David's Story- Atrial Fibrillation
David Sollenberger calls himself a Virginia Heart success story.
After his irregular heartbeat caused him to collapse on New Year’s Eve in 2018, Joseph Kiernan, M.D., of Virginia Heart, diagnosed David with atrial fibrillation and flutter.
Dr. Kiernan then directed David to Haroon Rashid, M.D., a Virginia Heart electrophysiologist who performed radiofrequency ablation and cardioversion to correct David’s arrhythmias.
To David, the procedures were nothing short of a miracle of modern medicine. He thinks the idea of snaking a small catheter through his femoral vein to prevent recurrence of his heart’s errant electrical impulses is something right out of a 1960s sci-fi movie.
Now 73, David reports he is feeling fine and is “back to my moderately active lifestyle which my beautiful bride of 40 years calls back to ‘dull-normal’—hopefully kiddingly,” he joked.
As a token of his appreciation for his Virginia Heart team, David presented them with a special, hand-made sudoku puzzle that he says was inspired by the Virginia Heart logo. “I love solving sudoku puzzles. They are fun, good exercise for the mind, a positive addiction,” David said. “And I enjoy creating them too, as small gifts and cards for family and friends for holidays and birthdays.”
His special heart-shaped puzzle was a way to thank the medical professionals and staff of Virginia Heart for his excellent treatment and compassionate care. “Theirs is a calling to service, not a job,” David said.