Another Halter Monitor Session -- Update

[ChuckH]

Well, my A-Fib has been acting up more frequently and erratically lately so my heart guy has decided to put me on a 48-Hour stint with a Halter Monitor.  I get hooked up mid-this month and at least it's better (shorter) than the last time, that was a 30 day stint about 4 years ago.

They need to figure out what's causing these problems so it can get fixed.  I can not go on the road on the bike the way things are at the present time.

More later.  Until then, ride safe out there and have fun.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Well, my A-Fib has been acting up more frequently and erratically lately so my heart guy has decided to put me on a 48-Hour stint with a Halter Monitor.  I get hooked up mid-this month and at least it's better (shorter) than the last time, that was a 30 day stint about 4 years ago.

They need to figure out what's causing these problems so it can get fixed.  I can not go on the road on the bike the way things are at the present time.

More later.  Until then, ride safe out there and have fun.

Good luck with that, Chuck..

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Izzat a halter like a horse wears?  So they can monitor your motorcycling usage?
 That's really tyrannicle,  You have a domineering doctor.  I hope she is at least sexy.

[ChuckH]

  Izzat a halter like a horse wears?....

No, this is a series of sticky things in several places on your upper body that are connected by wires to a little black box that I wear by my waist.  The little sticky things monitor the functioning of the heart and send signals to the black box.  After the 48 continuous hours, I take everything off and the doctors read the signals to determine what is happening when my heart goes into it's fluttering events.

Hopefully, they will find something that can be remedied without great difficulty.  If so, I'll be able to get back on the road again. 

[ChuckH]

Good luck with that, Chuck.. 

Thanks Chuck.  This is a real bummer. 

I've lived with this condition for the last 4+ years with the heart fluttering events happening on a 3 to 5 week basis.  That was OK and I could tolerate it.  Now I'm having these events every couple of days or so and there is no predictability at all with them.  It needs to be fixed.

The other Chuck

[lucian]

Hi chuck , I had a similar issue years ago , thought I was having palpitations.  Tried to ignore them for a couple weeks until finally it felt like I was about to have the big one. Went to the doc and he sent me to the er. They did a couple tests and then sent me home wired up with the Holter monitor. I had to push the record button whenever I felt the abnormal beats.  Turned out they were pvc's ( premature ventricular contractions) that are perfectly normal. I guess that is a moment when your heart skips a beat normally and it allows for the heart to repair itself. Somehow they can get into your consciousness and become ever more noticeable , the more you focus on them the worse they get. It took mine a couple months to subside once I was assured there was nothing seriously wrong. Hope you get straightened out and back out on the road  pronto.   dave

[ChuckH]

Thanks Dave,

So far mine have been in the upper two atrial cavities.  It's been a recirculation of the pumped blood instead of pumping it out into the body.  I have been on a blood thinner to prevent clotting during this recirculation process.  As I said, they haven't happened all that often, so I could tolerate the event and then go about normal operation the balance of the time.  Now, however, they're occurring much more frequently and I have no warning of when one might occur.  It's a condition that needs to be dealt with.

Thanks once again for your thoughts.

[oldbike54]

 Well dangit Chuck , please do get better , we still have things to do together 

  Dusty

[steven c]

 I have had two cardio versions (shock your heart back into rhythm) first time didn't work second one is going on two years in April with Afib under control, of course two years is at the long end of it not coming back. I'm onr of those they don't know why I'm in fairly good shape, no heart issues, low weight, just one of those things.

[jackson]

I had a quad bypass in 2002 and shortly thereafter, the A-fib started. It came and it went for years until I had a major event with Tachy-Brady syndrome and had to be paddled back six times in around 40 minutes while in the ER.  I wound up with a pacemaker but I still get A-fib. 
I hope your doctors can get to the root cause of your particular source for the A-fib because as you know, it's an unpleasant thing to experience; especially when you have repeated bouts on a routine basis.
Good luck with getting it resolved quickly.

[Charles in Lake Charles]

As with everything else, heart medicine is specialized. Go see an electrophysiologist .  Depending on your exact condition, you may be eligible for a pulmonary vein ablation procedure. I've had it done twice and the second time seemed to correct my condition.
Good luck.

[Carlo DeSantis]

Get better, Chuck.  Our motorcycling community needs you out there (here?).

Best,

Carlo

[ChuckH]

Thanks for the good words and thoughts guys.  We'll see what they find out from my time on the Monitor.  My heart guy is at St Francis in Indy, one of the very best in the care of hearts in the country. 

My only hope is they find the problem and get it fixed in time for me to make The National in John Day.  Those three rallies (OR, WA, ID) have been in my long range plans since they were announced.

[Zoom Zoom]

Hopefully they get it figured out and dealt with quickly!

Jan has been dealing with tachycardia for some time, getting an attack every few years. Since she began chemo, it had been happening quite often. (She went to the hospital 4 times in about 2 months.) She went in and they zapped it, kept her overnight and sent her home. It has been ok for a few weeks now, so it seems they dealt with it. Not sure exactly what they did but it worked and no pacemaker.   

Take care.

John Henry

[Cool Runnings]

Well, my A-Fib has been acting up more frequently and erratically lately so my heart guy has decided to put me on a 48-Hour stint with a Halter Monitor.  I get hooked up mid-this month and at least it's better (shorter) than the last time, that was a 30 day stint about 4 years ago.

They need to figure out what's causing these problems so it can get fixed.  I can not go on the road on the bike the way things are at the present time.

More later.  Until then, ride safe out there and have fun.

