Today, I woke up with a headache. Not a migraine, just an all-over-eye-strain-didn’t-sleep-right headache. With the headache came a bit of nausea. Then my nausea got a bit worse. Then I started to get worried. Last time I had this headache/nausea upon waking it didn’t end well. That morning, back in 2013, ended with vomiting & my second ER visit for A Fib (atrial fibrillation). This morning was eerily similar.
Atrial Fibrillation (
Then, in 2017, I decided to go ahead and have a cardiac ablation. It took me months to finally go through with the procedure. It is a fairly common procedure, usually for people over 60. Having a 41-year-old gal roll on a cart to have this procedure done is somewhat odd. But I felt it needed to be done as the episodes I experienced, while all not ER worthy, were still bothersome for me. The recovery was kind of rocky, and just this past year I finally felt I was gaining some ground on my endurance exercising again with my new year’s resolution/gym membership combo. It had been well over a year and no hint of an arrhythmia had worried me.
Who is at risk for A Fib?
As a Nurse Practitioner, the patients I care for are usually over the age of 65, so I come across many with current or a history of
I am still a little shocked that I have been dealing with this for as long as I have. I am the opposite of most of the risk factors for A Fib (UptoDate, 2019):
- Almost 70% of those with
A Fib are over the age of 65 (my first episode was in 2008, age 33) A Fib occurs more in men than women (I am the latter)- Underlying heart disease (I have no structural defects and always have had low blood pressure)
- Obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, and family history of A Fib can all increase the risk of
A Fib (I also have none of these) - The only risk factors I do have are being white & living in North America; these individuals tend to be at higher risk.
Knowing all this made this morning at 6:15 am even more frustrating. After trying to will away the urge to throw up, it happened anyway. Within moments I knew I was back in
Then I did exactly what you SHOULD NOT DO. Seriously, not my finest moments. First – I drove myself to the hospital. Second – I didn’t tell anyone I was driving myself to the hospital. Probably two of the dumbest things you could do. Thankfully, I live about three minutes (depending on the stoplight timing) from the hospital & arrived safely. By the time I walked in I knew my heart rate was faster. I couldn’t talk in full sentences. I was lightheaded, exhausted and couldn’t keep my focus. Thankfully the staff at the ER desk took me seriously when I told them what was wrong & took me straight back to a room.
Once I was in the room I realized I had no cell service. Oops. I started to panic a bit, no one knew I was in the ER and really was not doing well. I couldn’t focus on answering the questions and was starting to be a bit more short of breath when speaking. I finally connected to wifi so I was able to text my husband, who in turn notified my parents. I was also able to text my co-workers because I was due in to work in about 30 minutes. I usually text in full sentences, use proper grammar & punctuation. All I could muster was:
I threw up. I’m in a fib. I drove myself in the ER
During this pathetic attempt at communicating with family, the ER staff got to work. EKG. IV inserted. Labs

With my last two ER visits, one earned an admission and the other I converted back to normal sinus rhythm and was discharged. I was hopeful that the medication I was given would convert me & I could go home.
So we waited. Every few minutes I would get my hopes up thinking the A Fib had stopped but alas I would feel it and know it was still going on. Finally, after a few hours, I had to go to the bathroom. World’s smallest bladder and a liter of IV fluids will do that for you. Once I returned, I hooked myself back up to the O2 and heart

Thankfully after this, it wasn’t long till I was on my way home. Overall it took about four hours from start to finish in the ER. I would consider the whole experience very lucky.
Wait, didn’t you have this fixed???
I have some pretty amazing, supporting friends who wished me well after finding out I was back in the ER with
Yes and no. I did have the ablation in 2017 and overall things were normal. I felt better. I was, unfortunately, very deconditioned from the whole experience and then stopped exercising. Immediately after the procedure, my heart rate soared to the 110-120s resting heart rate. That’s way too high. I went on a beta blocker, metoprolol, to help pull the heart rate down. It worked, usually with my rate resting in the
In early 2019 I realized that I was hovering around 100-105 heart rate. I had reached out to my cardiologist and thought I would try a medication that was only once daily (metoprolol was twice daily). While I had started that and it seemed to help, the heart rate was still in the 90s. Then the latest episode occurred
When you research the effectiveness of cardiac ablation, one would consider my initial procedure a success. I stayed out of
This week I plan for a second consultation with an Electrophysiologist to really see what my options are. Since the oral medication helped convert the rhythm in the hospital, I have a new medication to carry around with me just in case it happens again.
There still is no clear cut reason on why this is even happening to me, so it is hard to change outside factors to lessen the chance of it occurring again. Until then I plan to focus on exercising more to strengthen this ticker, ear right, stay hydrated – because that I have control over.
*Disclaimer: This blog does not provide medical advice. Be advised information provided is opinion & should not be taken as medical advice. There is no substitute for the face to face relationship between a medical provider and patient. See your physician, osteopath, nurse practitioner, or other qualified and licensed health care provider regarding any questions you have about your personal health or medical condition.
Oh no! Sorry to hear this. Thinking of you.