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New member- a few questions

Hi,
I just joined this forum, thanks already for the helpful information.

I'm female and in my 30's and I got a pacemaker 3 weeks ago. I had a few cardiac arrests and went to the ER, so there wasn't much planning involved. The surgery was fine, but I ended up with a significant pnuemothorax, which bought me a few extra hospital days and a really fun chest tube. There's no real reason for the CA, except bradycardia and a funky sinus node.

Anyway, I want to know if anyo...

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Sorry for not posting lately!

To all the new people on the site which seems to be many I want to welcome you all.
Still haven't been up to par lately and haven't been having as much energy as I wish. I have also been a little down more lately as I am 21 and fighting this battle all alone or atleast sometimes it feels that way. My sister is more support line and as she is getting farther along in her pregnancy she hasn't been able to keep up with me as much. I saw her this past weekend and she gave me a lot of encoura...

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Hunting Questions

Hi there, I received a pacemaker in January of this year and I am requesting information on hunting and the pacemaker. I usually hunt with a bow and a rifle, does having a pacemaker limit hunting with any of these? Approximately a month ago, I also had an AV Node Ablation and I am not sure if this will prevent me from doing any hunting. I appreciate all of you out there, I read all of the postings on a daily basis, learning from all of you. Thank you, Jake

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Insomnia

I have had my pacemaker now for six months and have had a hard time with sleeping. My cardiologist said she has never heard of this problem with anyone else. Now I have just read on here about people who's pacemaker can be set to a sleep mode where your BPM 's are lowered during sleeping hours.Could this be my problem?

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Is it just me or...

Is it just me or has anyone else had this happen?

The other day when I went for my PM tune up they turned on my rate response. Although they made no changes to my lower bpm setting of 60, my pulse seems to be averaging a bit faster now. Now average seems to be in the mid to upper 60's. Also my bp sems to have come down some to a very normal range. I seem to have more energy now when I exercise. The only thing the tech told me was that my pulse would probably go higher when exercising...

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One Month After PM

Hi All,
Yesterday was one month since I had my PM inplanted. Recap...rushed to ER and found out I had complete heart block. Admitted and watched for 3 days. Didn't go away so pace maker. I take Toprol 100 mg for irregular and rapid heartbeat. Docs thought problem might have been from the drug but it wasn't. So, I still take the Toprol..for rapid and have a PM for slow. Geez!! In addition to that I have 2 leaky valves. 2 years ago they were moderate. I have to go for echo and holte...

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Doctors implant pacemaker into a 15-hr-old baby

MUMBAI — Doctors here successfully carried out a surgery to fit a pacemaker on a 15-hour-old baby, born with a slow heartbeat.

The baby, not yet been named, was diagnosed with a intrauterine congential heart block and slow heartrate of 45 as compared to normal 120 beats per minute about two months before his birth when his mother went for an ultrasound check.

It is a rare case as it occurs one in 20,000 cases, Wockhardt hospital cardiac surgeons who performed the surgery sa...

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how long does a pacemaker last?

I was wondering how long does a pacemaker last.
i have had mine since 2003.april 3rd of 08 it will be 5 yrs old.
i recently had mine checked and its not as strong as it
was.could this mean the battery is going down.

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thank you

I am new to this pacemaker club. I posted a few days ago for the first time. I am going to have my pacemaker replaced in a month or two. Of course, I am nervous. There were 4 wonderful people who took the time to respond to my posting. I just wanted to say thank you. Being new to this club, I would like to know how you get to chat with another member. Also, is there a way to communicate with someone who has responded to your post?
Thanks so much,
Searching Woman

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jessie, do you want to chat?

I left the chat room :12:30 a.m. CDT, but appears you're still online, so thought I'd give this a try. I'm new to chat rooms. I'll go there until 12:45 and then's it's nighty-night for me! I still can't get my MJH to quit coming up in the right-hand column of the chat log even though I click on the X to leave.....