Get a Cryoablation, see a electrocardiologist, stay away from cardiologists (they just give you drugs). A-fib gets worse over time, once you go into permanent A-fib that lasts for a year or longer, there is nothing that will fix it. Had a Cryoablation November 2014 and so far I'm as good as new.

Are you under the age of 70 and not obese and otherwise in good shape?

[Cool Runnings]

Thanks Chuck.  This is a real bummer. 

I've lived with this condition for the last 4+ years with the heart fluttering events happening on a 3 to 5 week basis.  That was OK and I could tolerate it.  Now I'm having these events every couple of days or so and there is no predictability at all with them.  It needs to be fixed.

The other Chuck

Do you have atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation?  Atrial flutter is a easy fix, atrial fibrillation not so much.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Are you under the age of 70 and not obese and otherwise in good shape?

  You're not from around here, are ya?
He qualifies on two of those..

[Cool Runnings]

You're not from around here, are ya?
He qualifies on two of those..

Where is here? He doesn't reveal his location, nor do you, what are you hiding?

Let me put it to you another way, if he qualifies for two of these, he may not be a candidate for a ablation.

[Spuddy]

All the best Chuck.  I'm a little squeamish when it comes to the ticker...

Spud

[ChuckH]

Do you have atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation?  Atrial flutter is a easy fix, atrial fibrillation not so much.

Cool Running,

Thanks for your comments.  The original diagnosis was that mine is the fibrillation version.  Normally, during an episode, my heart will be in that mode for a couple of hours with the blood being recirculated in the upper cavities and not pumped out through the body.  After that, things tend to moderate a bit but I'm still low in energy for the better part of a day.

With these recent changes, the feelings are about the same.  The problem is they are occurring much more frequently and are, therefore, very unpredictable.  I'm certain there is a reason and a solution.  I just have to let the doctors figure out what has to happen.

As for me and my location -- we're located a bit south of Indy and, unfortunately, I'm moving on 83 years of age this August.  I wish that wasn't so but it just turned out that way.

Ride safe.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Where is here? He doesn't reveal his location, nor do you, what are you hiding?

Let me put it to you another way, if he qualifies for two of these, he may not be a candidate for a ablation.

Uhh, look at the bottom of every post I make..

[oldbike54]

Where is here? He doesn't reveal his location, nor do you, what are you hiding?

Let me put it to you another way, if he qualifies for two of these, he may not be a candidate for a ablation.

 

Uhh, look at the bottom of every post I make..

 Yeah , what are you two Chucks hiding ? Seriously , accusing folks of hiding stuff always annoys and at the same time amuses me 

 Dusty

[Shorty]

Get well. Just don't let Roper do your diagnostics/programming. You will develope a rubber chicken fetish....

[Chuck in Indiana]

At any rate, Chuck knows what he's doing and is just explaining why we may not see him at some early rallies. Since he's changed to that Beemer, though.. I don't have to worry about him taking the oldest rider trophy any more. 

[Chuck in Indiana]

Get well. Just don't let Roper do your diagnostics/programming. You will develope a rubber chicken fetish....

Hmmm, I wondered how my avatar got that way..

[Cool Runnings]

Cool Running,

Thanks for your comments.  The original diagnosis was that mine is the fibrillation version.  Normally, during an episode, my heart will be in that mode for a couple of hours with the blood being recirculated in the upper cavities and not pumped out through the body.  After that, things tend to moderate a bit but I'm still low in energy for the better part of a day.

With these recent changes, the feelings are about the same.  The problem is they are occurring much more frequently and are, therefore, very unpredictable.  I'm certain there is a reason and a solution.  I just have to let the doctors figure out what has to happen.

As for me and my location -- we're located a bit south of Indy and, unfortunately, I'm moving on 83 years of age this August.  I wish that wasn't so but it just turned out that way.

Ride safe.

Due to your age about the best advice I can give you is get a "pill in pocket" of Flecainide. When you get a episode, go to the ER and while you are waiting take a double dose, if you have a bad reaction, you will be admitted right away, otherwise it may knock out the  arrhythmia.

[Zoom Zoom]

Did someone say rubber chicken..........

ZZ

[Texas Turnip]

I met ChuckH at the National in Canada. You'd never guess he is 83 as he looks to be the epitome of healt. Not like an overweight, cigar smoking, wind sucking cardiovascular cripple that has to look in the dictionary to spell healthy lifestyle.

The best to you,
Tex

[oldbike54]

I met ChuckH at the National in Canada. You'd never guess he is 83 as he looks to be the epitome of healt. Not like an overweight, cigar smoking, wind sucking cardiovascular cripple that has to look in the dictionary to spell healthy lifestyle.

The best to you,
Tex

 As long as we are telling "we met at" stories , Chuck was at David Welch's Arkie gig summer of 2014 . No finer gentleman nor bull moose motorbike rider have I had the pleasure to encounter 

 Dusty

[PeteS]

Due to your age about the best advice I can give you is get a "pill in pocket" of Flecainide. When you get a episode, go to the ER and while you are waiting take a double dose, if you have a bad reaction, you will be admitted right away, otherwise it may knock out the  arrhythmia.

Cool, don't you think you should tell us your background? Are you a medical professional, work in one of the many pacemaker companies in your area or just an informed patient?
I am not a medical professional but have worked 30 years in Cardiology Research with an emphasis on electro cardiology and have built many prototype devices for heart mapping and ablation. In no way would I recommend treatment. If Chuck has a competent Cardiologist he should direct him to the best treatment whether it be drugs or intervention.

Chuck, If you Cardiologist thought this was an acute event you would have already had your Holter done. Good luck with your tests.

Pete