Most Recent Messages in ICDs
What to expect???
Hello fellow pacemaker friends. I have not been online for sometime but recently I have been diagnosed wth dilated cardiomyopathy /congestive heart failure and goodness knows what else.My last appointment my cardiologist has recommended an icd. Once again I am afraid of the unknown, I am trying not to read too much about cardiomyopathy and other related subjects as it scares me. Can anyone tell me what it is like to have an icd? I have been told that i would be getting one for insurance and tha...
feeling better
- by sgrozinski
- 2010-11-28 11:11:01
- ICDs
- 1585 views
- 0 comments
About 3 weeks ago I wrote that my cardologist sais my 1 lead
PM should be replaced with a 2 lead w/a defibrillator.
I was having difficulty walking b/c of shortness of breath. Smitty and a few others said to do it and I did. I feel a lot better.
My shorness of breath is gone and I can walk with less difficulty. I was told that this will not cure my heart failure but would
improve my quality of life. I'm glad I had it done.
I thank all of you for your help.
Steve
airport full body scans
I just received an email from St. Jude Medical responding to my inquire regarding airport full body scans and how it would impact my inplanted defibrillator.
They responded that full body scans will have no effect on the functionality of the device.
Has anyone contacted Medtronics or Boston Scientific with a similar inquiry?
Zo
Light Spark
Hello I have had a Biotronik ICD installed for 3 years and 1 day. I was told by my doctor if it ever went off I would know about it for sure.
Last two days I have had a sore left arm, a pain on the left side of my neck/shoulder and it hurts to look hard to the left (such as checking toward the back when backing my car).
This evening I was walking in Wal-Mart and felt what seemed like a very light spark in my ICD. I have never felt this before, even at the clinic at my...
Weird feelings
Hi everyone! I had a ICD implant 6 weeks ago, and have returned to work a week ago. Today I have been feeling some pain,tenderness and burning around the site of the implant. I'm a cashier at a local supermarket and realize not scanning for a month I' going to be a little stiff, but this does not feel right. Is it normal for me to feel these feelings or should I be concerned, could there be a problem. Love to hear from you all. Beachbum
Approved Models & Leads
I have a combined PM/ICD, originally implanted in the US in Jan 2000. It was replaced in May 2005 for a new battery. At that time there was a major class action legal case starting because various "Guidant" units were not functioning properly.
I was informed that my new unit, even though it had a serial number on the list of defective units, was OK, and it has been since then. Guidant was bought out by Boston Scientific/Medtronic since then.
I am about to have a cardioversion car...
just wondering
I had my pm/defib implanted 2 1/2 years ago but have had about twenty plus shocks since then..I know the standard is that they last 3-5 years but anyone had theirs replaced yet or have a time frame for me? I just moved to Africa from the US and am worried about the battery strength!! Thanks=)
Implanted November 12, 2010
- by cardiomyopathyinlancaster
- 2010-11-14 09:11:14
- ICDs
- 1735 views
- 4 comments
Hi All, just had my ICD implanted at Cedar-Sinai on Friday. I had a lot of anxiety about the procedure but it was pretty easy. They wheeled me in to the room, gave me some kind of medication, and I was out like a light. I woke up gently, a little loopy, and I was finished. They then took me to the cardiac ward where I stayed over night. I was given Norco for the pain, but thus far it hasn't been too extreme.
I was visited the following day by a technician and my doctor. The tech...
3 months post-icd implant pain and migration
Hi all, I am new to this club. My name is Sheila I am 47, I had a silent MI in early July, '10, then a major heart attack on July 12-10, was life flited to Austin and recieved a stent in my LAD coronary artery and had an EF of 35%. that was a Monday, got out of hospital on Thursday evening. Awoke friday morning w/ severe chest pain, tightness and numbness, went to local ER and they life flited me to San Antonio, had another cath. with EF 32% and was sent home next day, disharge papers said acu...
What's the Difference?
Does anyone know if there are major differences between the available ICDs?
When I ask my EP the answer suggests that there is no significant distinguishing factor between a St. Jude and a Medtronic ICD.
