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
Seeking Support: She Emailed Me After Her MD Said “It’s All In Your Mind”
I was reminded recently about an email I received from a woman in England. She described her horrendous A-Fib symptoms—palpitations, extreme fluttering, breathlessness and “absolute extreme fatigue.”
While her symptoms were troubling, the next part of her email really shocked me!
Her doctor said her breathlessness and exhaustion had nothing to do with her A-Fib. That these symptoms were all in her head. That she was exaggerating.
As an A-Fib community we think we’ve come a long way in our understanding of Atrial Fibrillation and how to treat it. Many of us have—but not everyone.
And what’s most surprising about this story is that her doctor was a woman! (It’s usually males who tell females that’s its all in their mind.) Go figure!?
“It’s All In Your Mind” her MD said.
Though the author of the email probably knew this already, I wrote back and explained to her:
”The symptoms you describe usually come along with Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib). Fluttering, palpitations, feeling like your heart is going to jump out of your chest or that there are mice rolling bowling balls inside your heart―these are feelings most of us have who suffer from A-Fib.
You experience breathlessness and extreme fatigue because your heart isn’t pumping properly. Normally the upper part of your heart (the atria) squeeze blood down into the lower part (the ventricles) which then pump the blood to the rest of your body. But in A-Fib the upper part of your heart doesn’t squeeze down but instead quivers, vibrates, fibrillates. You lose 15%-30% of your normal pumping volume.
If you could look inside your heart, it would look like a plate of shaking Jell-O. Of course you feel breathlessness, fatigue, dizziness, etc.!”
Patient’s Want More Than Just the Facts
A-Fib patients need more than just an up-to-date, informed health provider. When people email me, they’re often not just seeking the facts about A-Fib. They’re also seeking support, understanding and empathy.
They need to know that they’re not alone in trying to deal with A-Fib.
Our A-Fib Support Volunteers
Your health provider many not offer the support you need to cope with your A-Fib.
I often tell them about our A-Fib Support Volunteers who are just an email away. We are blessed to have many generous people who have volunteered to help others get through their A-Fib ordeal. They’re fellow A-Fib patients or former patients who are there to listen and offer their support to others suffering from A-Fib. (Visit our A-Fib Support Volunteers page for more info and list of volunteers from around the world.)
Will You Share This Message?
Won’t you share this message with someone who is also suffering from A-Fib? Reassure them, and let them know they are not alone. (And refer them to our A-Fib Support Volunteers page for more info.)
