diagnosed in 2012 with A-Fib. From her 2016 memoir Swimming in the Sink: An Episode of the Heart.
Billie Jean King
BILLIE JEAN KING, Tennis legend (Wimbledon champ 20 times) and advocate for gender equality. Her A-Fib diagnosis came after playing tennis with a friend. “My heart was beating, I thought it was going to come out of my chest.”
Ellen Degeneres
ELLEN DEGENERES, Talk show host, comedian. Ellen acknowledged her A-Fib in an episode of her show with Canadian comedian, actor and television host Howie Mandel (who also has A-Fib).
Rich Peverley
RICH PEVERLEY, Dallas Stars forward. A “blip” on his EKG during the physical prior to 2013 training camp was A-Fib. With a procedure to shock his heart back into rhythm and with medication he returned to the ice three weeks later.
Browse our Pinterest board of over 50 celebrities, personalities, athletes and public servants who have dealt with A-Fib. Go to “Celebs With A-Fib“.
Or visit all our A-Fib-related Pinterest boards.
‘A-Fib-Zebub’ Whispers in your Ear …”A-Fib’s not that Bad”
That little voice has a name: A-Fib Zebub.
This little character is called “That Demon A-Fib-Zebub“. He’s that tiny voice that’s whispers in your ear…“You don’t look sick! A-Fib’s not that bad. You can live with it”.
Don’t Listen to A-Fib-Zebub!
Any time A-Fib-Zebub pops up in your head, it’s time to remember that A-Fib is not benign, but a progressive disease. It’s not a “nuisance arrhythmia” as some doctors consider it.
And don’t, as one doctor told his patient, just “take your meds and get used to it”.
Don’t Settle for a Lifetime on Meds: Aim for a Cure
Who wants this demon on their shoulder for the rest of their lives? Don’t listen to A-Fib-Zebub! Instead seek your A-Fib cure like I did (see my personal A-Fib story: Finding my Cure).
For many, many patients, A-Fib is definitely curable.
Always Aim High! If you have A-Fib, no matter how long you’ve had it, you should aim for a complete and permanent cure. Shoot for the moon, as they say, and you’ll find the best outcome for you and your type of A-Fib.
Personal Stories of Hope and Lessons Learned
To help bolster your resolve, seek encouragement from other patients. Other A-Fib patients have been where you are right now and have shared their personal experiences (starting with story #1 by Steve Ryan). 
Each story is told in their own words. Some stories are told in a few paragraphs while other stories are longer, spanning years, even decades. Symptoms will vary, and treatments choices run the full gamut.
Browse through our list of over 99 Personal A-Fib stories of Hope. Look for patients with similar symptoms or situations as your own. Many writers have included their email address if you want to contact them directly. Read a story or two to learn how others are dealing with this demon we call Atrial Fibrillation. Their hope and courage is contagious.
Do not learn to live with Atrial Fibrillation.
Seek Your Cure!
For Inspiration: ‘A-Fib’s Demise’ a Poem by Emmett Finch, the Malibu Poet
At the beginning of this new year, we offer you a poem written for A-Fib patients by our friend Emmett Finch, the Malibu Poet. We met Emmett when we researched his personal A-Fib story for our book, Beat Your A-Fib (“40-Year Battle With A-Fib Includes AV Node Ablation With Pacemaker”).
Emmett F.
Emmett honored us with a special poem ‘A-Fib’s Demise’. It’s for people of faith who look for hope and help from the Divine but also see doctors, medicines, supplements, etc. as manifestations of the “creative power we call God.”
We hope ‘A-Fib’s Demise’ will inspire you during this coming year to seek your A-Fib cure! (Note: You can download and print the PDF.)
Wishing you a blessed year to come
filled with good heart health.
Selecting the Right Doctor: the Plumber vs. the Electrician
Start with the Right Doctor for You
To be cured of your Atrial Fibrillation, you need to hire the right doctor.
Seek a heart rhythm specialist, a cardiac electrophysiologist (EP), who will partner with you to create a treatment plan—a path to finding your cure or best outcome.
