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Personal Philosophy

I see a significant number of questions coming from people with irregular rhythms who are worried about it.  Worrying does no one any good.  But we have medication and actual treatments that can either ameliorate or even cure the problems.  Sure there is a risk with any surgical procedure but I suspect you are at greater risk driving to the Stop-And-Rob for a Slurpee.  

My simple philosophy is that any day I wake up on the green side of the sod is a good one.  You see I very nearly did NOT get to live to my 19th birthday (which was just shy of 38 years ago).  In the span of 6 weeks I was in a crash that totalled a small airplane, a MAJOR tornado (it was the storm that served as the model for Dr. Fujita in developing the Tornado scale we hear about today) and a wreck on the freeway in the rain during rush hour.  In the first case I was less that 6 feet from a 20 meter drop into a box canyon.  In the 2nd case I was less than 3 miles from the touchdown point one of the worst tornado in U.S. history (wind speeds where I was exceeded 120mph).  In the last case I came within 4 feet of dropping 40 feet into a concrete storm drain.  The last case would have killed 2 of my 3 siblings along with me.

Here is my philosophy in the form of the lyric to a song I wrote in 2006:

Eve'ry day I wake up on the green side of the sod
Is a good one, it's a good one
Eve'ry day I wake up on the green side of the sod
Is a good one all in all.
Some days are filled with sorrow.
And some days are filled with woe
But I figure grass looks better from above
Than lookin' up from below!  So
Eve'ry day I wake up on the green side of the sod
Is a good one, it's a good one
Eve'ry day I wake up on the green side of the sod
Is a good one all in all.
It's a good one after all.

And as for getting old, Art Linkletter said it best
"I'd rather be over the hill than under it."
Uh huh.  Over the hill isn't fun but under the hill is for HOBBITS!

Cheers,
Bionic Bill
10 Responses
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Avatar universal
You are truly and inspiration to us all. We can chose to mourn the life we once had or go on and live the one we've been dealt. When my PVC's amped up to all day every day, I really felt that I was dying. I would lie down and wait to die, but it didn't happen. I have learned to live with those feeling and accept that anything can happen but I'am not going to let not feeling well stop me from living. I have adjusted. I don't fear death I think thats the biggest hurtle to get over. I'am not looking forward to it, but I know it's out there so I better do the best I can to live every moment I have here on the green side.
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Avatar universal
That's a pretty heavy story. You must have very big shoulders to carry it all. Good job on "keeping on". There is no alternative is there. I do commend you, and everyone else who decides that today is worth living despite the battles we might face.

It seems those of us who have a burden to carry, do so to the best of our ability. But it's not to say it's easy, we all need breaks. I think we've all felt sometimes that our situation feels desparate. But we can't compare ourselves to others, we can only do what WE can do. And that's enough in my books, to expect of anyone.


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Avatar universal
lagoya, yo wrote: "if i may be so bold to say some of us here id say { i might be the only one} have to live in reality"
I lived with the reality of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation for a decade.  At times it felt like my heart wanted to pull a trick like the one in the film "Alien" and jump clean out of my chest.  After it finally settled down I would be debilitated, feeling like a wrung out dishrag for hours if not the entire next day.  Last October I went into persistent atrial fibrillation and my ventricles went ballistic.  My heartbeat was not merely irregular, it was irregularly irregular.  It would go from 130-150bpm to 30-40bpm and it would do it from one moment to the next.  I had to first work part-time because I could not stay awake all night as is frequently called for in Security.  Then I had to stop work all together because sometimes I had trouble staying alert for a 4 hour shift.  Some days I could hardly get out of bed.  I would get up, kiss my wife good-bye as she went to work, make a bite of breakfast and go back to bed and be sleeping when she came home in the afternoon.  This from a guy who was an early to bed type from infancy.

There is an old saying that goes something like "I complained about having holes in my socks till I met a man with no feet."  You have a malfunctioning heart but it could be much, MUCH worse.  Are you having to take coumadin?  It's such a fun drug.  To begin with it is literally nothing but purified, medical grade rat poison.  They no longer use it to kill rats but that is how it started out.  It works wonders but you have to watch what you eat VERY carefully.  If you eat too much fried foods or green, leafy vegetables or other things that have vitamin K you have to get your coumadin level checked (the test is called Prothombin Time International Normalized Ratio PT INR) because if it gets too low you can throw clots and that can cause huge problems.  My Dad was on coumadin but he didn't get his levels checked as often as he should.  He loved salads and they could have raised his dosage to compensate - if he had been careful to have his PT INR checked.  Instead he threw a clot out of the left side of his heart.  Actually he threw SEVERAL clots.  In a bit over 5 weeks he went from vital and active and alive to lieing on a slab at the undertaker's parlor.  At least he did not suffer long.  I have known some who did.