It would appear that they implant whatever is in stock.
SVT
Has anybody else had problems with getting shocked due to SVT episodes ? While it has contributed to some hilarious stories like throwing whatever is in your hands at the unexacting , it has also put me and others at risk when it happens while I'm driving. The set point is such now that if I had a sudden death episode, my IED wouldn't deliver a shock. I've been shocked so many times that I have heart failure due to muscle damage. I have had an ICD since 2001. There have been 2 attempts to ablate...
1 yr
I have been paced for one yr. Doing great thank God. Hope you all are well.
Brian Elliott
Lots of questions...
Hi all. My name is Cathie. I joined this group because of my husband Mike. He was just implanted this week with an icd/pacemaker. He has a branch bundle blockage and they put one in as a "precaution". We are both very curious about what his activity level will be when he heals. He is very active and likes to go fourwheeling, snowmobiling....well riding in general. Plus no one will give us answers on how long he will be out of work (He's a machinist) or what he will be allowed to do later on, as...
Life Change
Like everyone else I am so glad that I found this web site. I am a 43 year old female and was scheduled to have neck surgery in May. So as procedure I went to have my pre-op done and the nurse told me that they would not do surgery on me that I needed to see a cardiologist asap. So that afternoon I saw a cardio MD. He did a heart cath the next day and said my EF was 10% and I also had a left bundle block. It was like my life just ended. They put me on medication for 90 days to see if my EF got a...
Waking at night and placement changes?
I had my ICD placed 2 weeks and 2 days ago. First I have noticed waking at 4:30 or 5 am to a racing heart that I can feel beating in my shoulder blade. Has anyone ever felt this? I am also feeling like my device has shifted closer to my sternum. It seems a little more uncomfortable and I thought maybe both new developments were due to the inflammation improving. Any words of advice or experiences?
Father's possible replacement
Hello...My father has a pacemaker/defibillator and has had it for about 5 years now. One of the leads is bad and they are going to see if just the lead needs to be replaced or the whole thing. I guess they won't know until they go in. The Dr's said that it went bad because the pacemaker is constantly working because he is in Afib all the time? Not sure what all that means since my dad doesn't ask questions enough. I am wondering if either of these procedures are something to be scared of?...
Acupuncture with an ICD
I've had an ICD since 2008 and, thankfully it hasn't shocked me yet. On the advice of my cardiologist, I went back to gym (this was the location of my "cardiac event" which thanks to an AED and some great gym staff, I survived) Now I've got a shoulder injury which is driving me mad! I'm following an exercise program from my physiotherapist to fix it, but progress is slow. I would dearly like to try acupuncture, my electrophysiologist says "it would not be sensible", but I thought if the needles...
Medtronic Faulty Leads Settlement
I know I have this lead in me but I have no clue if I'm part of this lawsuit or if it's a class action suit I'm automatically included in. Does anyone have any info to find out?
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/10/11/daily52.html?ana=e_du_pub
Curious...
I just had a ICD implanted a couple of days ago. From what I've read, all the leads start from the actual pacemaker itself, which resides in my left should area. Why then is there a incision on my left groin too? (I was so caught up in the drama of the procedure I didn't have a chance to ask!)
Also, my left shoulder still remains just about as tender as it did the day of my procedure. Shouldn't it be feeling better by now?
Thanks!
I'm supposed to get an ICD but I'm afraid...
- by Fljournalist
- 2010-09-28 06:09:38
- ICDs
- 4470 views
- 14 comments
I am a 48-year-old female who had VSD closure/open-heart surgery at age 11. I have had no significant issues with my heart until now. I had an episode at work to where I was trying to walk to my car but became so winded that I could only manage to walk a few steps at a time. I went for an EKG and chest Xray a few days later and found that my heart was beating too slow. Long story short, after three months of monitoring me, my cardiologist has ordered me to have a defibrillator implanted. I've be...
You know you're wired when...
You have an excuse for gaining an extra ounce or two.
Member Quotes
My muscles are very sore but each day it gets better and my range of movement is improving.