In denial?

As some of you may know from my previous posts that I'm going to meet with a arrythmia specialist on wednesday after my cardiologist told me I need a pm for my heart block. I have no symptoms at all. But my cardiologist seems to think the slowness will start ruining my heart over time. Has anyone ever had a pm put in for heart block with no symptoms, and if so, is there any difference in how you feel now? I have this "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude. I think I'm just in denial.

5 Comments

denial

by Tracey_E - 2010-02-01 09:02:53

I wouldn't call it denial. You're being cautious and thorough, that's a good thing. I agree if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But just because you're not having symptoms doesn't mean it's not broken. (you've probably already posted this, sorry I can't remember) How low do you get? If you are dipping down below 40 or so, you are stressing your heart and possibly damaging your organs. Your atria is beatingbeatingbeating, trying in vain to get the ventricles to catch up.

I don't know what the right answer is for you or when the right time is, I can only tell you about my experience with heart block. I was diagnosed when I was 5 and always knew some day I'd need a pacemaker. Back then (early 70's) pm's were new and bulky and didn't work as well as the new ones so the theory was to wait as long as possible. Other than occasional dizziness and getting tired easily, I was basically without symptoms until my early 20's. When I started to go down hill, it was so gradual that I didn't realize how bad it was until I ended up in emergency surgery and almost died. That's called waiting too long! Even though I hadn't noticed symptoms, I felt more energetic than I ever had before, and a lot of little health problems went away. My overall health improved a LOT.

Now, when kids are diagnosed with my condition (congenital complete heart block), they are given pm's right away. It's very common to give them the pm without waiting for symptoms, theory being by the time you have symptoms, you have damage. If I'd known before I got mine how easy the surgery was and how good I'd feel, I would have done it a lot sooner. Instead I was petrified of the unknown and stalled as long as I could. That was before the internet so I'd never met anyone else with my condition, never had a place to get answers or learn more. My doctor was great but he didn't have any other patients like me either so we were both feeling our way blindly. I feel now that it was the wrong decision to wait, but hindsight is always 20/20.

denial or something else?

by JulieH - 2010-02-02 01:02:03

Your doctor is right, your slow heart rate will start affecting your heart and your other organs. And your doctor has equipment that can judge that much better than we can.

The only symptoms I had were that my heart was beating hard and my heart rate was slow. My heart rate went, over the course of just 5 days, from 48 bpm to 14 bpm just before my pm procedure. I was awake and alert right up to the time they gave me a general anesthetic for the pm procedure. (They had to use a general because of my low heart rate. If they'd had to do something to restart my heart, should it have failed, I needed more than a local and twilight sleep.)

I, too, was in shock when my cardiologist was telling me and my hubby that I needed a pm. In fact, I kept looking behind me to see if he was talking to someone else! I started tearing up and then crying and boo-hooed for several hours following that. Then, I stopped crying, realized I was going to be much better after getting my pm and was quite calm thereafter. I asked God to help us all through this situation and to not let me die. Then I knew we were all in his hands.

I've already seen any number of benefits to having my pm: I am assured that Sparky will not let my heart beat below 60 bpm, I feel better both physically and mentally (a benefit I'd never even thought of), and I have my voice back. If that sounds odd, well... I've always hummed and sung during the day but, many months ago I stopped doing it because my voice had gotten all cracked and dry sounding. Several days after my pm procedure I caught myself softly singing a tune. I hadn't done that in what seemed like forever. But my voice sounded smooth, not cracked. Interesting discoveries almost daily.

wait and see what EP says

by DanaT - 2010-02-02 08:02:50

TraceyE - My rhr is about 47 and it dips down to 29 while I sleep. I guess I'm just worried. Tomorrow I go the see the EP and I will let you know how that goes.

Lucy.Ethel - thanks for sharing. I appreciate it. And I love your name by the way. My favorite show!!

timing

by Tracey_E - 2010-02-02 08:02:54

Wait and see what the ep says, but my best guess is you will feel better with it and you aren't noticing symptoms. Let me know what he says! Good luck.

atrial fib

by Hot Heart - 2010-02-03 06:02:05

since i got my pm my afib episodes have gone down from 1,000 in 6 months to 900 in 3 months, massive difference, no meds.

HH

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