In a very busy job in the hotel industry, Maggie initially put her symptoms of tiredness, dizziness and breathlessness down to hard work. At the time AF was a foreign word which meant absolutely nothing’. A few months later, however, she went into AF in the recovery room following an operation for varicose veins. Her surgeon referred her to a cardiologist, promising that he would give her something to make you better’.

With private health insurance Maggie was able to see a cardiologist a few days later and, following tests which confirmed her diagnosis, she was put on flecainide. She reacted badly to the medication, however, coming out it an horrific rash’ and after 3 months of persevering was prescribed propafenone twice a day. Despite cutting the tablet in half she continued to feel nauseous and dizzy in the mornings and was then prescribed sotalol. She describes this as the lesser of the three evils. Although she felt better physically, the medication failed to settle her AF and her symptoms worsened over 3-4 years.

On the advice of her cardiologist, Maggie underwent an unsuccessful ablation. She found the experience very traumatic and was totally petrified not knowing what was going to happen’. Sick and weak after the operation, she felt she had nobody to turn to as she waited the three months for her follow-up appointment. A second ablation, performed a year later, was more successful. However, although the operation restored sinus rhythm and cured’ her AF about eighty percent’, she was left with an irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia. This has been attributed to a fourth pulmonary vein which cannot be ablated without open heart surgery.

After being taken off medication for a year following her ablation, Maggie was again prescribed propafenone to control her heart rhythm but still has rubbish mornings of feeling dizzy and nauseous. Prescribed aspirin as an anticoagulant, Maggie continued to take this medication until a year ago when she suffered an intestinal bleed. Looking back, she is surprised that no one monitored her aspirin despite warnings about its safety. Having experienced a transient ischemic attack (TIA) after her second ablation, Maggie was fearful of having a stroke but trusts her cardiologist’s current opinion that she does not now need to take anticoagulants.

Having always enjoyed good health, Maggie was not prepared for the impact AF has had on her life. She describes the AF journey as a psychological as well as physical one in which you’re riding the storm and keeping your head above water the whole time’. The trauma of two ablations, an inability to cope as I always did in my life’, and being on her own with no one to share the burden, have left Maggie feeling depressed. Several telephone consultations with a clinical psychologist she met at a conference have helped, though Maggie feels that what she really needed was somebody to give you a great big hug and say, You are all right.’.

Although Maggie has been with her cardiologist for 10 years, she wishes they had a better rapport. She has lacked confidence to fully speak to him’, and short consultations have left little time for her to ask questions. She has found the support of the AFA (Atrial Fibrillation Association) invaluable: they understand exactly what you were going through’. She is now part of a team who advise newly diagnosed patients, and her story appears on their website Maggie has also spoken at AFA conferences and represented the patient perspective at parliamentary meetings.

Maggie fears her AF will probably come back. She describes herself as being in limbo’, unsure of what the end product’ is going to be. Without this certainty she feels she cannot move on and make plans for the future.

Interview held 30/08/12