Most Recent Messages in General Posting

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ICD/PM recovery

Hello,

I first became a member of this site 4 years ago after my ICD/PM implant. I was in a state of shock and terribly frightened and lonely trying to come to terms with what had happened to me.

I have been reading many messages from people who have only recently had inplants and are understandably still coming to terms with the change to their lives.

I just wanted to say that things really do get better and eventually the implant does become just a part of y...

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45th reunion

i am going on the 14th of june to london ontario for my 45th reunion for graduating from nursing. that summer so long ago now was 1963 and my first job was in my hospital in london st. joseph's and i began my career on a medical floor. in 1964 i married my husband of now and we met while i was still in school. quite a few of the husbands to-day knew each other then so our class has always included husbands in the reunion. we have a tea in the afternoon at the home of one of my classmates and the...

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Ablation

Hello to all of my pacemaker friends!

I am having ablaton number 2 tomorrow, so I ask that you please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I am actually looking forward to the procedure, I know when I come out of it I will feel much better than I do now. I have been suffering for the last two months, so I really am confident that things will turn out well.

Thanks everyone,

Amanda

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For Curly

Sorry to have missed you in the chat room, Curly. Hope all goes well with you today. Love, Wannabe

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searching for members

Search request.
In the 'Member List' would it be possible to add the 'State' to the search group. The state info is already in the member profile.
Searching by 'City' doesn't help me much because I live in a small town, 600 population. If I search by the nearest larger town 'Jackson' I get returns from places like Jacksonville, Florida on the right coast and I am on the left coast.

And maybe in the member profile you could add the Zip code, which would allow us to sea...

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Medical I.D. bracelets

Hi All,
I am so grateful for the support I have received already and I am looking forward to the time that I can give support too as well as needing it.
I think that I saw this info on another posting but I can't find it again.
I am thinking of getting a Medic alert bracelet and was wondering if other PM recipients have them. I usually have my ID card with me in my pocket or purse but I think a bracelet with pertinent info would be more obvious and therefore useful. If one has a...

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Potassium Levels & PVC's

Hello everyone!

First of all, just a great big thanks to everyone on this site. It is so very helpful! Kudos to you all!

For the past couple of days I have been feeling pretty "funky", generally tired and spacey, blood pressure goes up/down more than usual, I have had a slight (very slight) pressure at the bottom of my throat and upper chest at times, and a bit dizzy or lightheaded and slightly nauseous. Last night my blood pressure kept rising, and the symptoms were wor...

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Thanks 4 the advice

Hey, just wanted to say thanks to everyone who commented on my post about dizziness. Symptoms have gotten better, but I still feel blah. I have a doc. appt. coming up this summer anyway, so I'll find out then. Thanks again!!!

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Price of a pacemaker

Prior to my having my pacemaker (Medtronic-dual lead) installed I had a difficult time finding anyone who could tell me what they cost. Even the hospital said they didn't know and I shouldn't worry about since my insurance would cover it.

Well I just saw my insurance claim for it. The pacemaker and leads, nothing else, was $15,422. Wow....can you believe it? The rest of the bill was about $45,000 but I also had a lot of tests beforehand.

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a few questions

hello everyone,

my questions are---how does it feel to be "shocked"?

how can you tell if your pm isnt working right? or if a lead isnot in place?

i was told i would be as good as new after this, but i am better than i was, but not as good as new. i had 2nd degree heart block, brady, &was at risk for sudden cardiac arrest. my heart was in the 40s, and getting slower.

is anyone here also diabetic ? i was wondering if maybe this was the reason i am not...

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Sample Pacemaker?

Does anyone know where I can find a sample pacemaker like this one: http://www.sockmachines.com/pm002.jpg

I'd like to be able to show people what I just had installed in me. Thanks.

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lifting my arm

Hi all! I hope that you're all well, I haven't posted for a while. Have been doing fine, I am now at my 6 weeks since my pm was fitted(was actually wednesday) I have returned to work too, not full time yet but I will soon have to as our finances will not cope.
I am not due to see my cardio doctor til the 23rd June which will be the 1st time since my op. I was wondering do I have to wait until I have seen him to start raising my arm or can I start doing it gradually myself? Obviously I dont...

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Can't Make Technology Work!

Attention of gentlben4u

Have tried to send a Private Message in connection with the c***-up in the chat room, but can't even manage that! Hope you're well. Wannabe

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Heparin

My 22 month old son is having his leads and generator replaced next week. The atrial lead is fractured and the ventrical lead is getting perilously short due to growth. We recently received notice that the CT surgeon is participating in a study evaluating the use of the blood thinning drug Heparin. I am reluctant to allow my son to be part of the study and receive this drug - largely due to the rash of deaths from complications induced by this drug (now known to be from a contaminated batch),...

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Update!

First I wanted to welcome all the people who have just recently joined. I hope you enjoy this club as much as I have.

I know I have been lacking my participation on the club lately and I thought it was high time for me to give y'all a good update. I have gradually been regaining my strength after they turned off the ventricle pacing I have felt much better. I still have some problems but it's all managable.
I am in the process of getting ready to move back to Chicago area....

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it's me again

Just a bit of good news I heard....a search and rescue dog received a pacemaker, and she is doing very good after her surgery!! I hope to locate a picture of her. Hers is for heart block. Aren't these "little friends" just wonderful? My pacemaker is my best friend.

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pacemaker brand

Hi! Everyone!!!
I am new to this group! Is there anyone else out there with a pacemaker by ela? Mine is a Rhapsody DR 2530.

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Anyone work at walmart?

Hi Im 24 years old and work part time as an emt on the ambulance and part time as a cashier at walmart. I was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at the age of 23 and suffered severe SVT and after an ablation of nearly destroying the whole sinus node of the heart and I had a pacemaker implanted 3 months ago. I wanted to ask if anyone knows about pacemakers and the electical devices at walmart. Standing over the security demagnitzer as well as funtioning a wireless scanner all day I cant h...

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Heart Rate Monitor

I had seen where someone had mentioned the Polar heart rate monitor and want to ask if anyone knows of any problems the "uncoded" monitors would have with pacemakers. I have looked on the Polar site but found no mention of pacers.
Thanks,
Pete

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abbrevations in the PM world

I am new to the PM site, just 12 days since install.
I read a post this morning that had so many abbrevations that I couldn't understand it.

For example:
EP
AF
PVC, which I don't think is poly vinyl chloride
INR
TACHY
BRADY
POTS
SVT'
CIVU
NCS
EF, just to name a few

Would it be possible to get an abbreviation list/definitions maybe in the 'Information" section under FAQs or maybe its seperate tab?

...

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You know you're wired when...

Your electric tooth brush interferes with your device.

Member Quotes

I finished 29th in London in 2 hours 20 minutes 30 seconds which is my fastest with or without a device so clearly it didn’t slow me down ! I had no problems apart from some slight chaffing on my scar - more Vaseline next time.