Most Recent Messages in General Posting

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Battery Monitoring - My message posted yesterday

I posted a message yesterday under the "Battery Monitoring" post that was intended to be a humorus post. I was making fun of some differences between the U.S. and the U.K. In no way did I intend to disrespect anyone. I was not at all serious about any part of it except for what I considered to be self-deprecating humor. 

The potentially offensive part of that message has been taken down now. I do realize that some folks may have bee...

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Pacemaker or purely coincidence?

Good Evening, All. I had a strange thing happen today at work, possibly pacemaker related. Or not. I just know its a first for me. I have a PM for 1.5 years due to complete heart block. I am very athletic, have always been. Today at work I took a quick break and walked down 10 flights of stairs to another building to treat myself to a tea latte. On the way back I suddenly felt a little tired, I wouldn't say it was substantial, but definitely there. I thought it might have been just a...

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need interpretation of monitor report

Cardiologist's office sent latest quarterly report via email, and I need some help interpreting a few things.  

Under heading: Atrial Lead Undersensing, it says:

"Atrial lead signal amplitude suboptimal. Stability of the signal over time needs to be monitored"

"Suboptimal" means not optimal.  What kind(s) of problems does this cause, and should I be asking doctor about it?  My next FTF appointment isn't till January. 

<...

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My wife underwent a Stent Graft for an aortic aneurysm. The Cleveland Clinic is amazing!

My wife had an aortic aneurysm repair yesterday at the Cleveland Clinic and is coming home today! That procedure is an amazing minimally invasive advancement to fix a life threatening problem. Her aneurysm was 5 cm and was discovered by accident a few weeks ago during a CT for an unrelated issue. Needless to say; after that discovery we saw it as a ticking time bomb that needed immediate attention. Prior to this, she had not had any health issues and other than occasional mammo...

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Prostate MRI

I have an MRI approved pace maker but my leads are 16 years old and not MRI compatible  

I have been diagnosed by a 12 core biopsy with 2 cores showing "precursor" cancer cells. 
                                                                             My urologic onc...

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Convection Microwave Ovens

I am wondering if convection microwave ovens are safe for us pacemaker patients.  I read that of course microwaves are not a problem nor are the convection ovens.  However, I did read that we need to stay away from convection microwave ovens.  Would appreciate your responses.  I couldn't find any queries on this specific item and as I am moving into a place where there is a convection microwave it is a matter of concern.

Thanks!

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Question re symptoms

How do you co-relate symptoms with settings??  

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Pacemaker

Does left arm feel cold after the first week out with the pacemaker surgery?

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Base and upper rate

Hi , firstly I know I should be asking my EP the following questions,  but they have little / no time during appointments etc .

Last interrogation,  I was unaware that they turned my pace rate down from 70 to 60 bpm.

I felt a little funny for several weeks,  only on going to gym etc and prolonged bending over , on getting out of bed too. I thought I was imagining things till I finally phoned hospital and spoke to an arithmia nurse who looked at my notes . I'...

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reverse shoulder replacement on left shoulder near pacemaker

I did the search on this site.  Came up 2 different people from 2018.  Was wondering if anyone recently has had one done.  The reason for me as have arithris and torn rotator cuff.   Would like to be without pain.

Did see one doctor and of course asked how many and how is it done.  He said incison is more to the left of the pacemaker.  And a different cautiztion is used.  Plus he uses some thing called Arthrex a new device.   Am not sure...

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Soon to be member, I think

Hi All,New to the forum. 62 year old male. I am currently scheduled to have a pacemaker implanted on 11/21. I have no Idea what kind. I currently have a Boston Scientific loop monitor. I was diagnosed with bradycardia back in May. It's kind of frustrating. I'm probably in better physical shape now than I had been in years. Over a year ago I started working out 4 to 5 times a week on a home elliptical machine and lost over 40 lbs. 

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Bluetooth Ear Buds

After having my ICD for a couple of months, I finally got around to using my wireless ear buds for a movie on my iPad. I was watching the movie and I discovered that I could hear a low level beat in the background. I thought it was part of the soundtrack at first but when I paused the movie the sound continued. I realised then that it was my heart I could hear in the buds. My questions are: has anyone else experienced this and do the ear buds affect the ICD. I haven't used the buds again...

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Pulse Oximeter

Subject: Pulse Oximeter:

Last August the ER doctor found my pulse to be 30 bpm. Until this point, I had no interest in what the pulse does, I knew I had one and that was good enough for me. My painful sciatica was completely ignored, as I was hospitalized for Bradycardia and overnight observation.

My sciatica was the result of sitting around for seven weeks with an arm sling while recovering from Popeye bicep surgery. I did not know it at the time, but I was in for 6 months of PT...

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ICD and driving

If you get a ICD implant after an  electrophysiology study , are you allowed to drive an RV?

Thanks

Jpj. 

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Pharmacy Closures in the UK

My local news has run stories recently which report on pharmacies / chemists closing down in the UK, often leaving just one of two high street shops available for prescriptions / advice and products in many towns. 

This seems strange because I understood that the Government in the UK have been pushing patients to use pharmacy services as an alternative to phoning the GP for many common problems.  

Can anyone tell me why the pharmacies are closing against this backgr...

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I’m thankful for my pacemaker

I have been ill since Sept 15. I've had coughing, chills, vomiting and high fevers. My pcp sent me to the emergency department three times. There were various theories including viruses but no definitive answer. Finally, on Oct 23, I was admitted. I was there for five days of 68 tests including bloodwork, ct scans of the abdomen, pelvis and chest. I had chest xrays ekg, echocardiogram, and tests for everything you can imagine. 

I had an infection and it was elusive. A team of s...

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Painful PVCs

I will be posting a strip from my Samsung watch in the gallery. I have had PVCs as long as I can remember, like everyone else. Most of the time they are just a single thud that I feel in my chest, but every once in awhile I will get them in a pattern. I do have symptoms when it is a prolonged episode of them. Since my ablation I have been having these prolonged episodes much more often in what I'm assuming are bigeminy and trigeminy. This particular run of them was actually painful, which...

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92% paced in atrium

Hello! My EP informed me that my atrium is now pacing 92%.  I understand this to mean that my upper chamber is only beating 8% on its own at the 70bpm pm setting.  Is there anyone else experiencing a similar issue / decline?

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From pacemaker to Defibrillator

Just had a pacemaker check and was expecting a possible date for battery change.

Instead, I was informed that I may be switched to a defibrillator.

My initial response was a firm NO.

After decades of severe arrhythmias, I had decided a long time ago that having a final cardiac event was likely the only bonus to this electrical problem.

Am I correct in assuming that a defibrillator would prevent a final cardiac event by kick starting a failing heart?

Dont get me w...

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Slight lightheaded feeling

I had my Medtronic pacemaker put in April 3rd after passing out numerous times on April 1 and the hospital said I was suffering from 3rd degree AV heart block.  Things are going pretty well but every once in a while after sitting for a period of time I will get up and for a brief second or two feel slightly lightheaded and then I'm fine.  Does anyone else have this happen to them?  I'm thinking that might be the pacemaker kicking in when the heart beat slows down becaus...

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You know you're wired when...

You have a dymo-powered bike.

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I feel so incredibly thankful that I can continue to live my life.