getting ICD/Pacemaker

I have my appointment set up to get an ICD/Pacemaker in Houston Feb. 11 by Dr. John Seger. I'm in AFib all the time and there's sometimes a "pause" in my heartbeat. I feel great though. I just got through walking 3 miles and lifting light weights for an hour. I need my exercising for health reasons but more for mental reasons. It's going to drive me crazy to take it easy until I can get back into my normal regiment.

3 Comments

Why?

by AgentX86 - 2021-02-03 21:32:02

Why do you need a PM?  Just the pauses?  Your pacemaker isn't going to help AF one bit.  All it can do is increase your heart rate.

Lifting weights will be out for a month or so.  There is no reason you can't walk as soon as you feel like it.  I was walking several miles the day after I got out of the hospital (overnight). I found that a sling was very helpful while walking only, to take the stress off my shoulder.

getting ICD/Pacemaker

by Atom Ant - 2021-02-04 16:04:47

The pacemaker is for my irregular heartbeat I'm pretty sure. This is all new to me so I may not be explaining it right.

100% AFib

by AnnaFerris - 2021-02-05 03:08:17

I had my surgery on Feb 1.  I was also  in AFib with RVR 100% of time and I was unsuccessful in controlling it through cardioversions and medications.  I put off getting my pacemaker for about two years since I really didn't feel that bad when I was first diagnosed in 2018 and my heart doc didn't think it was a big deal.  I took meds to help control it.  It depends on exactly what your doctor is planning to do.  If you are getting an AV node junction ablation (AVJA) along with your pacemaker which prevents all impulses from the top of the heart to the ventricles, then you will be paced 100% of the time.  Sometimes they do an ablation of the areas of heart that are possibly causing AFib and add a pacemaker.  My doc didn't think that would work for me since I was in AFib 100%.  Each of us is different.  I regret letting mine go for so long.  By the time I got the AVJA/Pacemaker, I was unable to walk to the kitchen without being out of breath.  Going to the grocery took everything I had.  I had pain and severe edema due to poor circulation since my heart just couldn't pump enough blood.  Persistent AFib can also cause undesirable changes in the heart.  I'm sure your doc had good reasons for recommending the pacemaker but it's important that you are OK with it in your head.  I can already feel improvements after getting mine just 5 days ago.

You know you're wired when...

You can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.

Member Quotes

In fact after the final "tweaks" of my pacemaker programming at the one year check up it is working so well that I forget I have it.