[sunrise]

I had surgery Monday to take a look at my wonky ovary. I had general anesthesia (thanks everyone for the advice on that--I posted here a while back), and the surgery went fine. They took out my right ovary, which was hopelessly intertwined with an endometrioma, and they also took out a cyst on my left fallopian tube. So I can have more kids if I want (which I don't, but good to know). So this should cure my pain and I can go off the hormones.

The complication was that in the recovery room after I regained consciousness, my heart started beating very erratically. This went on for an hour or two and there was much concern. The anesthesiologist said he was going to have to shock my heart with the paddles to get it back into a proper rhythm. But shortly before he planned to do this, my heart started beating with a regular rhythm again. They were all puzzled I was able to "convert" to a good rhythm on my own and that I had started this irregular rhythm in the first place, after surgery was over. I now have to go see a cardiologist next week. The doc says maybe they have discovered an underlying heart condition that I have and this is good, so it can be treated with medication or other means. The irregular beating is called atrial fibrillation but usually occurs in people quite a bit older than I am. Anyway, my heart is beating normally now, as far as I can tell. My father has this too, and apparently it can run in families. When there is a genetic component, it can manifest at an earlier age. I guess it is good they discovered this. I am especially glad they didn't have to use the paddles while I was awake. I am used to seeing them on TV medical shows use paddles to shock people's hearts that have stopped beating back into beating again, not live people's beating hearts! I was feeling like, "hey, my heart's beating, I'm alive, let's leave well enough alone, who cares if the rhythm isn't right." But that was not acceptable to them. They said that atrial fibrillation can be associated with hyperthyroidism, so they tested for that, but I don't have it.

Does anyone here have atrial fibrillation? How do you treat it?

I am convalescing at home now from the surgery. This is a lot more painful than I thought it would be. But I am glad to have the ovary problem solved once and for all.

[Perna]

That doesn't sound fun! I read the American Heart Association site about AF http://www.americanheart.org/present...dentifier=4451 and now I'm a little sorry I did so, scary stuff! Apparently it puts one at an increase risk of strokes so they tend to treat it aggressively so one doesn't have a stroke. There was one worse sounding (to me) thing they could have done instead of the paddles. I'm glad your heart figured itself out; maybe it was all just a fluke.

Yes, nice you have the ovary problem solved, hope that ends pain and fixes everything well.

I hope you recover fast, well, and comfortably.

[lenjan]

Atrial fib usually requires lifelong treatment with blood thinners. I am on them for a clotting disorder and run into a lot of AF patients in my coag clinic.

They're a PITA to regulate, but taking a pill or two a day is a small price to pay for being OK!

I'm glad your surgery went well and hope you are pain-free soon.

[sunrise]

Thanks for the info on AF, Perna and candybear. After reading that link you gave, Perna, I can see how the paddles are the typical thing to do, but I'm still glad they didn't have to use them! Right now they have put me on a beta blocker to regulate heart rate until I can see the cardiologist. In the recovery room, they said one thing interesting about my AF was that it was not fast, but a slow arrhythmia, so giving drugs that slow the heart rate aren't necessarily the best course for what I had, even though they are given to many people with typical AF, which is too fast. I am feeling no ill effects of the beta blocker--that I know of.

Today I am feeling better from the surgery and am decreasing the frequency of my pain meds a bit. I took a 15 minute walk in the neighborhood. My girls have been kidding me about taking so many vicodins (we are all fans of the show, House MD, about the brilliant doctor who is a vicodin addict).

[lenjan]

Hey, Brett Favre was a Vicodin addict, and look what he's done with himself.

I was prescribed it once, took 2 and threw them away. I have NO problem seeing how people get addicted to that stuff. It scared me. But it definitely worked!!

I'm glad you're feeling better today!

[(JD)]

(((Hugs)))) Hope your pain is minimal. Glad it went ok considering. TC!