To make this happen, see my page, Finding the Right Doctor for You and Your A-Fib.
In his A-Fib story, Warren Welsh of Melbourne, Australia, offers other A-Fib patients this advice:
“I would urge any A-Fib sufferers not to make the same mistakes I did…I experienced several years of unnecessary suffering by accepting an opinion of one specialist who said I would have to live in A-Fib.”
To Seek Your Cure—Hire the Right Doctor
Build Your ‘Dream Team’ to Seek Your A-Fib Cure (or Best Outcome for You)
Treating Atrial Fibrillation doesn’t sound like a team sport. But you don’t beat your A-Fib on your own. It takes a team of healthcare professionals and wellness experts to help you seek your A-Fib cure!
Your ‘Dream Team’ will be unique to you, based on your age, symptoms, and other medical conditions.
The Core Members of your ‘Dream Team’ 
♥ Your primary care physician: often diagnoses your atrial fibrillation; may prescribe and manage your initial medications (especially for risk of stroke); usually refers you to a cardiologist (hopefully a heart rhythm specialist).
♥ Cardiac Electrophysiologist (EP): a cardiologist who specializes in the electrical functions of your heart; often the leader of your ‘Dream Team’! (Read: How to Find the Right Doctor for You.) In addition to your EP, other cardiac professionals may be added to your team including:
▪ Cardiac procedure specialist: if you need a catheter ablation, a left atrial appendage occlusion device (e.g. the Watchman device), a pacemaker, or perhaps an AV Node Ablation with Pacemaker procedure.
▪ Cardiac surgeon: if you need a Maze or Mini-maze surgery
Recruit Beyond Your Team Starters
Don’t stop with just recruiting your star performers. Many of our readers at A-Fib.com have drafted other healthcare practitioners and wellness experts to join their ‘Dream Team’. You may benefit from one or more of the following:
♥ Sleep specialist: More than 40% of A-Fib patients also suffer from sleep apnea. Everyone with A-Fib should be tested (Sleep Lab or home study). In fact, your EP may require testing before agreeing to perform a catheter ablation. Learn more about sleep apnea.
♥ Nutritional counselor/Naturopathic physician: Many A-Fib patients have found relief of symptoms through herbal and mineral supplementation (starting with magnesium and potassium). Learn more about a more integrated or natural method of healthcare.
♥ Diet & Exercise specialist: Losing weight through diet and exercise has benefited many A-Fib patients. Some report their A-Fib symptoms have diminished or stopped completely through changes in lifestyle. Read more about a heart-healthy eating plan.
♥ Complementary treatment practitioners:
▪ Acupuncture: Many A-Fib patients have reported symptom relief with acupuncture. Research indicates that acupuncture may have an anti-arrhythmic effect in patients with atrial fibrillation. Read about acupuncture research.
▪ Yoga: The practice of yoga has benefits, many A-Fib patients report. Specifically, the number of symptomatic A-Fib events were down, heart beat and blood pressure dropped, depression eased and anxiety decreased. Read about A-Fib and yoga.
▪ Chiropractor: Several A-Fib.com patients have reported their symptoms were relieved with chiropractic treatments. In fact, a few clinical studies have focused on arrhythmia and ‘manipulation’ techniques. Read more.
Where to Start: Ask for Referrals
To form your ‘Dream Team’ of health and wellness experts, ask for referrals from other A-Fib patients and from your family and friends.
If you know nurses or support staff who work in the cardiology field or in Electrophysiology (EP) labs, they can be great resources. Also, seek advice from the nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants at your doctors’ offices.
To find the right doctor, start with our page, How to Find the Right Doctor for You.
Don’t depend on websites of patient’ ratings of doctors or with patient surveys. They lend themselves to manipulation. Ratings often reflect how well-liked a doctor is, not competency. Consult several sites. Read my article, Don’t be Fooled by Pay-to-Play Online Doctor Referral Sites.
