Most Recent Messages

Post Message!

Long QT anyone?

Last September, I had a cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation caused by "long QT syndrome". I know my condition is pretty rare, so was just wondering...how many of you who are reading this have the same diagnosis?

Read More...

Does PM help lung problems (i.e. COPD)?

Hello, I am 38. I had TGA open heart surgery (Trans of Great Arteries) in 1968 and Mustard Proc. in 1970. My heart rate has always been in the 40's & 50's at rest and does respond to exercise well. My sleeping HR is 28 to 35's. (This may have been the case for years.) I have been advised that it is now time for a PM. I also have a left lung issue most likely COPD (Chronis Obstructive Pulmonary Des). I have had pneumonia twice this year. And also I have had sleeping problems ever since....

Read More...

Motor racing feeling

I have had my pacer for a year and a half and a few weeks ago I have begun to feel something in my body have an intermittent humming that actually wakes me up at night. It will run and stop off and on that is getting more profound. My phone check was ok so I'm not sure whether to persue it or just try to ignore it. It is more noticaable at night but if I am real still I can still fell it but not as bad. I work at least 45 hours a week and always busy but I am sure I would of felt this before...

Read More...

Any updates on Valerie?

Has anybody heard how Valerie is doing? I tried calling her the other day but got her voice mail. Hopefully one of you have heard how she is doing and can give us all a update.

On another note. Sorry I haven't been able to keep up more often. Still am not up to par. Met with my surgeon this week who told me he has no idea what the next step is and he was glad that I made that Mayo apt. Oct is coming and i'm ready for it to be here. So thanks for all the continued prayers..

Read More...

Help

Hello (hope you guys can understand my english). My husband passed out some days ago,so i called 911,after 18 hours of monitoring ,the cardiology said that his pulse was so low,so he needed one PM,We were so in SHOCK,my husband is just 37 years old and He's in a good shape.after 4 hours he got the device(PM).He 's having trouble @ work,however his DR said that he may return to work NO RESTRICTIONS.He's (helicopter)Flight mechanic,so! sometimes he should be flying as a part of the crew,He love...

Read More...

Swollen area above pacemaker

Hi, I am 34 years old and had my 1st pacemaker replacement operation in January. Since then everything has been going pretty much ok except for some swelling around the incision area around April that did not last for over a week. For the last 2,5 weeks the incision area of the pacemaker has been painful and swollen. As of today the area is in fact very swollen but it is not painful. My doctor did a blood test last week and noted that as my CRP levels were bellow 1, there was no sign of an infec...

Read More...

Abbreviations

Just a suggestion!

Could someone give us newbies a "cheat list" of abbreviations?
EG: PM = pacemaker
BP = blood pressure
ICD = ?
VT = ?
ICD = ?
ARVC = ?
PVC = ?
PVB = ?
etc etc etc

Would be soooooo appreciated to have a general list. Maybe even listed under FORUMS?

Thanks!

Pat

Read More...

Ding Dong of Doom

Hi, I had my pacemaker put in 2 years ago this month and was so scared I didn't know what to do. I posted a few messages and eventually started feeling better. I had passed out once in the back yard and just thought I was over doing. Then a week later passed out at work and then 5 times before the ambulance took me away and they put a pacemaker in right away. I'm 100% dependant and have had some anxiety attacks. One thing that does bother it is big powerful speakers. I went to a work party...

Read More...

Feeling AF Beats

Hi Everyone :)
Have had my pacemaker for ( AFib) almost 5 years and for the past year I have felt "rumbling"...."heavy beating"......"sludging" while at rest on my left side:( The feelings are at the rib cage area. Not ALL the time but very frequently. The arryth dr had me start taking baby aspirin daily....still does it? Am TOTALLY dependent on the pm.

Has anyone else had this feeling? It's kinda unsettling as I start wondering if the pm is acting up!?! PM is checked onc...

Read More...

