The first three weeks after the Minimaze - Oct/Nov 2025

 

BACK HOME AND THE NEXT THREE WEEKS AFTER THE MINIMAZE

Now I am experienced at getting over this ablation lark.  A quick reminder for those who haven’t read all my boring posts - I had a PVI ablation in May 2020; an RF in April 2021, another RF on Jan 2022 and then a PFA/RF in October 2024.  I then had time to squeeze in two quick SCAD heart attacks on 1^st and 3rd May 2025 before having this latest Minimaze/Surgical ablation on 13 October 2025. 

(PVI = Pulmonary veins isolation; RF = radio-frequency; PAF = Pulsed Field Ablation; SCAD = Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection).

Anyway, I am an expert in recover.  It takes ages. It definitely takes longer than the unrealistic time scale given to you by the EP (Electro-cardiologist/physician).  It takes ages longer than all those professional cyclists who are back on their bikes after two weeks.  It takes ages longer than that smug person on Facebook who was running after two weeks.  IT TAKES AGES!!!!! Or perhaps it is just me (no, actually there is a study which I have shared on here before and will again).

BUT no matter how many times I go through this and tell myself what a bore it is, I always forget what a nightmare it really is!

And so, this was no different…

20 October marked seven days since the ablation:

The journey home (four hours in the car) the day before really made me feel awful.  In my experience you always feel worse when you get home from being cossetted in hospital – you just DO more even if it is minor stuff like carry your own tea cup from the kitchen to the living room. I was in much more pain, probably from being shook up in the car, and resorted back to the strong painkillers (but not the opiates – too scared of them!). I noticed I was holding myself weirdly and only doing shallow breathes.  They had collapsed my left lung during the procedure and the physio was very keen that I should do deep breathing every hour – this appears to be to ‘re-stretch’ the lung and avoid an infection.  My first day went like this – shower – rest on sofa – sleep on sofa – lunch – sat on sofa – went to nurse to check my dressings (I must have looked bad because someone offered me a seat in the waiting room!) – dinner – sat on sofa – bed early – exhausted.

21 October

Had to resort to the opiates today.  I felt nauseous all day. Legs very weak – so much worse than in hospital. I cannot imagine ever feeling well again.  I don’t even the oomph to do any of my planned sedentary activities (study, revise German, French and Italian, write blog, write some letters etc)

22 October

Real digestive issues – trying to drink more to help the faintness but it just sits in my stomach – a glass of water sat there for 2.5 hours last night – uncomfortable and gurgling.  Spent most of the night sleeping on the sofa as I couldn’t get comfortable.  A friend visited me and we went on my first outdoor walk – 4.5 minutes! Back killing me from sitting so much.  Had a gut-friendly dinner – it just sat in my stomach for six hours (literally six hours)

23 October

Feel worse.  Legs ache, weak, nauseous all day.  Phoned cardiac nurses who said I could stop the Colchicine as it is notorious for gut issues, I’m to take more paracetamol instead.  I told her I was a bit scared of the opiates and she said, “yes, you should be – you won’t get any more of that – it’s very addictive” (These are the drugs like fentanyl which has caused so many addicts and deaths particularly in the USA). 

Got a letter from Addenbrookes – honestly! – can you believe I was exposed to TB while in there in August waiting for the TOE/cardioversion!! Presumably in the filthy EAU ward where someone was coughing A LOT. Is someone up there playing some sort of game with me!!  I’m going to be invited for further testing though it is unlikely I will have caught it!!!!!!! Honestly - you couldn't make it up!

Nurse removed the stitch where the drain had been.  All healing well.

24 October

Awake for hours in the night – coughing more than ever (Is it TB?). I was now at the awkward stage where I felt well enough to be bored but not well enough to actually DO anything! Getting lots of messages from friends and my sister-in-law.  Had several visitors too.

Got yet another letter from Addenbrookes – inviting me for an Aortic scan!  Now what!! I had the head to hip scan in August so now I was in a flap in case they had found something sinister…

Did some twisting type exercises to loosen back and made my wounds ache.  Spent the night coughing which makes my nosebleed and makes my wounds hurt too.  Got up. Had warm milk. Slept back in bed, but more coughing and more nosebleeds. 

25 October

Doing knitting (teddies etc to leave as Random Acts of Kindness) and sewing them up and stuffing them and then the traumatic part of giving them a face (everyone is different!). Began reading David Copperfield as recommended by my brother and SIL.  It was very simplistic and then I realised it was the Puffin version – i.e. abridged for children!!! To be honest, it is probably all my brain can cope with at the moment - I was still pretty forgetful at times.

Making up for the lack of eating in hospital and earlier in the week -already feel fat. But my weight is 3 kg lighter than before the op due to the diuretics (in hospital it was 7 kg heavier!).

