Dear friends:
Thank you so much for this wonderful site. In the past this site has saved my life! I need to go to an altitude of 9,000 ft (Continental Divide) and stay at 7,300 ft. for about 3 weeks. I have third degree heart block, a pacemaker, and last year I had a takko-tsubo, a heart attack sort of that does not damage the heart permanently. My pacemaker is set at 140 high, low 60, and tracks up to 125. Every 4 beats I have a PVC. The area I'm going is set in the mountains, and the nearest medical help will be by air ambulance about 2 hours away. Do you think it is safe for me to go there? Would you make the trip?
Thank you so much for your opinion!
Ariela

 

 

The answer to that has to be individualized with the patient. You really need to ask your doctor and go with what s/he says. There is a recent medical out of Dartmouth about that, and you can google it. You ask if I think it's safe for you to go. That would be impossible for me or anyone here to answer, and it really is a question for your doctor. You ask if I would make the trip. For me, the answer to that is no.

 

that should have read, "medical article." Sorry.

 

Ask your dr first to be sure there's no other reason to hold back but I'd absolutely go. Can't speak for the takko-tsubo, but just having a pm for 3rd degree block will not prevent you from going to high altitudes. That's what I have, no other problems, and I've hiked as high as 12,000 on vacation. I regularly hike at 7500-8000 where my parents live and we go higher when we ski. I can feel it as I get higher, but it's more an annoyance than anything that will hold me back. The first few days I get out of breath more easily and I might get lightheaded if I overdo it, that's it.

Everyone is different and we all have different tolerances for altitude so don't plan anything strenuous the first few days until you see how you do. It's safe, but we have to respect the altitude. I live at sea level so my parent's house is a huge change for me. My cardiologist suggested staying at a hotel half way for a night to acclimate slowly but flying in that isn't really practical! I start chugging water two days before I go and keep it up the whole time I'm at the higher altitude because it's harder to stay hydrated, you have to really work at it to get enough to drink. It takes me a day or so to get acclimated so I usually chill out and don't do much the first day. My family doesn't have any problems, I'm the only one sensitive to it at all. My kids are ready to hop on skis as soon as the plane lands!

Run it by your doctor first, but I say have a great trip! There are always drawbacks to being far from civilization, but our hearts are the least of it. I'm accident prone, my pm is dependable! I'd be more worried about breaking a leg or doing something klutzy than my pm letting me down.

 

TraceyE has the best advice, as always. Your medical team should be your advisor on any health questions you may have.

My personal two cents? You only live once ~ go for it!
Everyone is going to die when 'it' is their time. Some will just be sooner than later. Do you want to have memories of the bestest times to be had or the times you didn't take the chances to have fun to the fullest.

God Bless You,
Carolyn G. in TEXAS ~ HAVE A GREAT WEEK ~

 

Thanks all of you for your comments! You are a great group! I took your advice and went to see my cardiologist. He said my pacemaker is fine, but my heart pumps only at 50%. High altitude is out of the question forever, he said! I'm so sad ... my husband and I have a fishing cabin in Idaho and we love to trout fish and hike all over the place! And now, we must sell! I don't even know how to pack a place and move things so far away ... we live at a 3 days (10 hours each day) drive from our base home. On the bright side, I am 71 years old, walk 3 miles every day, do all my house and yard work, take care of two lovely dogs, a bunch of raccoons, and 4 orphan mallard ducks who think I am their mother-duck! Life is good!

Does anyone know what it means to have my heart pump only at 50 %? My doctor left so quickly my husband and I didn't have time to ask the question... Thank you so much again and again! Ariela