Newbie

Hi - I'm the proud new owner of a pacemaker. On Friday January 15th I had an appointment with my GP that I started to cancel. I'd been battling a weird 'cold' since the week before Christmas and just didn't have the energy to drive across town for my appointment. Decided to go. The nurse tried to take my blood pressure and her equipment wouldn't work, so we went into an examination room so she could use the cuff there. Then she took my pulse. The doctor came in very soon after that and he took my blood pressure and my pulse. Then he said he wanted to run an EKG on me which he did. I asked him what my pulse was and he said 48. Then he looked at the EKG and said he was going to refer me to a cardiologist. My appointment with the cardiologist was the following Tuesday, Jan 19th. At his office, my pulse rate was 35. He looked at the EKG my GP had sent over and told me I would be admitted the next day to the hospital for a heart cath and very probably a pacemaker if not a bypass. He said I had a complete electrical blockage and that my heart's ventricles were beating at half, or less, than the atria. At the Heart Center in the hospital the next day I had my pacemaker implanted. My pulse rate was in the 20s and, just before surgery, my heart rate had dropped to 14. I found the Pacemaker Club website yesterday while looking up a few things about my new pm.

10 Comments

welcome

by Tracey_E - 2010-01-31 10:01:30

If your heart has been dipping as low as the teens, you should feel a tremendous increase in energy with your new pm! It can happen so gradually that we don't even realize it happened. I was similar, my rate was 26 the day I got my pm. That was 1994, I haven't slowed down since :o)

You have the easiest thing to fix with a pacemaker! Our hearts simply have a short circuit. The pm keeps an eye on things and makes sure the ventricles beat every time the atria does. Our hearts are setting the pace and doing the beating, the pm just steps in when the signal gets blocked.

An electrical blockage is very different from an arterial blockage. It's a blocked electrical signal from the atria to the ventricle, it has nothing to do with blocked arteries and bypasses. Nothing we did caused it and no amount of lifestyle changes could have prevented it.

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

Tracey about said it all

by ElectricFrank - 2010-01-31 11:01:36

I've had a pacemaker since 2004 for the same problem. Once we got the settings right I'm back to my usual self.

Like Tracey said this is most treatable heart problem. You're natural pacemaker is still determining your HR and the pacer just wires around the problem.

At your next checkup be sure and ask for a copy of the pre and post programming report. This has information about how well the pacer and your heart are working together and the settings that are programmed into it.

A couple of important things to check. For your condition the pacemaker Mode should be DDD not DDDR. Also the upper tracking limit should be at least 140. Often the implant surgeon will leave the pacemaker set to the factory default settings which are much too conservative for someone with a simple problem like yours. The result is that you won't get the full benefit of the pacer.

frank

Thanks to you all...

by JulieH - 2010-02-01 01:02:54

...for the nice welcomes.

I've always tried to be a positive person; the flip side of that is too depressing.

TracyE - I do feel much better than I did prior to getting my PM but here's the interesting thing: I feel better as much mentally as I do physically, so much so that I can see how sluggish, pre-PM, my psyche had gotten!

Yes, I have heard that the condition I have is the easiest to fix with a PM. Still, it's a little weird making friends with something that my thoughts tell me is a little invader.

ElectricFrank - Thanks for the heads up. I go for my post-op checkup today. I'll ask about the things you mentioned.

dwelch - So far, no trouble in sleeping. I was taking a sleeping pill pre-op but now don't seem to need one. It was a little freaky watching my pulse rate drop to 14 but, before we left for the hospital, my hubby and I said a prayer together and I asked God to help us both through this and not to let me die. I was awake and alert even with a 14 pulse. In fact, I was drawing faces on the rubber gloves my daughter was blowing up.

paulb - I feel great. Like I said, I feel better mentally as well as physically. Say a little prayer before you go in for your procedure; I'll say one for you as well.

cathtx - Yes, my heart was beating very hard, but very slowly. I'd been experiencing shortness of breath for most of last year so I'd really be interested in finding out if there's any way to tell how long my heart's electrical system has been going bad. Yeah, it's hard not to use my left arm; I'm right handed but use my left arm and hand for a lot of things. I think one of the most important things for all of us to realize and for the world at-large to know is that problems with the heart don't discriminate - everyone is susceptible.

I appreciate friends wherever they are. I've made some exeptionally special friendships over the internet. Thanks to each of you for taking the time to welcome me and share of yourselves.

Welcome

by dwelch - 2010-02-01 02:02:16


Welcome to the club. Scary story, but glad you now have a PM and glad you found this site.

I was born with complete heart block. Been living with a pacer more than half my life.

Just take your time getting used to it. You probably feel a bit funny or empty inside. May have a ton of energy. Maybe cannot sleep because your heart is going twice what you used to. You will settle in.

I LIKE YOUR POST

by pete - 2010-02-01 03:02:04

Your new here and what a positive attitude you have stating your first post with "Im a proud new owner of a pacemaker". It will serve you well. Good luck Peter

welcome

by Hot Heart - 2010-02-01 05:02:28

Glad you are feeling better, im another one with a purely electrical problem, look forward to seeing your posts. let us know how you are getting on

HH

brains

by Tracey_E - 2010-02-01 06:02:01

I noticed a big change in my mental state also! Our brains are organs and a low hr deprives it of oxygen. I noticed I was more alert and my mind worked faster after I got it, like the fog lifted. I also had a lot of minor health problems go away over the first few months I had it.

It may be a little invader, but it's a lot more dependable than the natural pacemaker we were given. Keep up that positive attitude! It is proven to get you back on your feet faster.

Post-op checkup this afternoon

by JulieH - 2010-02-01 07:02:17

Well, I went for my first post-op checkup and was told that my (dual lead) pm is doing great and should last for about 10 years. Also, I have to limit my arm movements for two months.

HH, thanks for your encouragement. Will definitely keep y'all up with my progress.

TraceyE, isn't it weird; I didn't even realize that I'd gotten into a kind of mental funk until a few days ago. Then I realized that I did feel more alert, less "old".

I'm becoming more used to and friendly with my new friend. It's just such an odd thing to go through when you thought you were perfectly healthy, heart-wise. My pm is less of an invader now and more a new best friend. I've named her Sparky.

Good luck

by paulb - 2010-02-01 11:02:12

I love the possitive attitude. I am getting mine on wednesday. How are you feeling?

Also A Proud New Owner

by cathtx - 2010-02-01 12:02:31

I got my PM last Tuesday 1/26/10. I had been feeling weird for only about a week...like my heart was beating hard but not fast, I was also getting some shortness of breath. Turns out I have SSS and was in a junctional rhythm. I am just taking it easy but feel so much better. My biggest fear is pulling the leads out! They put the fear of God in me about keeping my left arm to limited movement for 6 weeks. I think that is going to be the most difficult part. I am 41...thought I was too young but through this site have learned that I am not! My kids call my PM "Polly"

You know you're wired when...

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