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Cockrone Lagoon on this morning's walk.
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As I approached the first hill on my walk this morning, I felt my heart was racing in anticipation of whether it would start racing as my effort increased. Then, as my cardiovascular system worked harder on the steepening grade, I was constantly assessing my body's reaction.
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Part of my walk through McMasters
Beach this morning.
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The symptoms I had experienced when walking up steep hills prior to Monday's
Cardioversion included breathlessness, lightheadedness bordering on fainting, a hollow pressure in the centre of my chest and, as described on some medical websites, a real feeling of dread or impending doom. There would be a sort of tipping point, where in a matter of seconds, I would go from the familiar feelings of mild fatigue associated with walking up a hill to a sense of the clutch slipping and my internal engine spinning faster and faster in a fruitless attempt to keep my body functioning. It wasn't a pleasant experience, and I was hoping, rather than expecting, this morning that the Cardioversion had done the trick and my Atrial Flutter was gone.
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Bounty Hill steps on this morning's walk
through McMasters Beach.
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Since the procedure on Monday afternoon, it has been hard for me to tell whether or not the Cardioversion has made a difference. I had been taking it easy, and a head cold, blocked sinuses, and a mild headache have made it hard to judge my overall well-being. However, regular pulse-checking, and a vague feeling that my body was working more efficiently, have been encouraging signs. The possibility of reversion to
Atrial Flutter remains very real, though it will diminish over time, but it will be a while before I stop worrying about the consequences every time I start breathing harder on a walk or run.
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Pumice stones on McMasters Beach which
have floated more than 4,000km from an
underwater volcanic eruption north of
New Zealand.
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I didn't push it too hard on the hills this morning, and so far as I can tell, my heart is still beating normally. The 6 kilometre walk passed easily enough, finishing with the bonus of watching a pod of dolphins gambolling just outside the shore break on the Copa beach. I would like to think it was a good omen, but I don't believe in such things. Now I need to work out a training plan that will gradually return me to running in a methodical way. Such a plan will help prevent me trying to do too much too soon, if I feel that things are going well, but I also need to have the common sense to back off the plan if it appears too optimistic as time passes.