Why You Need an A-Fib Notebook and 3-Ring Binder
As an A-Fib patient, you want to create a ‘treatment plan’—an organized path to finding your A-Fib cure or best outcome. Forming your ‘Dream Team’ is an important step toward this goal.
As you form your team, you will want to organize the information you are collecting. Start with a notebook and a three-ring binder or a file folder.
Your A-Fib binder is where you should file and organize all your A-Fib-related treatment information. Learn What to Include in Your A-Fib Binder
Remember, above all,
Aim for Your A-Fib Cure!
Declare Your Independence! Seek a Life Free of A-Fib
By Steve S. Ryan, PhD.
I’ve been A-Fib free since 1998. You can be too! Read my story and other Personal A-Fib Stories of Hope and Courage including stories by these patients:
Larry Stichweh
, Lacey, WA, now A-Fib free since a CryoBalloon ablation in 2016 at age 74, offers this advice:
“Success rate diminishes…As your A-Fib becomes more persistent, the lower your success rate of a permanent cure. Don’t delay too long.”
Moni Minhas
, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, writes about wife Rani’s A-Fib experience, and shares this insight:
“Good health is the best gift we can have. If you have A-Fib (or any health issues), be aggressive and proactive in seeking treatment and advice.”
P.S. This week in the U.S., we celebrate the founding of our country with the signing on July 4, 1776 of our Declaration of Independence. (BTW: Patti found this watermelon photo and writes: “Our family’s Fourth of July picnic celebrations always included a cold slice of watermelon for dessert.”)
See an A-Fib Expert Right Away—a Heart Rhythm Specialist
‘Find the best heart rhythm specialist (EP) you can afford.’
A-FIB PATIENTS’ BEST ADVICE
From Beat Your A-Fib: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Cure, Chapter 12: Your Journey to a Cure:
Michele S.
Michele Straube, cured after 30 years in A-Fib, wrote in her personal A-Fib story:
“Go to an electrophysiologist, an A-Fib expert, right away, one with a high success rate at getting patients back into normal rhythm—you deserve nothing less.” (pp. 88-90)
Terry DeWitt, cured in 2007 from a clinical trial for CryoBalloon ablation, offered his best advice:
Terry D.
“Spend the time to find the best Electrophysiologist (arrhythmia specialist) you can find. It makes a big difference in treatment and in the success of the ablation procedure.” (pp. 138-143)
How to Find the Best Doctor for You
To be cured of your A-Fib, seek a heart rhythm specialist, an cardiac electrophysiologist (EP), who will partner with you to create a treatment plan—a path to finding your cure or best outcome.
To make this happen, see my article, Finding the Right Doctor for You and Your A-Fib.
Run―don’t walk―to the best specialist
you can find in your area.
‘The Top 10 List of A-Fib Patients’ Best Advice’ is a a consensus of valuable advice from fellow patients who are now free from the burden of Atrial Fibrillation. From Chapter 12, Beat Your A-Fib: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Cure by Steve S. Ryan, PhD (beatyoura-fib.com)
Top 10 List of A-Fib Patients’ Best Advice
♥ Please, share the advice ♥
Don’t Believe Everything You’re Told About A-Fib
‘Don’t let anyone tell you A-Fib isn’t that serious,
or just learn to live with it’
From Beat Your A-Fib: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Cure, Chapter 12: Your Journey to a Cure. Advice from patients now free from the burden of Atrial Fibrillation:
Ken H.
Ken Hungerford from New South Wales, Australia, shared:
During this period I asked three cardiologists about these episodes, and they all basically told me to simply put up with them. (pp.125-128)
Sheri Weber from Boyce, Virginia, was dissatisfied with the answers from her doctor:
Sheri W.
“I questioned the cardio doctor about my future with A-Fib thinking there must be a cure and knowing absolutely nothing about the disease. His response was to tell me many people live with A-Fib and did not suggest any treatment aside from medication. (pp. 106-109)
Warren Welsh, Melbourne, Australia, talks about the years he needlessly endured A-Fib, in part, based on one doctor’s advice:
Warren W.
