Mahya2

Hypatia,

Thank you for the information. It is interesting to find out how many other people are suffering with this - and maybe a servce is being done here. Fodor's is more than a travel site, eh ?

Exactly right, in the last three years or so it is happening more frequently, I can feel that little butterfly flip I think near the valve, which is the skipped beat I guess, a slight dizziness, a loss of breath or oxygen, but usually then it just goes on as normal. Yet it has become the more serious tachycardia-fast heart beat and weakness much more often now, and without any exertion - just out of nowhere - you are exactly right.

I didn't know about the danger of blood clots - and maybe the French doctor in the restaurant saved my life, because he did give me two aspirin. I certainly was having a lucky day on top of a strange one.

Funny, you and Aussie know about this "ablation" and yet 5 cardiologists in the US knew nothing! It took Ze French !
If it helps, they, the French, prescribed Verapamil and although I can still sense/feel the skip, it does not turn into the total meltdown as before.

Mahya2

Vicki,

How lucky you are to be going - enjoy your trip,
and I'll look forward to your trip report.
Watch out for waiters who wiggle their eyebrows, though

TDudette

And do check with your doctor about the aspirin regimen as it interfaces with other meds you might be taking.

Aunt Margaret was taking aspirin and her doctor didn't tell her to stop when he put her on blood thinners so she started to have stomach bleeding!

Mahya2

Before this trip, I had always gone to Paris in the Spring, April once, and May the other. I found it to still be cold then, and this year I thought I'm going to avoid the Florida hurricanes and I'll go around September and October.

A hotel concierge was telling me I should come in the summer because the prices drop way down in the hotels ??? - odd because summer is when most people have their travel vacations.

So, I still think for me -avoiding hurricane season - it will be Sept-Oct. So if you are planning a Paris trip around then - GTG oui?

Mahya2

TD,

I'm sorry to hear about what happened to your Aunt
Margaret. At least her pharmacist should have told her about the mixture of the two. That's their job.

Hopefully, before I return to Paris my problems will be solved !

MLMom

Mahya2,

thanks for the information about the St. Chapelle concerts. We'll pick up a Pariscope first day.

Best wishes for many more exciting adventures (just not quite as exciting as the last)!

ML Mom

LouisaH

Mahya, Fabulous trip report but so sorry to hear about your medical misadventures. Please do keep us posted about Gerard as you know we are all living vicariously through you. I must say I laughed when I read the part about your horoscope, which said Mercury (ruling travel) is going Retrograde in motion). I read about the horrors of Mercury in Retrograde a few weeks ago with regard to my love life/dating. It said NOT to start any relationship on the 4th or 5th of October due to Mercury in Retrograde as it would be disastrous. It also said there was a chance it might be fabulous. Well, I took a chance on a first date and let me just say that it was absolutely bizarre. When does this whole retrograde thing end, do you know? I'm ready to join you with the Rrred lipstick!

hypatia

A -fib is a very common irregular heart problem....I take a medicine that is standard for prevention of these attacks....It is called Sotolol ...like the desert cactus Sotol....It is a high blood pressure medicine...like inderal....I have not had anything but a few flip flops in a year....the attacks are horrible and make you think you are dying...it's very distressful...and I thought I would never travel as well....

Mahya2

Louisa H

Planet Mercury goes "retrograde in motion " (or appears to from earth) about 3 to 5 times a year every year. There are little books called Ephemerides that give you the position of all the planets each day.
You could also google "astrology ephemeride" and likely come up with a page for the month,

Never begin anything new on a Merc Rx; it's said if you are re-doing something it's okay on a Mercury Rx, however that has not been my experience. If Merc is retro, it just sucks. The thing here is also let's say Merc is supposed to be going retro on Sept 24....but on the days before you see it is slowing down to a standstill to change direction...so obviously that's not going to bring the expected results. Like you are supposed to meet someone on the corner of Third ave and 4th Street. You can bet they'll be waiting on the corner of 4th Avenue and Third Street instead. Anything to do with meetings, purchases, written contracts (little details you didnt notice), major or minor purchases, ahem , obviously travel, computers (back em up before the retro,)all transportation forms, etc etc goes wrong.
First dates? an absolute no-no. Wont work out. And no operations on a retro either.

