I found some different medical alert bracelets if anyone is interested at www.etsy.com/shop/rosesdesigns. These are less expensive and different than some of the others I have seen:)

 

I'm a 38 year old mother of 2 small children and have been told I have second degree heartblock (Moebitz 2) and require a pacemaker. Surgery is scheduled for 13 September & although I have a wonderfully supportive husband and family, I know nobody who has had this procedure. I've no idea what happens afterwards in reality & am quite worried as we do not have family nearby. I know it's very individual experience, but I'd really like to get an idea of the reality of the recovery time and any useful tips. My only symptoms of this are occasional light-headedness & I am grateful they've caught it before anything bad happened, but for the doctors & surgeons this is a run-of-the-mill procedure, whereas for me it's intensely personal and a phy...

 

just turned 38 y/o 8-19. never had health issues before. emergency PM implant last week monday, went back to work on friday, now tuesday, it is finally starting to sink in. what a trip..........thanks to others here at this site I don't feel so alone anymore. thanks.......

 

i had my icd pacemaker inplanted on dec 2001 on med for my electrolights i would like to meet people that have an icd just would like to talk

 

Hi, I am a 45 year old female I had a PM implanted 6/30/10 after a trip to the ER thinking I was either having a heart attack or a panic attack ( I just didn't feel normal) They decide to keep me overnight to monitor me and then the nurse wouldn't let me sleep because my heart rate went to 30 and my BP was around 90/45. After staying up all night I was sent to do a stress test on tread mill of course I didn't reach 200, I was sooo sleepy. Then they did an Echo and some other test and decided I had Brady Cardia I needed a pacemaker. Well since then I've still felt anxious and jittery in my stomach and ringing in my ears!
I went to GP he put me on an antidepressant Celexa 20mg.. I only took one pill and I felt like I was on LSD or so...

 

I have had a pacemaker/defib since March of '04. It only had one episode, which was handled well. However, now (in the last month or so), I constantly hear the damn thing ticking 24/7. It ticks when I try to sleep; it ticks all time! It is driving me crazy!

Dr. checked device and said all was well. But this ticking is driving me nuts because it forces me to think constantly about the fact that I am being kept alive by this machine.

If anyone can tell me why this is happening now after six years, I would love to know.

Thanks Papa. p.s. I feel like the crocodile in Peter Pan.

 

I am a 32yr old very active male, currently living in Switzerland and since pretty much 24hrs I am in the club now. Some of you might have seen my first 2 questions. Just wanted to say that the actual procedure of getting a PM is a walk in the park, compared to what I expected. Yes, it hurts afterwards, but nothing what a pain killer won't fix.

I have (or used to have) AV Block III and a resting heart rate in the mid 30s to low 40s. Now I have a minimum of 50.

Just some advice for you who are not yet in the "club". For those of you who have some kind of faith. Praying helps a lot with coping. I prayed for strength and was totally calm the day before surgery, during surgery and now.

Thanks

 

I had not used this site for at least 10 to 11 months and posted a message a couple of days ago. I had 22 reads but no advice not sure if my funny beats were important or not.

This probably sounds really bad but I was hoping for someone to reply not sure what is going on with me been to A & E twice and waiting to see Cardiologist. I am so scared.

Jules

 

How have you coped with the uncertainty of what is going on in your body?

I gave up my job while in the diagnostic stage which has placed financial concerns on my family. Every morning I get up at 'work time' have breakfast, tidy up etc and on most mornings I think I wouldn't feel comfortable going to work today because I am symptomatic and feel unreliable. Some days I feel ok and would love to be able to go to work. I don't know what will make this situation change for me,because as I've said before my condition isn't life threatening and I am not sure if having a PM is the answer. Some of it saying 'I can feel these symptoms and be ok',but other times the symptoms are so physical this doesn't work.

What sought of li...

 

Curios:
About when or how long did it take for some of you to finally to come to accept your pacemaker? A month, a year, a day? I am 3 weeks shy of my one year anniversary and am interested in finding out other peoples answers.

I know I can't compare, and I can't be in anyone else's shoes as you can not be in mine....but am curious none the less.