Trying to walk 100 steps every hour and do my deep breathing lung exercises.

26 October

Felt bit better – did more – felt worn out! Walked about five minutes but bit quicker (or rather a bit further in the same time!).  Trying to meditate every day but I always fall asleep!

Week 2

Now I will not carry on with a daily update (if you have made it this far) as we shall both die of boredom so I’ll sum up the second week:

Feeling extremely faint (Blood Pressure very low – I could hardly even sit up let alone move) – phoned cardiac nurses -she was a bit offy “I can see you want to stop all the drugs” and I explained that nearly everything (except, ironically, amiodarone gives me side effects).  She said to talk to the GP – I phoned the GP and explained my BP was as low as 83/53!! He sent me to the SDEC ward at the local hospital.  I have never heard of this before – it is like A &E but for less serious cases. It was brilliant – I had ECG, BP, bloods, chest x-ray and then saw two doctors.  I told them I thought my BP was so low because I was dehydrated due to the diuretics.  They concurred, as doctors say.  Saw A&E consultant – he agreed, but nobody would take a decision because they felt it should be done by the experts in Sheffield – which I could totally understand.  Told to drink more which had helped.

Emailed Mr Hunter’s secretary and asked for his advice (now 18 days ago – no reply except from secretary saying she would pass the message on).

Attended the funeral of my favourite uncle – realised I am now the oldest member of that side of the family!!!!  The Matriarch!!  It was lovely to see my cousins who were all amazed that I had managed to make it and very concerned about me (even though I haven’t seen them in decades!). It was so sweet and I managed to stand (achievement) for a while afterwards for a chat though, sadly, I was too exhausted to go to the Wake. Exhausted afterwards.

Realised late in the week that I had not been taking my thyroxine since I got home – ten days!  I don’t think that will help my general well-being! I thought Hubby was dishing them out with the other drugs (there were loads to begin with and I was still a bit befuddled some days) and he thought I was taking them at night as I had done pre-hospital.  Oops.  Though I should have realised I was not taking extra in the mornings…  Idiot! It would explain, I think, why I was so freezing cold all the time.  'Onestly!!

Had enough oomph to begin a jigsaw!!! Hurrah!

Still coughing and spending a fair few hours on the sofa every night. Longest walk so far – 8 minutes! But couldn’t do as much for the rest of the week as I was too kn*ckered.  Usually, after an ‘ordinary’ ablation I do an electric bike ride alternate days as I find walking so exhausting but I was forbidden to do that for four weeks and don’t have the gumption anyway at the moment.

Had the CT scan of the Aorta – seems it was missed back in August so no need to panic just routine after my SCADs in May. 

Been having very vivid dreams – lots of long dead relatives in them and it is quite nice to see them again especially, of course, my Mum and Dad. Nightmares too - I even dreamt one night that my husband hated me and woke up in tears.  He then woke up and thought I was in Afib because I was crying!  What a carry-on.  I wonder why I’m getting these dreams?

Longest walk was 11 mins – 0.47 mile

Week 3

Added in some exercises – gentle back exercises since last week plus some physio stuff and stretching plus some balancing work.  Nothing radical yet! Saw a lovely GP for my two-week since discharge check-up. Finally, HE took the decision to stop the diuretics but not the blasted betablockers.  It has helped a bit but BP still too low for me and I still feel faint but it is not as bad.

Visited by a great friend who reminded me that this time two weeks ago carrying two plates to the sink had been an achievement and now I was walking 0.50 mile! Had been walking 200 steps every hour but exhausted myself!  Do I never learn? I’d done over 4000 steps one day which is getting on for two miles!!!  Cut that back to 100 steps per hour and about 3000 per day.

Still not sleeping properly.  Cleaned some sinks and did some dusting – hallelujah! 

The letters between Dr Davies at Papworth and Prof Adlam at Glenfield (re the SCAD heart attack) said I had no further SCAD sites and that I had enlarged hepatic and coeliac arteries, but that is due to my HHT (bleeding disorder caused by genetic malformation of the blood vessels) and asymptomatic. Now need MRI scan on brain to check for aneurysms! I feel like I am running a personal campaign to bankrupt our NHS.

Which reminds me - somebody on Health Unlocked investigated having the surgical ablation (the hybrid version I think where you get the catheter ablation too - which I did not need) .  This was several years ago - £50,000!!! In the jolly old US of A - I've seen $250,000 - $350,000 recently. I'm SO lucky to get this done and for free.

Late in the week we went OUT! Dropped some rubbish off at the tip (SO exciting to be out!) and then tea and scone at a café.  Nice but blooming freezing in there!Tired later!!!

Every time I forget the breathing exercises my chest hurts so they are doing some good…

Longest walk 13.75 minutes – 0.56 mile.

 

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