Best of luck with this Ton.

Now THIS is what you call an electrically assisted bike.

Seriously though Ton, my lad was born with a heart condition which isn’t really operable at the moment although this may change. He’s on a beta-blocker that, with some trial and error, has got us to the point where he can exercise/play/cycle/run around like a mentalist 9 year old but it just stops him overdoing it. The only downside so far is that it does slow his metabolism up so we have to watch what he eats (within reason).

Have met a few people now that have had ablation procedures and they all seem to have worked well so there is more than a glimmer of hope. Keep your chin up & good luck with the treatment.

Bloomin ek, that is pretty grotty news.
I hope you’ll come to terms with it soon, then get back to enjoying yourself pretty sharpish.

I always reckon stuff happens for a reason mate, you’ll get through this and it’ll make your life better. Dunno how, but still, you gotta laugh, eh?

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBiLNN1NhQ[/video]

Remember it’s friday pieday too today. Babby’s ‘ead and a mixture for lunch ‘ll cheer you up no end (Steak and kidney pudding with chips, peas and gravy for the philistines amongst you)

Ive been diagnosed with Hypotensive Cardiomyopathy.
Am on 100mg Atenolol (beta blocker), Amlodopine and Aspirin – have been for over 10 years, am also in AF. Still manage to do 100 milers @ 14mph, regularly. MTBing in the Peak district is still fun and I only walk the bits that my riding buddies walk.
In short, its not the end of the world and you WILL adapt.
Good luck!

youch.. hope it works out for you..

as others have said.. think positive! 😀

*whistles along to always look on the bright side of life*

ton, I’ve never met you in person but through this place it feels as if I knew you. Always a laugh, always a spirit.
Take it from somebody who, after being hit by a lorry at the age of 10, was told he’ll never run, walk fast, cycle, nowt, nada – 50% chance is huge. You will, by the sound of it, be in the best place and you’re far healthier than Joe Bloggs who does no riding at all. You will look back at this moment in time and see it different but you WILL recover.
Lose weight? Slow down? Eat healthier? Who am I to tell you this, do whatever feels right. Don’t be depressed, shit happens only to the good folk, if you were a cXXt it wouldn’t.
All the best big fella, you’ll be fine (take heart from Bullheart).

Just wanna echo what everyone’s said already. Don’t really know you or chat that much on here but chin up mate.
In time all this will pass..
The cardiac nurse seems to be talking sense, take heart from that!

Ton

I had that process done about 10 years ago, kind of scary while its being done as they control your heart. But no pain apart from the sting of the local in the groin. They did it then tested the heart by increasing the heart rate and then lettingit settle on its on. All been fine since the moment I walked out of there.
Good luck

One more thing if I may.
Imagine a good honest friend of yours in this predicament. What would you tell him? What frame of mind would you put him in? What would you tell him to do?
This time the mate is you.

Keep smilin’ big fella. Why not start planning the huge STW canalside tour. eh?

My money is on most of us still be turning up on 6″ full sussers so we look suitably rufty tufty as we pootle along 😀

I don’t know the history here and this is a genuine question,
What are the alternatives / implications if you don’t have this procedure carried out ?

Having had two Cardiac procedures recently I understand your feelings, whilst the professionals are superb it is scary lying there having wires pushed into your heart whilst you are awake and watching the whole thing. (you can see the xray screens)

To re-enforce some of the positive comments above, I know that if I hadn’t been patched up I would not be walking / riding or doing a fat lot really. The re-hab / aftercare has been superb, I hope you get the same.

what can i say everyone, i am deeply moved by all the kind replies.
thanks everyone.
2wheels1guy, thanks for the heads up on what the procedure will be, wish the consultant i saw yesterday had explained it better.
from what he said yesterday, the drugs (bisoprolol) i am taking to keep my heart rate down are the ones causing the breathlessness and the inabilty to exercise properly.

I’ve got a client who for 30 years had an irregular heart rhythm. A couple of years ago he had new valves fitted to his heart, has to have rat poison every feew hours and a load of other pills. He’s due here in Italy on Sunday (been riding here before) and will be riding awesome trails for a week. He runs an hour every morning too. He’s like a fit 20 year old now not 50.

My Dad had beta blockers and they slowed him down no end, as you describe. He’d had episodes of AF, and the doc had been pretty heavy handed (or simply not paying attention to the patient’s lifestyle requirements) at first. My Dad demanded a different regime and got something else – I dunno what.

Your case sounds much more severe though.

Ton,

Been there and done that. Had both cardioversion and RF Ablations for Paroxysmal AF. Mine worked and I am 100% now, but I still have the scars.