Many thanks
Wenditt

 

I am 33 and had a PM installed 4 weeks ago. I have a PM b/c I had heart block and my heart rate was 35. I never had any symptoms whatsoever, it was just picked up when my local GP took my blood pressure and saw that my pulse rate was low. Thoughts that go through my mind now are, what did I do to cause this, I am fit, active, eat well, but I believe it must have to do with the stress and high demands of my job (finance consultant). What other causes could there be??, maybe resting the laptop on my chest whilst in bed?
Feelings of vulnerability, and low self esteem at such a young age. I feel my life has lost direction, and lack the confidence to return to professional life, and reconnect socially.
I played basketball at a se...

 

I am a 50 year male that had an ICD put in back in April. I've had to make some adjustments to my life that is really hard to make, like driving a bus for my church and christian school. I have checked with several people and websites about when to make the decision to give it up. I finally decided to go ahead and make the decision because I didn't want my church to get into trouble if anything happened while I was driving.

 

Hello to all...I'm very thankful to have found this site. I may be getting a pacemaker soon. I have a history of atrial fib. I had an ablation 4 years ago and it was successful. However, I developed a left bundle branch block and was found to have some pulmonary hypertension after a heart cath was performed. I also have a vessel that doesn't seem to get good circulation through it...not because of a blockage but because of my "unique" physiology, they tell me. No blockages...is a good sign, I'm thankful. They want to put in a pacemaker to make the ventricles pump at the same time. With the bundle branch block, they don't beat together. This will help my ejection fraction which is 44 at rest and 34 under stress. I am about 80 poun...

 

Thank you all for your messages and encouragement.. good luck to all

 

I received my pm on 7/7/10 and all was well. stayed overnight in hospital. No pain but felt weak and scared. I still feel tired and my energy level has not increased as i was told it would. the weather has been so hot so i have not been able to walk about outside. i am almost sorry i got it. please help

 

Hi all,
I have had my pacemaker since Apr 2010. I still have a hard time sleeping as my shoulder and left arm still hurt. Sometimes I am still awake at 5am. Thank goodness I'm not working right now or I wouldn't be able to make it.
My problems started 7 years ago when I got Bacterial Menningitis. It caused my heart to stop and since that time my heart rate has been in the 30 to 50 range. I was so tired all the time that I could only work a couple days a week.
Sometimes I lay in bed at night and wish that I never had gotten this thing. Does life ever return to normal?

 

If II had known what this pacemaker was going to do to me I would never had it put in. My doctor said it would help me to live longer, but I feel I am no longer living. Since I had it put in my heart beats so hard. No matter what I am doing it still beats hard. I've had it "reprogrammed" several times but my heart still beats pretty hard.
Now I'm so tired all the time that I come home from work and go to sleep until the next morning. I have no life outside of work and sleep. Does anyone know when this is going to get any better?

 

Hi, newbies
I have had a PM for 12 yrs this sept. and i got to tell you it get easier everyday. you have to remember one thing "YOUR STILL ALIVE" thats the feeling you should go back to everytime you feel bad. i know its hard sometimes like when people ask ?'s who don't have one and don't understand what its like. trying to explain is almost impossible but thats our life and we can and will deal with. sometimes i think its a blessing having a pacemaker let tell you why... some people will go there whole life wondering and worring how they will die not me i know that someday i will die from heart failer but thanks to my PM. "NOT TODAY" thats the code i live by "NOT TODAY "and i love it you should try saying it its fun "NOT TODAY". if ...

 

Hi im due to have a ICD fitted on Aug 3rd i just wondered if it is routine and nothing to worry about as they say it is? My job involves a lot if lifting so wondering when it will be safe to go back to work?
Thanks Sharon

 

Hi. Thank you to all of you who replied to my post last night (UK time). I took some advice & went to see a film at the cinema today. I love the cinema & I lose myself in the film. I saw the new Leonardo di Caprio film "Inception". It was brilliant. I love his films.

Anyway, I'm much calmer tonight than last night. My employer wants to sack me on the grounds on incapability, if I'm not back at work by October 1st. I told them before I'd be back before then, & my Dr's agree, so I don't know why they are being so horrible. But I saw my GP yesterday (UK) & he was horrified at the way my employer is treating me, after 30 years loyal service. And I work in a NHS hospital! Anyway, my GP had a long chat with me & basically said what so...