Are you living with atrial fibrillation?
Hundreds of New Zealanders and their loved ones told us that, when faced with the challenges of AF, they want emotional support to supplement the medical care they receive. People want to hear and learn from others who have had the same condition, received the same treatments and who understand the highs and lows.
The Heart Foundation launched 'Journeys' in response to this need. Journeys is an online searchable library of heart health stories told by real people in their own words click the link below to find all stories about AF. Whilst this page shows a sample of the kinds of stories you can find on the Heart Foundation website use the link below to visit Journeys and see all stories.
Browse all personal stories about AF now
My heart rate doesn’t even out
by Bill Reid
In early 2002, Bill Reid went to the doctor with recurring chest pains, breathlessness and pins and needles down his left arm. While there, he had a bit of a dizzy spell and was taken to hospital by ambulance. After some hospital tests, he found out that he had developed an irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation (AF). The diagnosis was something of a surprise to Bill, as he’s always been very active, and played indoor basketball as a young man.
“It’s a strange feeling actually. I felt vaguely insulted by the fact that my body had let me down even though I was looking after it.”
When Bill left the hospital, he was started on several medications. Bill has chronic AF, “My heart rate doesn’t even out. It’s the same sort of irregular pattern all the time so I wouldn’t know if it was beating properly or not.”
Bill has been faithfully taking his medications daily. Although the medications haven’t fixed his AF, they help to control it so that Bill can get on with his life.
“I get out of breath sometimes, but I’m pretty fit. I play golf, chop wood for the golf club, and I’m involved with fundraising for the Heart Foundation in the Wairarapa.”
His advice to other people living with AF is to keep active, even if it’s just half an hour a day, and to do something sociable from time to time.
The AF seems to come about once a month
by Ralph Harrison
At 71 years old, Ralph Harrison leads a life that would keep a man half his age busy. A keen bowler and table tennis player, he has two part-time jobs and regularly rallies his MG rally car.
He admits his episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF) slow him down a little.
“My heart just seems to run rough. It doesn’t speed up, it doesn’t slow down, it just ticks away but it seems out of sync. I do feel tired after it. If I were going to do something that day, I’d probably put it off," he explains.
“The AF seems to come about once a month. It just comes on at night and it’ll be gone within about 12 hours. It’s getting lighter - not so bad, but too much vigorous exercise can trigger it for me. I remember, I was on a walk once and I went the wrong way. I climbed up a big hill and I was really puffing and when I came home I got quite bad AF that night.”
Since first being diagnosed, Ralph has made an effort to make some changes to his eating habits, “I used to eat a lot of rubbish, pies and fish and chips and stuff like that. I’m into real good tucker now. I think that’s made quite a difference to me.”
Having atrial fibrillation means Ralph is five times more likely to have a stroke than someone without AF. “The doctor put me on Warfarin to reduce my risk of stroke. It does make you feel the cold a bit more, but if it reduces your risk of stroke I’m all for it,” he says.
To help him remember all his heart medications, every Sunday night Ralph sets up a pill box with medications for each of the coming days of the week.
With his AF under control, Ralph is enjoying staying active and it’s clear that he has no plans to let anything slow him down.
“My doctor reckons I do too much for my own good, I’m still very very active. It’s about quality of life, getting the most out of it.”
Top
In early 2002, Bill Reid went to the doctor with recurring chest pains, breathlessness and pins and needles down his left arm. While there, he had a bit of a dizzy spell and was taken to hospital by ambulance. After some hospital tests, he found out that he had developed an irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation (AF). The diagnosis was something of a surprise to Bill, as he’s always been very active, and played indoor basketball as a young man.
At 71 years old, Ralph Harrison leads a life that would keep a man half his age busy. A keen bowler and table tennis player, he has two part-time jobs and regularly rallies his MG rally car.