If you want to talk about it, please mail me and I’ll give you a call or something. If you have it done at Papworth, I can even come and see you. Seriously, if you need to talk to someone that’s done the whole rat poison, heparin and flecanide thing, please let me know.

jameseyb (at) gmail (dot) com

Ton , its pretty much all been said but good luck and chin up. Hope to catcvh you for a pint sometime

mart

Good luck with all that, no idea what it means but I do know how it feels to be told you can never really ride again….takes some getting used to. Three years down the line I can still start crying at the sight of old friends riding there bikes. Good luck.

Look at it this way – if it works, you’re home free. If it doesn’t – you can still get a two-wheeled thrill with lovely stuff to look at and photograph. Buy a motorbike…

Very best of luck.

If it doesn’t – you can still get a two-wheeled thrill with lovely stuff to look at and photograph. Buy a motorbike…

I did that, its not the same.

Well no, but it’s SOMETHING, right? Right? Let’s try and be encouraging here, shall we?

Get on the good foot, ton. You’ll be fine.

What’s wrong with you then A_A if you don’t mind me asking?

Hope all goes well, I hate stories like this, real life who needs it! 😐

Tony stay positive ,the medics are always intoducing new treatments/procedures , keep smiling mate.

All the best Tony, I look forward to dragging you round my patch when you’re fit and well again.

😀

Can they not put in a sports pace maker???

What’s wrong with you then A_A if you don’t mind me asking?

in short my hips are shagged, obviously not life threatening just stops me cycling. Had two ops to treat FAI http://www.hipfai.com/ . Which has helped the pain a lot but has not made my hips strong enough to cycle, well I can a bit but not enough to get fit enough to enjoy it. The next steps are hip replacement but they are trying to put that off as I’m not yet 40.

best of luck tony, hope it works out for you, remember the glass is a half full not half empty.

Hope you’re looking back on this as an unimportant memory down the line ton.

T’is a brad pitter that someone who wants to stay active may not be able to when there’s so many lazy assed sloths around.

Good luck

Can they not put in a sports pace maker???

I like this idea. You could have a little knob that you could turn up when you wanted to go faster.

AA – that sucks. Must be bad if you can’t even cycle. How about a hand cycle? Not the same, but still.. I’ve seen loads of hand cycles here in Germany including one going up an Alpine pass!

Plenty of positive comments for you to ponder my friend – I also would give you a hug but my arms would not be long enough 😉

Maybe not the best medical solution but try this . . . . .

Grinton 23-5-2010 by Dee P Jay, on Flickr

. . . . again 🙄

far from the end of the world.. in 91 i was diagnosed with a massivly dodgy heart.. had it out and in bits in 99 bolted back together with mucho carbon and titanium sure the racing has given way to canal rides and the bmx park with my daughter BUT to stave off my dirt habit i took up classic motorcycle trials riding.. zero cardio vascular input and a good day out.. one door closes another opens..

Oh that would be awful! Still it might not come to that – fingers crossed.
Bike with an ‘engine’ might be the way to go.

Keep your chin up mate. I’m sure the Doc’s will find a solution at some point, it can just take a bit of patience, which is easier said than done.

Just take it one day at a time and focus on the stuff you can do, rather than focusing than the stuff you have to put on hold.

Sometimes you have to grin up the climbs, hopeing theres a great decent on the other side. Keep the faith Tony.

A doctor said to me that the people who get the best treatment at the right time in the right place are the ones who work at it and push the system.

Push it all you can to make it work for you, and good luck

Hello Ton
I had AF for years, controlled by a rate drug but no warfarin. It never really worked, so I went for the ablation operation at Oxford Radcliffe. Long op but the recovery was quick (I was 52 so no spring chicken) and since then I have had no more attacks.t took a while for the heart to settle but I got round the Dragon ride medio route at over 19 mph average the other Sunday, so well pleased with that.
Two guys at work have had it done as well but it took two goes for them. Deffo worth the punt, it will improve things at worst, or cure it at best. Good luck and keep positive, you can sort it.
WDG

Hope it works out, sounds like there is plenty of chance it will. (seems almost routine considering the amount of ops on this forum).

i have been off the bike too for a while with some undiagosed joint issues, it sometimes doesnt feel good looking to a future that might have to change. Try to focus on the good though, hearts are important things so look after yourself and take it steady on the towpaths. Spinning the pedals slowly is better than none at all.

Ton,

I have cardiac and skeletal Angiosarcoma; 11 known cases worldwide. 98% mortality rate within 24 months.

I celebrated that particular milestone this weekend with a 1:22 lap at MM on a singlespeed rigid 29er. And I had a puncture too… 8)

50% success rate sounds like good odds to me fella. Nail it to a tree…

^ that right there kicks the shit out of everything.

Oh Far canal….

I though about Bullheart at the beginning of this thread before reading this.. ^^^^^

Another man-hug, the glass has got to be half full…. right?