[Marilyn]

Hi, just checking out the threads real quick. He's still in the hospital. He's down to 100 BPM, so they are making progress. Yaaaaa. What he has is called atrial fribullation (sp?). If it can be controlled with medication, he could live with it for years. There are many people who do, but he does not want to and the doctors don't want him to if there is another option. In the past they have converted him to a normal rhythm using drugs or electric shock.

This time they are trying to just get his beats down and leave him in A-fib so he can go to see the doctors in Houston. For them to map his heart and pinpoint the area where the problem is originating from, he has to be in A-fib. They will go in like they do for angioplasty only they will burn small spots on the heart to kill the nerves causing the fibrullation. If this is successful, he will be "cured" and will no longer need to take coumadin or any other drugs. I don't know the name of the procedure. It's been around for about 10 years, but only recently have they gotten the accuracy down to make it a recommended treatment.

He is very healthy other than being overweight, so he is a good candidate for the procedure. He's experienced A-fib 4 times now. Once in his 20's (triggered by an electric shock), then in his early 40's, last year and now.

Thank you for your prayers. It's always scary when something is going on with the heart. This house is too big for me to rattle around here all by myself. I need him home.