Most Recent Messages

PACE MAKER PROBLEMS

I have been having fluid built-up after insertion of my pace maker on Feb. 28th of this year...causing pain. The area has been drained once...and again, there is fluid built-up, I am schudeled for another eko...(have had this done every week).
The doctor obviously punctured the heart sac allowing blood in seep in...what would anyone of you advise...second opinion or?

Please help me with this...My life is not back, yet...To add insult to injury...when I went back to the hospital...

Read More...

old leads

My wife is 49 and has had a pm since the age of 9. Back in the day pm were placed in the abdomin.
Her xray looks like a map of the united states.
We were told that the wires (leads) were not a problem to be left in.
Does anyone have any experience or studies or opinions if this would ever be a problem.
I am sure some are fractured.
At some point she will get a scar revesion to replace the very large scar and tissue from the many battery replacements.
They will free...

Read More...

.::*~*~Happy Birthday Amy!~*~*::.

Amy (Amy29): March 30, 1977 (cool, March 30th and you're turning 30, haha, i'm easily amused once again :)

A is for Amiable
M is for Magnificent
Y? B/c you really are amiable and magnificent.

Or (in light of heart topics) it could also be:
A is for Arrhythmia
M is for Mitral Valve
Y is for “Yo, that EKG doesn’t look right.”

Happy B-day and I hope you are doing well.
Take care!
~valerie

Read More...

They're Out to Get Us Folks

I tried to answer the question about pacemakers and polygraphs but couldn't find any mention of the two anywhere in the same sentence. BUT I did find info about a company which sells a "Shocking Lie Detector" which you can take to parties to amaze and amuse your friends by exposing them as liars. It requires 3 AAA batteries. Your victim (and soon to be former friend) straps his hand down on this dome shaped contraption and you ask a question. No fair asking something he can answer truthfully....

Read More...

Update on Me & Love to All of You

Hi everybody. All went well on Tuesday and I now have a St. Jude 5386 upgrade in my chest, supposedly the top of the line. We were surprised to find that I have no underlying rhythm on my own, so No. 5386 had better be taking care of business. I had to stay overnight due to "complications." Not to be too graphic, but this involved supper not staying where supper belongs. My daughter in law should be nominated for sainthood! Abbey refused to eat while I was gone, so her first order of busin...

Read More...

Wake up call; again

Well it has been one week since my PM was installed. So far no problems. I head in for my first check up today and looking forward to a clean bill of heath with it.
You know this has been quite a ride. It all started with a TIA in 87. That was brought on by a stupid activity of helping my son and his friend carry a deer up a ravine while in the second stages of a real bad cold. My second episode occurred in 95; after ignoring dozens of warning signs I ended up with an angina attack, which...

Read More...

Polygraph Testing??

Does anyone know if the pacemaker will interfere with taking a polygraph test??

Read More...

Rapid Beats

Hi,
My first post. I have a Medtronic ICD because of several episodes of fast VT starting in 2002. I had a second ablation in May last year which made a huge improvement. However since January I have had about eight episodes of slow VT (105 bpm) which have lasted 1 1/2 hours on average and rectified themselves. The strange thing is all these episodes have occurred between 15:00 and 20:00 hours. Some before a meal some after food.
Any comments or similar experiences would be appreciated...

Read More...

MY KIDS AND I

Hello to all my friends! I'm going to share something my kids and I did this weekend. The other day I saw a Beaver going under the house. I told my kids about it and sure enough they wanted to catch it. I was a little skeptical but went on with the mission. We made a trap with some old fencing. We made it with a trap door.................WOW, the kids said. It was raining that evening and after I made the trap we sat down to figure out what kind of food beavers eat. My daughter said l...

Read More...

6 weeks does that do it

I am heavy into tennis and weigth lifting i spend lot of time on the bench with free weights My Doc set me at 60 beats but for physcial stuff kick in a 70 and tops out at 130. With the pace maker its not like turning a switch as far as energy, i guess that will come back with time I hope. My Doc says 6 weeks stay off of the left arm and then i can go for it. I notice that i am not hungry at dinner time big breakfest and small lunch but almost not hungry at dinner time a bit of a change. No weig...

