ET call home

After checks

by PacedNRunning - 2023-02-24 03:36:55

Whenever I have PM interrogations, it sends a download later that night. Could be that 

PVCs (premature ventricular contractions)

by Gemita - 2023-02-24 03:37:35

AgentX86, I honestly think you might need some extra “external” monitoring to get to the bottom of your disturbances.  Your statement “I have been having a lot of PCVs but my PM didn't register them” confirms this might be necessary, or maybe they can adjust a setting to make the storage and recording of a symptomatic PVC more likely for a period before returning it to its original setting of ?ignoring all ectopic episodes - at least for ECG recording/storage purposes - unless these happen to occur intermittently with other recordable rhythm disturbances like NSVT.  

I would be concerned that with signs of some non sustained VT occurring, they may need to do something about this now.  The symptoms of PVCs can be truly awful.  I hope your device tech can give you some worthwhile feedback, otherwise ask for additional monitoring but what a waste when we have got a perfectly adequate monitor in our pacemaker.

Hope at least your truck is running well again?

Laid back

by Lavender - 2023-02-24 09:53:54

AgentX86-you are always so laid back and calm. Lol You just matter of fact state your case with no sign of worry. 😉

I know you don't leave home a lot so a trip for truck repair and sauntering around Lowes is a big outing. Having it punctuated by a transmission notice had to be a bit disconcerting.

 I like Gemita's suggestion to wear a monitor. 

Unnerving

by SeenBetterDays - 2023-02-24 11:09:05

Hi Agent, sorry things haven't been right lately.  You are my walking inspiration when I hear how many miles you clock up each day. Hope this hasn't prevented you from enjoying your time outside. I am keeping my fingers crossed that you get some answers soon and that your symptoms resolve. Keep us posted. 

ET

by AgentX86 - 2023-02-24 16:50:27

My PM app sends the information immediately. I did it the day before my appointment and a couple of times the week before that (when I was getting a PVC about every five or six beats).  The pacemaker only takes a six-second electrogram and doesn't tell me exactly when it's taken so I don't know if it's been captured. The app tells me when the data has been received and I get an email saying that my cardiologist received it. The thought crossed my mind that I'd butt-dialed it because the app has to be running all the time.  The "send now" button is pretty well hidden, so I don't think so.

My PM can not trigger on a single PVC.  It has to be a string of at least four with, no normal beats between, to trigger an electrogram and transmission.  I know that didn't happen because I would have been stagering around if not  on the floor (did I say that I hate PVCs?).

Why it's not counting them is strange.  The device tech said that there are two sorts of PVCs but I'm not sure I understood it.  Something about the direction of the wave (positive or negative), which indicates the focus of the errant signal.  She was talking about what they can do for it. I'm not really interested in burning away parts of my ventricles at this point. Sounds a lot like a voluntary heart attack.

External monitoring is a possibility.  My cardiologist said that it would be a waste to do another stress test (I just had a PET scan) but asked if I thought I needed a cath.  If he's asking me, I probably don't. 🤨  I can ask about monitoring though.  That pretty easy.

What me worry?   (Alfred E. Newman)

I don't worry about what I can't change. I'll get hate for this but I see worry is wasted energy.  I have more fun things to do with such a limited resource (time). I just got back from my 10mi morning stroll (1.4M steps since Jan 1).

The truck is running fine (it's only a year old).  One of the blind spot radars was defective from the factory when they replaced it (and the rear quarter) after the accident in October. Because of the parts shortage it took a few months to get it.

Heartbeats that go bump

by Gotrhythm - 2023-02-25 12:26:05

You'll get no hate mail from me for saying worry is wasted energy. The medicos are cagey about saying pacemakers allow us to live longer, but there's no question that they allow us to live better longer. Why on earth would I taint the quality of the good days I have left with worry?

About PVCs. Interesting that the tech said there are different kinds. Since I got my new pacemaker, I have been having many more but something about them feels qualitively different--recognizable, but different. In addition, when they are happening there is a pattern of one every 23 beats.

Just when I'm wondering if I'm misremembering what PVCs used to feel like, I'll have one of the old, unmistakeable kind. Those happen with the same frequency as they did before the new pacemaker.

Need I add that the pacemaker cannot be programmed to record them?

Let us know what, if anything, you figure out about what's going on.