Most Recent Messages in General Posting

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Being cold

I was wondering if prior to being paced if any of you with congenital complete heart block had problems being cold all the time? I seem to be unaturally cold. I am comfortable in my house when the temp is 80. I wonder if it is related to the heart.

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Unfortunate setback in pursuit

Hello everyone,

I think by the title you can imagine where I am going with this. This is such a crazy rollercoaster that I am thinking I may cut back on my posts this site so you all don't have to come along for the ride too. I think I may just post more--if I ever get any further.

I went to the pacer doc. Completely blew off CT and wondered why I even came to see him. He said the CT is probably "off" in my SVC severity. He just wants to "watch it"--apparently just watch it...

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Log onto Chat

I will be in Chat at 17:30 EST USA if anyone wants to enter.

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First Patient in the NATURE Observational Study in the U.S

DENVER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Study Will Look Into the Evolution Of AV Conduction Disorders in Pacemaker Patients.
ELA Medical, Inc., a Sorin Group company (MIL:SRN) that specializes in the design and manufacture of implantable pacemakers and defibrillators, announced the first U.S. implant in NATURE, an observational study that will enroll 1,440 patients in North America and Europe.

The objective of the NATURE study is to observe the evolution of atrio-ventricular conduction d...

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Medic Alert Tattoo?

Does any have a medic alert tattoo? Thought that might be cool. I go without my jewelry a lot. But, though it might be cool to get the medic alert service and have my number and symbol tattooed on the inside of my wrist or somewhere veiwable. I know first responders are trained to look for a medic alert but would they notice a tattoo? Any one have any input on that?
Amy

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PTSD gets me a Pacemaker?

Is there anyone else out there that has or had PTSD and got a pacemaker after? In addition to my job as a boat Captain in the USNPS and 4 years as a rescue boat crewman in the USCG I was a first responder to both TWA flt. 800 and to NY Harbor on Sept. 11 2001. These events effected me very much to the point of attempted suicide and subsequent diagnosis of PTSD. June of 2006 my heart stopped and some doctors have said it is possible the stress of those events could have caused my heart stoppage....

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to say hi.

Just wanted to say hi to everyone, and let everyone know i'm back and doing ok. sorry i haven't been on for a while. i've been dealing with problems at home, and depression. i lost interest in a lot of things. But things are looking better.

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Right Breast Pockets???

My dad just received a pacemaker at the age of 80. He very much misses the use of his left breast pocket in all of his shirts, where he would carry his cell phone and at night a small mag flash light. Are there any manufacturers that make men's shirts with a right breast pocket?

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ASD, A-Fib, A-Flutter and now PM

What a year! I started off feeling fine. A routine physical with EKG informed me I had atrial fibrillation. This led to an Echocardiogram, which led to a TEE which led to open-heart surgery in march to correct a large ASD (atrial septal defect) and the a-fib (maze procedure.)
Four weeks after the surgery, life was starting to get good again, when my heart beat sped up without reason. Back to the hospital to discover I now had atrial flutter! Ablation procedure to stop the flutter....

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CT Findings

Hi Everyone! I finally got a copy of the CT report and I thought I'd share the SVC finding...

BTW you might want to grab a chair and sit down.....

"There is a chronic near total occlusion of the Superior Vena Cava just proximal to the insertion of the azygos arch with marked enlargement of the superior intercostal veins, the accessory hemiazygos vein and the distal azygos vein and arch. Prominent subcutaneous collateral veins are also noted."

OK, you can breathe...

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beginning symptoms

I was just told I need a pacemaker. I have known I have complete heart block for 10 years but have never been symptomatic. My heart rate is usually about 46 but i have seen it anywhere from 37-55 while awake. I had some episodes where it sped up and things became distant 2 times. The medical doc thougt it was panic attack though I've never had one. My cardiologist says, I'll have to get a pacemaker eventually anyway and it's possible I felt my heart pause. I was very scared that day and tho...

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Soft Touch Seat Belt Thing

Does anyone have this PM protection pad advertised on this site? Wondering if it works well. I am having a problem when I drive. The seat belt irritates my incision and applies too much pressure to the area. I've been using a soft heavy washcloth but it keeps slipping and looks a little silly too.

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Tate

Hope Tate is doing well this evening. I have a five year old granddaughter so I can identify with him. Our thoughts and prayers are with you tonight.

Sue and family

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I need your help!

I am so frustrated! I had my PM implanted in March 07 and I am still having SO many problems. I was told my Doctor was one of the best but he (actually a team of 5) can't figure out what is wrong. I got the PM because I have a second degree heart block when I exercise. My heart rate would go from 170 to 60 and stay there for a minute or two while working out. The signal from the upper chamber to the lower chamber was not going throught so that is where the pacemaker came in. After MONTHS the...

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Travel Insurance

What are members experience with obtaining travel insurance once you have pacemaker/defib unit?

I had an infarct 20 years ago, and have had some issues with travel insurance in the past, usually having to concede that any cardiac issues would not be covered by insurance.

With more recent travel I haven't had to worry as the questions on the application form relating to cardiac issues only covered the last 10 years, so I could ignore my past experience (I have been symptom...

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Finally an answer?

Hello everyone. Wanted to update....wow. Thank you all for your support!

This last Tuesday I had a CT with contrast (ordered by my internist only after I've been to hell and back trying to get an answer) to look at my chest to see if there was a connection to the swelling and pain in my left arm. The result was colorful.

I apparently have obstruction in progress of my Superior Vena Cava (SVC). What kind of obstruction is yet to be determined (could be a clot?) so I go back...

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I R I S H P A C E R S W H E R E A R E U ?

Sorry to be a bore ~ Just wondering (again!) whether any Irish Pacers (pacers living in Ireland) would be interested in getting together. Please let me know if anyone is interested, there's 4 of us so far (from Dalkey, Donegal, Co. Down and Galway) but there must be more of you out there ........... drop me a line with any thoughts, thanks and look forward to hearing from you ......
(colinandanita@eircom.net or anitaabboyle@hotmail.com)
Thanks and best regards,
Anita.

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Anxiety

It has now been nine (long) weeks since my PM. I am having such anxiety and boutsof crying. I have an appointment to see a therapist and probably start on an anitdepressant which I have always been totally against, but I need to do something for this anxiety. I also feel that I need some adjustments to my PM and I do have an appointment to go in to see to cardiologist for that soon. My energy level is low and I also have a slight headache once in awhile which I have never had many headaches...

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From EP Lab Digest.

This article might be of interest to everyone. It sounds like a marvelous invention. I hope it will soon be available. It's about time that someone comes up with a pacemaker aesthetically better for thin skinned women, and men.

~ Dominique ~

Features:
Anatomically Correct Permanent Pacemaker Casing
- Sergio Sanchez-Zambrano, MD Cleburne, Texas.

Article.

The electronics of current implantable devices are outstanding and truly life-saving devic...

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Left Shoulder Pain

I thas been nine weeks since my PM implant and around 2-3 weeks ago, I started having almost spasm type pain in my uppe left shoulder on the inside. I had been sore at times since the implant but now if I turn my shoulder a certain way, it really pains for a few seconds. I am wondering if I may have some inflammation in the rotator cuff and would need some Physcial Therapy. Any comments?

Sharon

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You know you're wired when...

Your heart beats like a teenager in love.

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