As you can guess, astrology was a hobby and then I was asked to teach and lecture on Astrology for a community college and adult education courses.

I thought I was taking the trip on Merc Direct on the 18th, but she went retrograde on Sept 24, so slowing down already to a standstill by Sept 20 or so. Went back to direct motion on October 15th. And that was the last Merc retro for this year.

Of course then there are eclipses,occultations,south nodes, full moons - heck - dont have a date on a full moon if you dont want to meet a crazy

Hey, buy the rrrred lipstick, it couldn't hurt lolol

Mahya2

<Best wishes for many more exciting adventures (just not quite as exciting as the last)!

ML Mom>

Thanks ML Mom. You have a wonderul time in Paris and enjoy the concerts. If you haven't been to La Madeleine church, check out what concerts they're having there too. Very impressive architecture and area also, Diagonally to the Grand Hotel and many upscale shops. As I remember even the famous Maxim's is down the street.

LouisaH

Mahya, thank you so much for all this information. I am a Libra but on the cusp of Virgo and I read that the Mercury Retrograde particularly hit the air signs this past time. I am currently planning a trip to Paris and Provence in early to mid May 2009. I think I'll check out Ephemerides to see what I can find out.

TDudette

Regarding Aunt Margaret, we were all appalled that no one mentioned the possibilities to her. She could have forgotten but I don't think so.

Anyway, stay clued up about everything-Fodorites will help!

Maybe we should start a medical section. Hey Kate!

Mahya2

Well this is interesting :
Sept 2004 Article on Ablations

The UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will undergo the operation with a local anaesthetic and sedation. Over the last two months the heart flutters have returned and his doctors felt he should undergo the procedure. Tony Blair is to have the operation on Friday, 1st October.

This is a non-surgical procedure, say doctors.
The Prime Minister's cardiologist, the procedure is such that the patient will be back at work in two or three days.

During his BBC interview Mr Blair was asked about the flutter,
In 2003, Mr Blair had a cardioversion for an irregular heart beat.

Tony Blair's cardiologist, Punit Ramrakha, said of the operation:

"The heart's rhythm is controlled by a network of nerves which lie within the heart's walls -- rather like the electric wire circuits in our homes. In some people, a sort of 'short circuit' can develop, producing a change in the heart's rhythm, either making the heart beat faster or making it beat irregularly.

When this occurs, the efficiency of the heart's pumping action is reduced to a variable extent. The patient is usually made aware of the condition by feeling palpitations in the chest. Drug treatment is often used to treat this condition but in recent years new procedures have been developed which destroy the 'short circuit' and are capable of restoring the heart's rhythm back completely to normal. The procedure is known as Catheter Ablation.

Catheters are rather like long, thin wires which are introduced through the skin into large veins and advanced under X-ray control until the tip of the catheter lies inside the heart chambers.

The actual procedure involves two main steps. Firstly electric sensors at the catheter tip allow the cardiologist performing the procedure to locate the exact site of the 'short circuit.' Secondly, the catheter delivers pulses of energy which actually destroy (ablate) the short circuit.

It is not a surgical procedure -- there is no surgical incision and the chest cavity is not opened. The procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic and sedation. As soon as the ablation is carried out, the heart's normal, regular rhythm is restored and the heart's pumping action returns to full efficiency. Patients normally spend the night in hospital after the procedure.

The recovery time is short with patients able to return to work and undertake full activities within 2-3 days.
Sept 2004 Article on Ablation

The Prime Minister Tony Blair first presented in October 2003 when he was noted to have an abnormal heartbeat. Because of his symptoms, this was corrected with a cardioversion which restored his heart beat to normal. Due to a recurrence of the irregular heartbeat, we have arranged to admit him to hospital to have a procedure known as Catheter Ablation."

LouisaH

Mahya, that is fascinating. Okay, I just checked the 2009 calendar and it says that on 8 May Mercury turns retrograde and on 30 May Mercury turns direct. I am currently planning to leave for Paris on May 7, returning May 25. I am seriously reconsidering my travel dates. Do these dates change, i.e. it appears you planned your trip when you though Mercury would be direct but then it changed.

