Most Recent Messages

Protection

I am a nurse who sees many pacer patients. I am curious-is there any type of protective shield that can be used so a patient can use power tools,etc.? Any info would be helpful! Thanks!

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What is Hysteresis mode?

I got my pacemaker in April 2001. I was constantly in bradycardia and had vaso-vagal Syncope and Orthostatic hypotension with dizziness, vertigo and lost of consciousness. Since then I feel much better, but unfortunately those symptoms did not disappear. My lower rate was set at 40, the ADL at 95 and the upper rate at 140. After 1 year the lower rate was changed to 60 and the upper rate to 120. Today I had a new checkup and the PM was switched to hysteresis mode on.
Can you tell me what is...

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From Oz

Hi Folks

Seems ages since I did a posting. Have just scanned through catching up on all the latest. We have gone from drought to flood here in Oz. Last night on the news it showed massive floods in the state of Victoria. (Where rewired Aussie lives) I felt so sorry for the cows stuck in a great sea of water.

We are in the middle of winter having passed the shortest day. I am off to Hobart on Wednesday for my pacemaker check at the Hobart Heart Hospital. My husband ha...

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update from Chicken 1000

Hi everyone. I'm now an official member of the pacemaker club, supposedly sporting the Rolls Royce of pacemakers (hopefully not the cost of a Rolls Royce). :)
The surgery went well but I am very sore, which my doctor says is due to all of the weight training I've been doing in the last 6 months. The muscles were very tight and had to be split and stretched to insert the pacemaker. OUCH! Thank God for Darvocet. :)
Thanks to everyone for the bra advice (I bought a strapless before m...

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School assignment

Hello, i have a school assignment and i am doing it on pacemakers. I would really appreciate information on the cost and accessability for a pace maker. Thanks please reply

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Ref percent used on my PM

Hi Cathryn: Appreciate your e-mail reference to percent
of usage on my PM. I don't go back for (3) months and
then I will know what true percentage usage on my PM .
Other wise I feel great and so far a good recovery.
Again thanks for your e-mail information, The PM Club
is great to obtain information and I truly appreciate
the compassion that is shown from the members.
Gene Ray

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Pregnancy and an ICD

Has anyone had a successful pregnancy with an ICD? I am thinking about having another baby and would like some advice... Thank you!

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External defibrillator

My husband had a pacemaker (no ICD) inserted in March with his ventricle being 100% dependent. He's doing well but tires more easily and seems to be more affected by the heat this summer(??). My question......If he has a heart attack, and an external defibrillator is used, how will that affect the pacemaker?

This site has helped us both alot and I thank you all for sharing your experiences!



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Recalled Pacemaker Help Please

I had the St Jude Trilogy pacemaker model 2264L back in 1998 when i was 26. I recieved a letter stating that it was recalled a few years back. Something about the battery running out faster than they expected or all at once. Now i have had it for almost 10 years and would like a new one. Has anyone had one of these pacemakers and had problems with it? I was thinking of calling St Jude and talking to them about it. I would love to have one that records all the beats because i have weird ones and...

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hydration

i found out to-day that i did not drink enough. it was 34 degrees here which is almost 100 so it it was hot. drinking lots of water and of course a little bit of sports drinks are good if you can drink them. it especially effects me now since my pacemaker the heat i mean. i become dehydrated easier so i have to watch that i get enough water. to-day it will be hot agin but we expect rain. yesterday i was in the pool all afternoon. so remeber to drink as we need tobe hydrated in this weather jessi...

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? about my son

He had a pacemaker put in in November. Every once in awhile he gets a sharp pain where the pacemaker is and then will get dizzy and light headed. Does anyone else have this problem or know what would be causing it? I'm not sure if he gets a pain and then has a panic attack or what. His pacemaker has been checked and it working fine.

Thank you
sbq

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WHERE IS LENORA? UPDATE!

May be with this new information, we can get some answers.
I was able to track down the name of the main hospital in Birmingham Alabama.
Brookwood Medical Center, 2010 Brookwood Medical Plaza, Birmingham, Alabama, 35209. Ph # 205-877-1000
Fax # 205-871-0534
It's a start in the right direction. I could be completely wrong, but with Lenora's credentials, it makes sense that this would be the likely place for her to be.
I haven't...

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Debit card reader gone haywire!

I stopped at a gift store to buy some thank you cards and when I was using my debit card in the card reader I noticed when I typed in the code the reader was causing a vibration up my entire arm and across my chest! I took my hand off of the reader and it stopped the sensation. I tried to retype the code and again it did it again. So I told the cashier and she said yes she knew about the reader and it was "acting funny" all day! I told her it was effecting my pacemaker and it could quite possi...

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ICD and altitude

Hi everybody ....I had an ICD inserted 3 months ago with no warning. The Dr admitted me immediately to the hospital after a stress echo and I recieved my ICD the next day.
I have ventricular tachycardia. I also successfully had cardioversion for AF while I was under the anaesthetic. I had no pain or problems and recovered quickly and felt really good.
Some weeks later I began to feel tired and have since discovered that I am in AF again. I am medicated with digoxin and carvedilol and...

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WHERE IS LENORA?

Well people, it seems that all your attempts at reaching Lenora have failed.
You might as well accept the fact that Lenora has flown the coop.
The last message, ( or one of the last,) she posted, dealt with her dog having been attacked by another dog, while she took him on a walk.
I know how much she loves that dog, from some of the stories she shared about him occasionally. And if anything happened to him, it would explain her silence.
She strikes me as a private person, and...

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Thanks

Thanks for your messages guys they make me feel a lot better. I told my boyfriend about this site when I visited him in hospital today and he can't wait to have a look at it when he gets out - hopefully soon, and with his new pacemaker!

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More info on endless pain?

HI again everyone! I am writing my next chapter in this crazy saga.....

Thank you to all for your suggestions and concerns. I am pursuing every one that I can.

I just had another scan called a gallium scan done to see about infection and/or inflammation. I retrieved the report myself as it was sent to the wrong doctor. It came back mostly inconclusive; the only thing I had was a "faint" spot on the scan around the pacemaker, possibly indicative of infection or inflammation....

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Once again!!

Hi everyone!

Well, just when I thought that I was doing well enough to return to work...bam!

I just finished two weeks off after my pacemaker implant and was building up my stamina and such when Saturday evening, during Mass, I collapsed after feeling some heavy dizziness coming on. I tried to breathe through it, but nope. I awoke with two parishioners standing over me and my head in the hands of my wife as I lay in the pew. Fortunately, the one fellow next to me was a r...

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Seatbelt problem

I never could understand why some of you pacers out there were having such discomfort from the driver's seat belt/shoulder harness position. Well, I drove my son's car today - and Holy Moley! Could they make the shoulder belt any lower, tighter or pacemaker unfriendly? It was a Chevy Trailblazer and I could not get it comfortable. Thankfully, I won't have to drive it again. Now I know what some of you are talking about.
I guess we all have to not only test drive future cars, but look for...

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Flecanide Acetate

I had a PM installed 1 week ago today. The Dr. also prescribed Flecanide Acetate. Does anyone out there have any stories to relate about side effects related to Flecanide (TAMBOCOR)?
I am experiencing some headaches and occasionally have a short dizzy spell. Also, I just don't have any energy and I find it hard to concentrate. I am thinking it is the meds because I didn't have any of these affects until about day four, so I think the meds have finally kicked in. I plan to just gut it ou...

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