Life is a gift.  Treasure each day you are given.  Be concerned but do not let that concern turn to fear because persistent fear can paralyze you.  Do not worry.  Worrying cannot - I say again CANNOT - lengthen your life.  It can, however, shorten it.  Worry causes harmful chemicals to be released into your bloodstream and THAT is bad for your heart.

Do not get me wrong.  I absolutely HATE having to depend upon a piece of computer technology to stay conscious.  But I dislike the alternative even more.  One day I will move into a little place at Ft. Sam Houston to spend the rest of the time the earth exists.  (I am ex-military and at Ft. Sam Houston is a National Cemetary)  But I would like to put off moving down the way from my folks as long as possible.

So I still say that every day I wake up on the green side of the sod is a good one.  One day I won't.

Bionic Bill
BTW, the offer to send you a midi of the tune is still open.  I put my email address in my previous post.
Helpful - 0
489725 tn?1280052553
hi ya your name upbeat has a lift about it already and yes i agree laughter,stories any funny experiences good or bad  are all welcome in this forum and do provide for distractions.i do think bills post was good and kinda wonder what his song sounds like and that is a distraction.but i also think is was a good thread from the point of view thats its ok to be afraid and to worry with certain things like pvcs -because through that you will find answers and the question marks will eventually fade-
27 yrs of pvcs im only a baby so have mine only 2
im glad im not the only one lol
be good
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Avatar universal
I completely understand where you are coming from, so no, you are not the only one. I live with pvcs every day. Have for years and years.

There is probably some time in each day where I wonder why they are so persist, why they are intruding on my day, why I feel so crappy from them. Sometimes I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired.

No one lives each day wondering if, when they cross the road, whether or not they will be hit by a car, or if they will be shot by a burglar at the grocery store, or if they will fall off the mountain they decided to climb. That is not a prevelant occurrence in everybody's life. But pvcs are, at least for me. So admittedly, I worry. Not that I'm going to die from them, I AM still here after 27 years for goodness sake. But I worry about how I will cope if they get worse. And there's not much room for that at around 30,000pvc/day. I worry that I will always feel lousy because of the pvcs, and then I try to find something better to think about.

BUT, laughter, a funny song, a positive outlook, a good story, are necessary to provide that distraction. I will not let pvcs defeat me, but I may need a break now and then. I hope you will continue to visit, and learn, and share your story. It's how we all start here, and its how we get and give support to each other.
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489725 tn?1280052553
yeah
that is a good philosophy always look on the bright side so to speak and yes i totally agree with the positive outlook on life  but if i may be so bold to say some of us here id say { i might be the only one} have to live in reality ,and the reality is pvcs are annoying and when they go into runs they can be quite upsetting and i know everybody says not to worry about them but they frighten me.its very easy to look back and everybody here probably mostly the new people like me all have different life experiences under them and as time goes on they will most likely share those and be more comfortable in their situation like yourself.life is good but yes i do worry about my pvcs and worrying brought me here and maybe i will learn more about them and different ways to cope with them and then in time not worry no more and that in all is  where the positivity lies

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Avatar universal
Anybody who wishes to listen to the music that goes with the (admittedly doggerell-ish) lyric is welcome to send me a message/email and I will email them a midi of a nice little arrangement a buddy of mine in the Noteworthy Composer newsgroup did of my melody.
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21064 tn?1309308733
Great thread!  Great advice for all of the people just learning to cope with the irregular beats. These guys really have been there, done that.  They know first-hand what it feels like to wonder, worry and stress over the extra beats.  They also know that in someone with a structurally normal heart, worrying is much more debilitating than the PVCs will ever be.  The worry will drive your anxiety which will drive your PVCs which will cause you to worry.....It can be a vicious cycle.  But, these guys are living proof that life can be great despite having PVCs.  

Great song Bill!!  Who knew you were so talented?  : )

I loved watching the Art Linkletter show!!!  Thanks for the stroll down memory lane..LOL

connie
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Avatar universal
Another thing to add is the power of our thoughts.  My palpitations are at their worst when I turn out the lights to go to sleep.  I'm sure it's because they are the only thing causing a disturbance in the silence.  I don't get worried or anxious, just a little annoyed because now they are on my mind, which we all know doesn't help matters.  Last night I decided to relax and meditate when the racket in my heart started up (yes, I do hear them).  It worked.  My heart calmed down.  Will definitely give it another try tonight.
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Avatar universal
Good song, good point, good philosophy.

You have had first hand knowledge of your own fragility, your own mortality, on several occassions. Most of what I think I read in posters notes here (including some of my own) is that their irregular heart beat, or their condition, whatever it might be, could be their first experience (or reminder in my case) that they live in a body made of flesh and bone.

You are 100% right, it's not something to worry about, but rather to become informed about, and having a good outlook goes a long way to living with some of our health issues.
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