Pacemaker

Longer monitor

by Lavender - 2022-08-09 13:02:15

I'm sorry you're dealing with this -but also glad someone caught this. It can be dealt with when it's not a hidden issue. 
 

Don't be afraid of pacemakers. Lol They are not monsters. Mine is keeping me alive!

My concern is this: I had a 24 hour heart monitor which found nothing amiss. The cardiologist's nurse told me a longer term monitor wouldn't help and my insurance wouldn't pay for it because there was no proof that I needed one. Ugh I went three more months risking my life unknowing of the deadly arrhythmia in me. 
 

Sometimes you need a longer time of being monitored to catch any arrhythmias. My problem was ventricular standstill which means what it says. My heart stood still intermittently. Sneaky and unpredictable, I was flickering out for a total of six months before I nagged the neurologist who then insisted that my pcp order a thirty day monitor. Ten days into wearing it, I had a 33 second ventricular standstill which would've taken my life, had my guy not been present. He doesn't know CPR, but in a panic, he inadvertently punched me in the back-which restarted my heart til I could get to the ER and get a pacemaker. 
 

If your monitor shows nothing wrong, see about a longer term monitor. Keep in mind that all my tests were normal-EKG, Echo, stress, bloodwork xrays, ct scans, EEGS, endocrine tests, etc etc. 

let us know how it goes, ok? Praying all is just fine but if there's anything that needs to be dealt with, it's discovered so you can go on being an active healthy septuagenarian-with or without a pacemaker!

hugs!!

Welcome Gumby1

by Good Dog - 2022-08-09 13:50:47

I got a pacemaker some 35 years ago. I just want to assure you that there is absolutely nothing to fear with a pacemaker. I lived a very active normal life until about 2 weeks after my 38th birthday. My heart-rate (pulse) was 35 bpm and I was feeling a little short of breath when I returned home from work on a Sunday. My wife wanted me to go directly to the ER, but I wanted to watch the late NFL game instead. So after the game she convinced me to go. The Doc told me I was in complete heart block and sent me to ICR since it was a Sunday night. The next day they implanted a pacemaker. I felt exactly like you. I immediately got very depressed and figured that my life had just changed for the worse. Boy was I wrong! After 35 years with this thing I can tell you that aside from periodic checks and battery changes, my life has been absolutely normal in every way. 

So really, my point is that a pacemaker is no big deal! It is a safe and relatively simple procedure to implant it. After you've had it for a while you will forget it is even there. Frankly, it became my friend, because I don't have to worry about my heart. Turned-out that I was going in and out of heart block for some time. These things are really bullet-proof. Frankly, that damn heart monitor (I assume it is a Holter Monitor) is far more of a problem than a PM. They are too darn obtrusive and always getting in the way and making showering a real project. Most of us here have had to wear one of those damn things at one time or another. So don't feel lonely, but rest assured that while the data it collects is really valuable to the doc, you will be happy to take it off. 

Please stop-back and post again to let us know how you are doing. I am sure that it will all go just fine for you. I wish you nothing but the very best.

Sincerely,

Dave

A Welcoming Change!

by MinimeJer05 - 2022-08-09 17:54:54

Hello and welcome to the club!

As others have said, getting a PM is usually a positive thing and a reassurance thing to keep an eye on your heart and to make sure that you can continue living an otherwise normal and healthy life. 

Generally speaking, people that post on these forums may have ran into a few snags along the way, but fear not as there are so many people out there with PMs that don't post on here and probably forgot that they had one implanted, because they are contiuning to live a normal life.

There might be some slight adjustments and changes, but I assure you it's better than the opposite.

Please keep us up-to-date with your process -- I am almost done with a 2 week Zio monitor to see what is going on with my heart and curious to see if they find anything or not. 

Take care

Jer

Get the pacemaker

by Theknotguy - 2022-08-09 20:36:26

Wife had ablations for afib and they held for 12 years.  Then last year she started afib again. After first of year she went into permanent afib and in July heart rate went up to 139 BPM. Afib was going to kill her.  Didn't like that.  Options were medication that would/wouldn't work or get a pacemaker with an AV node ablation. Only problem was she would be 100% dependent upon pacemaker.  I have a pacemaker and am 100% dependent upon it and I get along fine.  

Doctor came in ready with a long discussion and she readily said yes.  He was surprised but she pointed out I had been getting along fine and she was tired of being tired, gasping for air, feeling faint, and chest hurting.

Now she's into her fourth week, feeling great, and wondering why she couldn't have done it sooner.  

would help

by new to pace.... - 2022-08-10 07:05:53

If you posted your profile, would be helpful in our replys to you.

new to pace

No need to worry right now

by Prof P - 2022-08-10 17:40:45

I've had my device for about 16 mo.  Prior, I was active with a low heart rate.  Were I in your place I would (1) expect to see a cardiologist, (2) not be surprised to wear a holter for a week or so after (3) having a regular old EKG.  Low heart rates have many origins.

With a PM, I feel fine and continue to run and "do what you want to do" according to my cardiologist(s).  

Same as you

by FG - 2022-08-11 00:00:35

Yes like you I've tried to learn all I can prior to PM implant, if for no other reason than to at least be able to intelligently discuss this with the cardiology team. This website is immensely helpful as are some technical ones I can provide you if interested. I saw the cardiologist two days ago and my EKG has not changed, been stable for the last two months: sinus rhythm for the atria at 70 per minute, and rocksteady junctional rhythm for the ventricles at 40 due to complete AV block. So, they want to do DDD pacing so the pacemaker basically replaces my severed AV connection. Apparently that's all it will do. As long as the atria do appropriately what my body needs, the PM will transmit that to the ventricles so they beat at the same rate. My implant is September. Will report in afterwards.