I'm 42 and scheduled to get my PM next Wednesday, I had gotten very sick while on vacation in Cabo in 2008 spent over two weeks in the hospital and several trips to the ER they say I had a parasite that attacked my heart and lungs now I have Bradycardia with Syncope. I have mixed emotions about getting the PM excited to feel normal again nervous about the whole thing - the surgery, how I'm going to feel afterward is it going stop working and I will drop dead is this going to be the real cure all? all the times I ended up in the ER all the new medications they tried this is my last hope.

Sorry for all the negative, but I am trying to stay positive for my family when inside I'm so scared I cant even sleep at night scared my heart rate will go so low that I won't wake up.

Thanks to everyone for being on this site so I can let it out....

 

 

I am a 58 year-old with a 3 month-old PM due to Bradycardia and syncopes. As far as the surgery is concerned, you shouldn't worry. I was awake during the whole thing and it was a snap. Recovery went well, my wound healed nicely and quickly. Pain was minimal and I was returning to normal activities within a week.
You shouldn't worry much about the PM either. It is well designed, time-tested technology.
You may find many problems described in this forum. Just remember that a forum is designed mainly for support and discussion and that many of those who write in the forum are part of that very small minority who actually experience problems.
I don't know if you doctors have resolved the parasite issue nor do I know the level of damage it did to your heart and lungs. What I DO know, however, is that the PM was designed to address the issue of Bradycardia.
If you read through the postings in the forum, you will get a measure of how people's lives have been changed and improved with their PM. No one can promise that everything will go well, but remember that the technology has been helping people for years and that the vast majority experience little or no complications.
Best of luck

Edouard

 

It's perfectly normal to be anxious! If your heart is going too slowly and/or pausing, a pm will stop that so there's no reason not to expect to feel better.

re: depending on a computer... we depend on a computer every time we get on an airplane or drive our car but we never think about it malfunctioning. These little suckers are highly efficient and dependable, much more so than our wonky hearts. Think of it as your safety net or guardian angel, only this safety net comes in indestructible titanium with a state of the art computer.

I'm 43 and have been completely dependent on a pm since I was 27. It's extremely rare for them to malfunction and they are full of safety measures in the rare event something goes wrong. Trust comes with time, once we see how good we feel we learn to take it for granted. I never give mine a thought now, other than to be thankful that I can do so much more now than I could without it.

Do you have any questions about the surgery or recovery? Sometimes just knowing what to expect makes it easier to deal with. If you want to chat, let me know.

 

Got mine for the same issues as you are getting yours. Unexplainable episodes of sudden and unpredictable syncope (until they realized I was bradying down to basically a flatline for up to 10 seconds at a time, and they would come in bunches so I could have pauses of several seconds, a beat, several seconds of another pause, another beat, several more seconds of pausing and still another beat, of course this would have my brain going, "If you aren't going to work I will be damned if I am, wake me when you are ready to do your job" to my heart).

Anyway, got mine about a year and 2 months ago and haven't passed out since. Have had episodes of lightheadedness and slow (my bottom is set for 50 bpm) but they are few and far between and now I don't have to worry about passing out while driving my kids or riding my bike.

Couple of words of warning:

Understand you may go through a period that I like to tell people is a lot like losing a loved one. I went through the typical stages of grief after my implant and have talked to several others who have had similar experiences. Understanding that this is normal, that it is actually healthy and that you will get through it is important. Read up on the stages of grief. It will help.

It may take a while to get your settings correct. Seems to me that a lot of pacer techs and docs are not used to dealing with active, younger patients (your docs waiting room will probably confirm this). Remember they are working for you and don't let them tell you that 'oh these are the settings we give everyone.' I am a very active 51 year old male who loves to bike, hike and get hit by an occasional SUV (totally another story) but it took me a while for them to get my settings right. Once they did things were pretty smooth.

Good luck and use the folks here. They are a great resource and really helped me through this. Now the only issue I have with having a pacer is the fact (and from what I have been told by my doc it might not be an issue that much longer) I can't get an MRI. It would be really helpful right now to figure out how much damage the hood of an Explorer could do to the human knee.

COBradyBunch

 

I am new to the club as well; having had a similar experience.

During a trip to Italy in June, I experienced Shortness of Breath and had two synocopes in the same day One resulted in a gash to my forehead, the other to passing out on a public street.

Upon return home, I was fortunate to get an appointment
with a top flight cardiologist. He diagnosed a conduction problem, which turned out to be Sick Sinus Syndrome.

Up to that point, I had been perfectly healthy, exercising regularly without any signs of heart trouble.

The day of the diagnosis, the cardiologist recommended
that I be admitted to the Hospital, with the PM procedure scheduled for the next day. The procedure went very well, no complications, and I was discharged the next day.

I have no doubt that this was the right decision.

My symptoms, (synocopes, dizziness, fatigue) have all disappeared.

To be honest, I am still adjusting psychologically to having the PM. While I realize it has improved the quality of my life, I am uncomfortable with the thought that I need a device to regulate my heart.

However, as many others have said, with time both the physical and psychological wounds will heal.


Best of Luck!!!!

We are all here to support you and each other.


Beach Boy

 

Thank you everyone for your words of support. I know getting a PM is really no big deal it's just the thought of having to have help for my heart to beat normal and the look on everyone's faces when you tell them you are getting one.

Thanks again everyone...

 

I too would like to thank everyone for their words of support. Everyday I am feeling better! I think I'll be ready for my surgery on October 12th...