“I would urge any A-Fib sufferers not to make the same mistakes I did by not researching their treatment options. …I experienced several years of unnecessary suffering by accepting an opinion of one specialist who said I would have to live in A-Fib.
I believe that unless there are special circumstances…any advice on treatment that is not directed towards a possible cure should be questioned.” (pp.116-118)
VIDEO: Buyer Beware: Misleading or Inaccurate A-Fib Info Abounds
Always Question the Source
In a short video, Steve S. Ryan, PhD, warns to beware of misleading and incorrect A-Fib information published by reputable sources on the internet and in print media.
Talking with host Skip E. Lowe, Steve gives three specific examples of why you need to be on the lookout for inaccurate statements about Atrial Fibrillation. 3:59 min. Watch video now.
‘The Top 10 List of A-Fib Patients’ Best Advice’ is a a consensus of valuable advice from fellow patients who are now free from the burden of Atrial Fibrillation. From Chapter 12, Beat Your A-Fib: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Cure by Steve S. Ryan, PhD (beatyoura-fib.com)
Top 10 List of A-Fib Patients’ Best Advice
♥ Please, share the advice ♥
A-Fib Begets A-Fib: The Longer You Have A-Fib, the Greater the Risk
“My advice to other patients: Know that paroxysmal A-Fib becomes chronic. Drugs only work for so long. Get with a great EP or A-Fib clinic and find your cure.”
Joan Schneider, A-Fib free after Catheter Ablation
The Longer You Have A-Fib, the Greater the Risk
‘A-Fib begets A-Fib.’ The longer you have A-Fib, the greater the risk of your A-Fib episodes becoming more frequent and longer, often leading to continuous (Chronic) A-Fib. Each A-Fib attack changes to some extent the cellular matrix in your heart’s electrical system leading to more A-Fib episodes. The abnormal rhythm in your atria causes electrical changes and enlarges your atria (called remodeling) making it work harder over time.(However, some people never progress to more serious A-Fib stages.)
Don’t listen to doctors who want to just control your symptoms with drugs. A-Fib is a progressive disease. Leaving patients in A-Fib overworks and weakens the heart, leads to fibrosis, stretches/expandes the atrial heart walls, increases the risk of stroke, develops (congestive) heart failure, and leads to dimentia because of reduced blood flow to the brain.
Don’t let your doctor leave you in A-Fib. Educate yourself. Any treatment plan for A-Fib must try to prevent or stop remodeling and fibrosis. Educate Yourself. And always aim for a Cure!
As anyone who’s had A-Fib can tell you, being back in sinus is wonderful! Sinus Rhythm Begets Sinus Rhythm. Your heart develops muscle memory which makes it want to stay in sinus.
To learn more, read my editorial, Leaving the Patient in A-Fib—No! No! No!
Educate Yourself—and Always Aim for a Cure!
‘Daddy Needs His Life Back’ and Other A-Fib Stories of Hope and Courage
“My life is back. I no longer live in the A-Fib shadow and no longer take the drugs. all is now quiet. I no longer have to be content with less…Life is good.”
Robert Dell, A-Fib free since 2002.
Robert shares his story:
“I was the master scenic artist for the ABC-TV soap opera “One Life To Live” in New York City… Like many of you, I was also athletic and also lived with daily stress, but I did not know what A-Fib was until I was 47…
Illness was not new to me as I had been spitting up blood from a lung condition called bronchiectasis coupled with chronic bronchitis for over fifteen years.
Specialists informed me that I had to live with it, although I might drown in my own blood while asleep if the rare chance of sudden vein rupture occurred. This made me somewhat reluctant to use Coumadin or aspirin….”
Continuing reading Robert’s A-Fib story: “Daddy is always tired.” Daddy needed his life back.
Over 90 Personal Stories of Hope and Courage: Many A-Fib.com readers have shared their personal experiences with A-Fib (starting with Steve Ryan’s story). Told in the first-person, each author tells their story to offer you hope, to encourage you and to bolster your determination to seek a life free of A-Fib. Learn more at: Personal A-Fib Stories of Hope.
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