Don’t panic. Don’t get depressed. It can be dealt with. Provided it’s looked at and looked after it’s not going to kill you. You can carry on your life, generally or you may have to shift back a gear a bit, but just go with it. It’s very different, when you’re a patient, to dealing with a patient. Often, as a patient, you can be much more accepting of it because it’s you. What other things would I tell them? I’d I would tell them to say, don’t take no as an answer, dig your heels in, be difficult if you have to be, make sure that you are dealt with in a proper way and that things are properly explained to you in terms of diagnosis, what the condition is, what options you have, what the side effects are of any medication and again, what alternatives there are. And I would particularly advise them to learn about the subject. Just become an intelligent patient. People react very differently to that. Some, like me, with a naturally nosy and inquisitive nature and a scientific mind want to want to know a lot more about it. You know, I find the more technical sessions at Europe AFA absolutely fascinating with the new research and so on. Some people they would say, What? What are you doing that for? You know, just go to the doctor and take what he says.

So it’s, I think it depends on individuals. I think one of the one of the main things, one of the things that I’m always doing on the AFA forum is reassuring people. I think it’s terribly important for people to have reassurance from people who’ve, if you like, been on the on the same path and it’s, tell them, be honest with them and say, It can be a very bumpy road. It can be a very uncertain road. But generally, after a period of time, things do get better.

I would say find out as much as you possibly can about it. Get to know your own body. Get to know the things that causes it or that initiates it. Ask as many questions as you can. Don’t just take medication blindly, find out what the side effects of the medication are and go on recognised internet sites and find out if there are any other possible side effects and particularly if it’s a new drug, you know, somebody is this a drug trial, make sure that you’re aware of if it’s a drug trial or not. But to be very, very much aware and find out as much as they possibly can and then when they going for consultations, have a list of questions they want to ask rather than going in there and forgetting about it because you’re not going to maybe be back for probably three or four months. But if they can do things that can reduce the episodes and whatever that is, whatever healthy changes that they might do it but, as well as that, push and see if you can get as much information as you possibly can. That’s my way of dealing with it, everybody is different. But I like to know as much as I possibly can so that then I can make informed decisions rather than maybe and I’m not and anyway because doctors have so many patients and nurses and they have to see to them all and so they’re doing what they’re doing the best that they can but if you’re not happy with it, you don’t have to accept it. And get second opinions as well.

I had actually, before then, started to keep a diary of when the when I was, well, the arrhythmia, which subsequently became known as atrial fibrillation, so I’d put the time it started, time it stopped every day, and I found that was very useful and my GP said, That’s really useful and I gave him a copy and all the rest of it and wrote it all out. So, you know, if anyone else is going through that sort of thing, a diary really is very, very useful.

Take one day at a time. And that sounds a really like trite thing to say, but if you let your mind run ahead to what might happen if you don’t get that appointment, or if you do and while hes there he has the stroke again blah blah blah, you would be in an, you would be in a nut house. You literally have got to think, Right, tomorrow, were going to go to the hospital. Hes going to get physio. That’s it. And then when that’s happened you think, Tomorrow were going to go to the hospital and they might agree to do the ablation. And that’s it. Just take one day at a time. If you if you let your mind gallop to what might happen in six months’ time, you just couldn’t cope with it.

Be swayed by the patient. Try not to molly-coddle them too much. I felt swamped and it’s a frightening enough procedure anyway without or frightening enough condition, without knowing that everybody else is scared stiff as well. So you’re trying or I found I was trying to protect them probably the wrong way, by not telling them what was going on. But if I really told them how I was feeling, they’d have been even more scared. So be there because a lot of the time you look fit and healthy. I mean people say, Oh, you’ve got that? You look so well. So you might look well, it’s sort of partners sort of try and read the signs I think. Be aware if they say they’re tired and they’re sitting down, it might be because they’ve gone into AF and just don’t want to tell you. Don’t want to make a big thing because don’t want to be swamped, wrapped in cotton wool or over protective. Be supportive, I think. Follow the patient’s lead where possible.

My wife just, she’s an amazing woman and is very supportive but she she’s an ex-nurse, but she’s not a fussy sort and she is I think she is concerned. I think she is but she’s sort of doesn’t make a fuss, which is so helpful. You know, the last thing you want is someone fussing round you and, Be careful and don’t do this. And so I went down to the [holiday location] to do the landscaping, and she takes the view, Well, you know, it’s what he wants to do. It’s up to him. He’s running his life.

People look at you and you look very normal. You don’t you don’t necessarily look ill, and people don’t accept that you’ve got, what is actually, quite a serious heart problem. That applies to the workplace and to managers and even to company doctors. I’ve been to been round them all and a manager said to me, Why are you having all this time off? You know, what’s? You know, this this isn’t acceptable. And I said, Because I’ve got this condition, this is what’s happening. And it was someone that actually I’d, promoted above me because I didn’t want to do a managerial job and she said, What’s wrong with you, Chris? You know, I can’t see anything wrong with you.