Confused! Surgery is in 4 days!

• by swatford
• 2010-03-28 05:03:59
• Surgery & Recovery
• 1328 views
• 0 comments

I have been having some health issues for about 2 years now. It started dizziness, short of breath, passing out, heart rate dropping. My hemoglobin was 5.1, so a year and a half ago I received blood transfusions. I felt a little better, but still had troubles. My cardiologist has been there through all of this. She has ran holter monitors, 30 day monitors, tilt tests, eeg's, ekg's, etc. I have been taking 15 pills a day to regulate everything. Finally, in December I did the tilt test and my heart rate dropped into the 30's. My doctor said it was the most extreme case she had seen. So, she decided that in order to live a normal life and have kids, I need a pacemaker. Originally, I was diagnosed as Neurocardiogenic Syncope. Which basically means my heart, brain, and nerves don't work together the right way. My doctor now says my body's natural pacemaker just doesn't work correctly. So, I have surgery in 4 days now, and I am very confused!!! I had to go see the specialist/surgeon this past Friday. He walked into my appt. and had NO CLUE what was in my file. He had not read it at all!!! It was very obvious. He then explained that while my doctor is a very thorough doctor and in his practice, he didn't necessarily understand why I was receiving a pacemaker. He felt that it would not cure me 100%. I explained that I already knew that, but my cardiologist who did know my entire history, all my tests, and made this decision, had explained to me that this is the only way she felt comfortable taking me off all the pills to have a normal life and kids. She also told me I would possibly still have to take blood pressure medication (mine is 40 over 60 with no meds). Anyway, this surgeon kept trying to get out of the room to look at my information (a file 1 and 1/2 inches thick) and said he would talk to my doctor. He said he would call me by Tuesday or Wednesday. I told him absolutely NOT, and I would be calling both my doctor and him Monday morning, and they needed to have spoken by then. It took a lot for me to accept this surgery mentally, and now I am confused and bothered. Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to explain everything. Does anyone have any advice???? Please help!!! Thanks! :)