BPM ?

hi everyone, well i went for my first check up since having my defrib inplanted my doctor said its set to 180 bpm but when i work out it may go that high and shock me for no reason , can you tell me what normal heart rate setting is .

thanks
chris

Read More...

john's bipass

hi everyone who was so kind to me. john is good now. he spent 4 days in icu but it was because his b.p. was very low and they had to give him drugs to raise it. then they had to slowly wean him off. he is discharged in the a.m. he is doing well. meanwhile i woke up sunday a.m. and every muscle ached and i could barely walk. i had a fever and so i went to e.r. they found out i had 2 infections so put me on antibiotics. our daughter is flying here to care for us.for a week, i think it will be bett...

Read More...

What are "P" waves?

I just had my second pacemaker check since getting it. During the testing, everyone came into the room to look at and check out my readings. They told me that my "P" waves were really long (like this was very unusual). I didn't know what to make of this information. Does anyone know just WHAT a "P" wave is, and is it something that I should be concerned about?

Barb (thanks)

Read More...

pacemaker syndrome

hi everyone,

can you please tell me what tests can be done to investigate possible pacemaker syndrome?

would an echo show anything?

my atrial pacing has gone up another 8%!!! the dr.'s don't act concerned. i have had this fullfeeling in facve and neck for alomost 2 years with an increase in pacing (mostly atrial but ventricular too) everytime i get an interrogation. i have a burning constant chest pain too. i swear it is my device! how do i get my doctor to...

Read More...

ER visit for PM

I almost passed out Friday night just all of sudden. I was a passenger in a car. Pacer was not keeping heart rate at 60 setting when I checked it. After going on for an hour called Dr. to do a reading over the phone and they could not do during hours the device clinic was not open. Could not believe this.We live 1 1/2 hours from my clinic. They said to go to the ER where we live. They don't have the device to check my pacer. But decided we would go to our local hospital. The physican in the ER c...

Read More...

anesthesia and other complications during pm replacement

Has anyone experienced complications with their anesthesia during a pm replacement? I did not respond to the Fentanyl/Versed treatment during mine and I'm wondering if anyone has heard of or dealt with that. I felt and remember so much of the procedure. Including the doc and team "tucking their tails between their legs" and leaving the room after rushing through the procedure and sewing me up. I am sure they just turn and leave when a patient is asleep, but when they are awake and staring at you...

Read More...

Travelling with Pacer

Hi I am living in Australia and I have been paced for 42 years.
My husband and I are finally taking the honeymoon we never
had and we booked a cruise to the South Pacific.
The cruise will last 11 nights.
I am having trouble getting travel insurance as they feel a pacemaker is a high risk. I had to fill out all these papers and get my cardio to fill them in also. Still don't know how I will go.
Has anyone had this trouble especiallty travelling from
Australia. Den...

Read More...

Reg. frequency of PM checks

I read that people get their PM checked with different frequencies. I am 100% paced and have 2 phone checks a year plus one office visit. I have a PPO insurance with a major insurance company, they won't pay for that many services. I live in California. Any one else have this problem?

Read More...

Finally, an Explanation

Hello,

This will be brief as I have my arm in a sling. When I went to the rhythm clinic, they discovered one my leads had detached and so they did surgery right away to fix it. They don't know how or when it detached, but they've fixed it and now I'm on the mend. Hopefully, from here on out, it will only go off when truly necessary. Thanks again to everyone for the words of encouragement or facts, you're all wonderful.

Rae

Read More...

update and a 1/2

Hello Everyone,
This wednesday will be 6 months for my pm. Today I finished a half marathon without needing to stop. I happy with that since I had a chest cold that required my to leave a trail of. . .you know. Anyway, Thank you all for the encouragement. I hope to encourage others. Leading up to my PM my physical symptoms werent' all that severe compared to others. I got a dual lead pm for sss resulting in bradychardia. But the anxiety was tough and at the start of the race I was b...

Read More...

Am I always going to "FEEL" it?

Ok, I'm 28 and I got a pacemaker back in March of this year, and I am curious if any of you guys "feel" the pacemaker?? Mine is above my chest on the left side and the muscle that the pacemaker is on always feels weird....does anyone else have these kinds of things going on or am I just silly?

Thanks!!

Read More...

You know you're wired when...

You invested in the Energizer battery company.

Member Quotes

I am very happy with mine. I am in the best shape of my life. I lift weights, compete, bike, golf and swim.