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jessie, do you want to chat?

I left the chat room :12:30 a.m. CDT, but appears you're still online, so thought I'd give this a try. I'm new to chat rooms. I'll go there until 12:45 and then's it's nighty-night for me! I still can't get my MJH to quit coming up in the right-hand column of the chat log even though I click on the X to leave.....

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new to this

I am getting a pacemaker on the 29th and I am very nervous. I have no idea what to expect. Any help here? I have a very slow heart rate and blood pressure so I hope this helps me.

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Fun day! Aborted PM implant session!!

Well, this has been a fun day! I was scheduled to have my PM installed today at UCLA-Santa Monica hospital with my amazing doctor. Showed up at 6AM this morning, got prepped, drowsed off under sedation and woke up to find out that they couldn't finish the job! Why? 'Cause they got in there and discovered that the vein they wanted to use was too small - something to do with a stenum bone that kind of bends in towards the heart cavity and, since birth, has probably played a little havoc with th...

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To Jessie

Let me know if you got my message. I sent it 3 times and there seem to be a problem. I hope so I went on forever!
cottontop

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So much information!

I'm redoing this because it didn't post and now I can't remember everything I said! Lori: My daughter's heart block was diagnosed in 1994 at her kindergarten physical when her pediatrician heard a murmur (I believe) and sent her to a cardiologist. I had hoped we would be able to "watch and wait" for several years, but her first pacer implant was in 1998. As you read in my "bio", it hasn't been smooth sailing since...
Smitty: You are apparently the resident guru. Would you (and anyone...

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Re: tune up, Posted by RickSt on 2007-08-15 00:35

Hi Rick,

Fantastic news that you can get back to trucking! I was fitted at the end of last year and have had a few tweaking sessions with the pacemaker technicians since. The first few did weird me out quite a bit! I guess it's just your body reacting to having something else setting the beat. I, too, find the whole, "I'm just going to speed up your heart rate now" thing v.odd! My husband (a self-confessed geek who would probably like to have a go on one of the pacemaker computers!)...

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I Love this Club!

Thanks, Sharon, for responding to me so quickly yesterday! I spent all afternoon here. I'm like several of you--I had been searching for something like this but just stumbled on it yesterday. Thanks, Blake, for resetting my password so I could get back on. I am new to all this....

If anyone wants to read my "bio" and then respond to ANY of my comments/concerns I'd really appreciate it. Anyone know anything about steroidal leads? I found a note I'd written in 1999, one year afte...

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Afib Pacemakers in Development

I've had my Guidant Insignia pacemaker which has caused a series of problems since its implantation a little over a year and a half ago.

I still suffer from atrial fibrillation despite 3 different ablations, and was told that a series of new generation technology pacemakers or ICD's that _specifically_ have algorithims and software to handle complex atrial fibrillation are in devlopment.

My current EP, who I am extremely happy with, told me that as soon as these become av...

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massage

hi i was treated to a neck and shoulder massage at my local spa/health centre for a birthday treat recently but when i arrived for my appointment the person booked to do the massage started to fill in a health queationnaire and asked if i has a pacemaker when i replied yes she said she was unable to do a massage without a letter from my consultant agreeing to it because the massage could alter the heart rhthymn. i just wondered if anyone had any thoughts on this subject. thanks all.

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root canal

i just had partial root canal monday morning. i was unable to endure it all. the area was too inflammed. he closed it up and sent me home to let it settle down. when the freezing came out i was in excrucuating pain and had to take a very strong pain medicine. this helped and i go back thursday a.m. to finish. i am exhausted and am taking it easy. he also gave me a cortisone antiinflammatory for 3 days.. my head aches all the time. this has been very upsetting to me. i was at one time to-day feel...

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You know you're wired when...

You have a maintenance schedule just like your car.

Member Quotes

Sometimes a device must be tuned a few times before it is right. My cardiologist said it is like fine tuning a car.