Read More...

Defibs and Hashimoto's

Hey people! I have two questions for y'all out there. With all the PM's, who has a defibrillator and what are your parameters? Second - Heart disease a primary issue for most. Mine was a dilated cardiomyopathy and becoming more of an issue these days is hypothyroidism (and last week they gave it a name - Hashimoto's) Last year my TSH was 16.5 and seemed to come under control within 8 - 9 months. Not quite so the endocrinologist raised the medication dosage and with that the TSH went up; T...

Read More...

Fitness update from Peter

Hi Guys,
if you remember a few weeks ago I asked you guys for ideas to get me from zero fitness to being able to ge to the airport to pick up Pacergirl (Susan) and her husband who are coming to the uk to see me. not too long to go now just a little over six weeks!!
Well thank you all for your idea's and support, and as I said in my last posting I could then hardly make it to my front gate.
The good news is that I can now get almost a hundred yards down the road and back, I have al...

Read More...

pain after 14 years??

I have had my PM for 14 years, and I feel very lucky that I've never had an ounce of complications with it. I never have had any pain around the site...until last week. I started feeling very weird pressure and pain around my PM. It subsided, but on the outer side it is still tender to the touch. No swelling or anything. Im sure that Im over-reacting, but Im a bit concerned. Could this just be muscle pain, should I be worried?? Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!! -Patti

Read More...

Television Towers.


Hi!

I am currently looking into getting a job with a local PBS TV station, but I am suppose to get a pacemaker on Monday. Does anyone know if the pacemaker would interfere with me having this job, or do I need to just stay away from the transmitting equipment? I know it's a bit of a random question, but I'm curious.

Amy

Read More...

Lenora

Hi Lenora.
I along with a great many people in this club I feel.... wish you a speedy recovery form your latest setback, and hope that you are now ticking away and getting stronger by the day.
Keep us up to speed on how you are doing...Peter

Read More...

Another question!

I was hoping that some of you could tell me how long did it take you to start getting energy back. I had energy right after my surgery and now it has been two weeks from getting my pacemaker and it has started to be painful and sore. I have been getting spasms from the site that goes into my left arm is that normal? I have only been wearing the sling when I go out b/c I don't want my shoulder to start hurting. I also walked a little yesterday (just like a block) and that took like all the energy...

Read More...

Need advice, quick!

My 73 year old father was diagnosed with a 3rd degree blcok and had a pacemaker put in 4 days ago. He's now complaining the he feels "funny" - especially in his head. About a year ago, the doctors found an aneurysm in his frontal lobe. I was looking on the internet for information on how one feels - physically - after receiving a pacemaker and I am not finding anything that outlines his symptoms. I did, however, find an article outlining that there may be an increased risk of stroke after rec...

Read More...

Climbing Elevations with PM

Hi everyone,

This is my first post because of some password issues I have had. I got my PM in August, 2006 and have been feeling great since. Reading this site has been very helful as it made me comfortable before the surgery.

I am now getting ready to go on my honeymoon in May and hope to do some activities that include taking a ride up a Mountain to see the sunset. My question is whether I will have any problems being at high elevations (approx 13,000 feet). I am a 32...

Read More...

Tools and other machines - update

Thanks for the responses that were given me on the use of tools and other machines. I called Guidant, now Boston Scientific and spoke to a tech who is forwarding some recent reports done by independents and their findings regarding the use of this equipment. Seems I might want to check things out if I'm around more of a mill type of shop with larger and more multiple tools running which is an environment I do sometimes find myself in. That may cause an interference. The other thing about th...

Read More...

april 3

hello everyone.april 3 my pacer is 4 yrs and going strong.
i had heart block and had a dual pacer put in april 3 -2003.
its my first pacer.
how long does a pacer normally last?

Read More...

You know you're wired when...

Like the Energizer Bunny, you keep going.

Member Quotes

I am very lucky to have my device.