Heart Ablation for Mark's heart flutter

Mark developed a heart flutter.  He had to take blood thinning medicine for one month before he could have a procedure to restore his heart to a normal heart rhythm.  He was on Eloquis for a month.  He had to be on the blood thinner because he didn't go to the doctor early enough (they were concerned his blood could have pooled in his heart - if it did pool in his heart, there is a risk of it dislodging into his bloodstream causing a stroke).  The procedure he had to have is a heart ablation.  A heart ablation is where they go in and burn the upper part of the fourth chamber to regulate the heart rate again. 

It was a long day.  Mark reported to the Baptist Hospital early in the morning.  We told the hospital that Mark does not respond well to pain medicine and asked them not to give him more pain medicine after the surgery. 

Then he was taken in for the procedure.  He was sedated but not with a general anesthesia because he had to be awake to tell them where it hurt and if he felt sensations in his heart.

After the procedure Mark was taken to post-op.  However, they didn't listen to us; they gave him more pain medicine ... and ... as we foresaw ... he became very sick with nausea.  We were there an extra 5 hours because Mark was so sick.  I felt so bad for him.  He was so sick.  Luckily he felt strong enough to go home and we made it.

Skin cancer better but now a heart issue

Saturday - February 24, 2018.  On The day that Mark was allowed to start working out after his skin cancer and grafting was the day that he felt a heart flutter. It was three weeks after the grafting- Saturday morning ... As he was leaving Thorton‘s from picking up a soft drink he felt his heart skip beats. He thought it was just that he had worked out too much. He had to pull over on the side of the road because he just felt like he was going to pass out. When he got home he took it easy but he still had a hard time climbing the stairs.

Two days later while Mark was working out at lunch he had difficulty walking on a treadmill. This is when he knew something serious was up.

After work He went to the emergency room.  We found out that Mark has a condition called atrial flutter.  Once again, Mark is not allowed to exercise.  He was put on blood thinners in an attempt to keep him from developing blood clots.  

We see a cardiologist in a few days!!  Yikes!!!

After Mark had been on Eloquis (spelling might be off) for two weeks, the doctor decided it was safe to do the heart procedure.  Mark had to be awake while they slid a scope up through a vein to his heart and saudder a spot on his heart so the random electric repulse would not contract the heart unnecessarily.  

Mark made it through the operation fine.  Unfortunately, the doctors gave him strong pain medicine that made him very sick.  He was sick for over six hours - throwing up, sick and sleepy.  It was awful to see him in so much discomfort.  We finally got to leave the hospital around 9 PM.  It was a long hard day for my sweet Mark.