Traveling with my pacemaker

A gap of a month or so is usually ok

by crustyg - 2020-06-25 05:18:13

Unless you're known to be particularly at risk for problems or treatable arrhythmias a gap of a month won't normally cause them any excitement.

The EP tech team that does the monitoring gets a feel for whose PM sends in updates with episodes that the PM has been programmed to record and report on, and those are the ones that will be missed quite quickly.

I'm in the same boat - didn't take my remote monitor away over last New Year and forgot to plug it back into the power when I came back (it sits right under the bed and the light is *so* bright that it affects my sleeping so it has a black paper lift-up cover).  Took me another couple of weeks to remember it (shows how seldom *I* vacuum under the bed). :(

I travel every week...

by CyborgMike - 2020-06-25 22:41:00

I travel every week, often for a few weeks at a time. I have never taken "Merlin" with me. It syncs up fine when I return. My EP says that's fine for me and I'm pacing nearly 100% of the time. I also traveled to Singapore 5 days after my ICD was implanted and they were OK with that -- although not recommended - I did end up visiting Singapore General -- a very nice hospital if you have to go. The remote check in devices are wonderful and a good safety net, but they haven't been around that long. 

33 years

by dwelch - 2020-06-26 15:09:31

33 years with pacemakers, got my box this week only due to covid otherwise no box.  And after the first test I stored it away.  Made many trips overseas and domestic in that time.  Including one a few weeks after where medtronic is/was banned.  Once you get used to your device and settle in you should find a new normal and then know what srange feels like and either use the box or go in.  When the device gets near end of life, within the last year or two a test every few months to check to see if it has gone into safety mode is a good idea.  Even once a month is adequate for that.   

Constant/daily monitoring is not necessarily.  If the devices have degraded to that low quality then you dont what that device you want a reliable one some other model/brand.    A week or month here or there is nothing to worry about.  Im not the only one that has gone decades without these boxes, the phone boxes had a cost that generally it was a once to three times a year deal in between office visits.  And office visits increased in the last couple years of the device.

Cyborg Mike Question About Merlin

by bobjohnson - 2020-06-28 02:33:13

I received one by Fedex and wasn't expecting it or even knew what it was. Mine is the EX1150 and no wireless or cellular.  I have no landline and can't find any info beyond 2015. Are using a landline or?