Mahya2

LOLOLOLOLOL

LUISA,

may I suggest you pick another month instead of May 2009. LOLOLOLOL. After all, look what happened to me. I forgot to add, the European cell phone went berserk too,(communications ruled by Mercury)AND the coffee pot I have carried with me for three years for travel also gave up the ghost! Lucky I didn't. !!!
And on the way back, even though AF did not charge me extra weight going, they charged me 50 Euro for 6 pounds on one suitcase and wouldn't let me distribute it to the others. And as lovely as the flight going was, boy did I run into such a nasty stewardess that I actually changed my seat to all the way in the back to get away from her.


Yes, I started out on Merc Direct but slowing down to go retro - then the entire rest of the time was on retro. No wee fee, missed appts., getting to concerts and museums too late....bla bla bla

Go in June, or the Fall as long as its not retro, I dont have the ephemerides for 2009 yet...but do not go on Merc slowing or going retro. Big Lesson learned.

LouisaH

Mahya, well I have got to give this some serious consideration. I've already booked an apartment in Paris and a hotel in Provence but the month of May does look like a total disaster as does the month of September. All refundable at this point, but some serious thought required here! I think I need an intense astrological consult. Louisa

Mahya2

Please dont tell me Sept 09 is retrograde also! oh noooo.

Well oh yes, astrolady, it is. Well I'm not up for a repeat of this year's vacatiion in Septmeber! but I dont want to be in hurricane alley either with Jupiter conjuncting Neptune in July.

Not only that Mercury is retrograde in the sign of Libra plus Saturn is exact opposite Uranus most of the month of Septmeber Louisa. major world aspect similar to economics the world has just been through,sudden breaks, accidents AND the month opens with angry Mars opposition violent Pluto left over from exact at the end of August. Not liking the looks of that.

October opening with Mars trining Uranus -

Well I'd say those are two and a half months to find a cave to hide in .

Cancellation is no problem since it's so far ahead and I'm sure you have taken travel and cancellation insurance , OUI ??

I'm sorry Louisa, I dont know your planet placements, but 2009 is looking like a rough year.Jupiter and Netune are traveling together in Aquarius. Weird weather would probably be an understatement

Well,how about making it April? the planets generally dont seem to be in conflict with each other.

LouisaH

Mahya, (sorry, everyone I didn't really mean to turn this into astrological central, but I just think this is all so interesting.) Well, I've got Virgo in Mercury, Venus, and Saturn and lots of Libra. I can give you the rest but I'm sure NO ONE else cares and I really am a very normal person (hey, with all that Virgo I have to be, right?), but I do believe in this and I just cannot believe that May 2009 looks so bad as it would otherwise be the perfect travel month. April and June might be possibilities; just have to redo everything. I can cancel w/o penalties. No travel insurance but will definitely get some.

Madison

Mayha - your trip report brings back many wonderful memories.

In 2001 I took my very first trip to Europe and of course chose Paris. I met a wonderful man by the name of Thierry. We spent a lot of time together but when I left I knew it was one of those relationships that wasn't for the real world.

I never forgot him and I always wondered if he would remember me if we ever met again.

This past September I went back to Paris for the fourth time and ran into Thierry. The first words out of his mouth were "do you remember me." He remembered the exact date we met, everything we did. The feelings were rekindled between us but he lives in Paris, I live in California and sometimes relationships that work in one environment doesn't work in another. To say I don't miss him would be a lie because I do. He said it doesn't happen very often that two people hit it off immediately, which we did.

When you mentioned that Gerard asked you if you were Spanish brought a smile to my lips. In 2004 I was in London, walking on Sloane Street when a gentleman asked me if I was Spanish. I too can pass for French, Italian or Spanish.

Please let us know if you contact Gerard.

Mahya2

Madison,

Thank you for the lovely poignant story. Our stories remind me of that old song "It Was Just One Of those Things"

How funny that you met again by accident.

One never knows, eh ?