PART 1 - The "other" American horror story.

haha.  Just kidding.

Seriously, though....

I'm officially off the medications that keep my heart rate under control, and all seems to be okay with that.  No anticipation here with respects to anything other than random PVCs, which everyone has but few are aware of.  Dr. Osorio says that those of us who have dealt with arrhythmia issues have a 'sixth sense' out our hearts and have become quite aware of things that others are completely oblivious to.  I can certainly understand that as I feel every little change, every missed or extra beat.  He says, "Most people don't even feel their heart beating."

I can feel mine 99% of the time.

The extra beats/missed beats I feel, so I'm told, are coming from the upper chambers of the heart (atria).  Interesting.  But anyway, all seems good for now.

Today, a promising new device to help people with Atrial Fibrillation come off their blood thinning drugs once and for all goes against a skeptical FDA panel.  I have to admit, after reading what happened in the trials, I'm skeptical too.  Not everyone with AFib continues to take anticoagulants.  In fact, only those unfortunate enough to have had an ischemic event (stroke or mini stroke) like myself have to take them for life.  This is risky business in itself, leaving us to come off these drugs for dental work, surgeries, and other procedures, and risking catastrophic bleeding events from fall, or even a simple fender bender that may deploy an airbag (we all know that you risk having one of those smash into your face, thus causing a nosebleed etc).

The Watchman device has been used in Europe, for example, for 5 years now, and quite successfully. However, in trials there were 8 patients who suffered ischemic strokes.  Still seems pretty risky.  The FDA looks to be possibly approving this for off-label use--mainly for transcatheter aortic valve replacement.  Either way, I had put my name on the list with Dr. O for this device.  But I'm not sure.  I think it may need a bit more watching at this point.

For now I will continue with the Eliquis, even though there is no antedote, and continue to wear the medical ID bracelet.  Perhaps down the line the Watchman will be perfected and odds will be in better favor of the patient.  Til then... we watch and wait.