New Pacemaker

I have had my dual chamber pacemaker for about 3 weeks now. I am clearly still getting used to the idea of being reliant on the pacemaker. I am 38 years old, a husband and father of 3 little ones. I have two issues: bradycardia as well as my left ventricle is dropping beats. So now the EP has me pacing at 60 bpm. I actually feel much better physically, but mentally it's still tough for me to grasp it mentally.

Any coping suggestions from any younger people?

Best,

NoLongerImmortal

9 Comments

wow

by Tracey_E - 2010-07-09 01:07:57

Your guardian angel was on duty that day!!!!! I got chills reading that, how scary. Go give your wife a big hug, she's awesome.

re: the what if's... just keep telling yourself that you have a state of the art computer now to make sure that doesn't happen again. You can trust it, it is much more dependable than our wonky hearts. We trust computers every time we drive or fly. The time to be afraid was before you got it, now you have a safety net.

Press on

by CaptainNimmo - 2010-07-09 03:07:10

Hi,

I've had my ICD now for almost 8 months now. I am 36 and diagnosed with 2nd Degree AV Block with Cardiac Sarcoidoisis.

The key thing to remember in moving forward is that we are lucky to be alive. I ignore the fact that I have an ICD and the only time I think about it is when I have to secure myself from magnetic fields, i.e airport checks, mobile phone as well as during exercise (not to carry too much weight above the shoulders).

Live life normally, listen to your body signals and talk with your family - they can be a great source encouragement.

Take care and all the best.

LUCKY

by pete - 2010-07-09 05:07:16

Just keep thinking that you are one of the lucky ones. Think of those unfortunate to have their lives cut short whilst we remain in quite reasonable heath. We are champions here. Every extra day you have with your little ones is worth a million dollars.Keep telling yourself you are Mr Lucky !! Cheers Peter

Mr. Robo

by nbarton - 2010-07-09 05:07:59

I am 36 yr old father of 4. I too strugled with the idea of having a PM. But it all came to light one night while I was sitting in my chair watching my kids run around. I got to thinking about the "what ifs" and then something told me that if I wanted to ensure me being around to watch my kids grow up then I am going to have to quit being selfish about this whole idea.
I was so troubled ny the thought of having a PM. That I even went and got third and forth opinions. It wasn't until I met the diagnostician and he told me that with all the tests and results, he was 99% sure that this would fix my problem. He diagnosed me A-Fib and away I went. I went and had the procedure done on May 1st lof this year and let me tell you something, even though I do feel the PM kick in, it's still better than me passing out at the resturant and having your kids look at you like your not superman no more. Since having the PM installed I have played golf and thourghly enjoyed playing with my kids. Before the procedure I wouldn't even want to go away from the house because of the fear of having another episode?? So my advice to you is simple, go and get the PM and start living a BETTER quality fo life. I will let you know after my 3 month checkup and how I feel, because right now the doctor has it set to the side of safety and it may be just a little high for me since I can feel it and the way it makes me feel when it does kick in. So good luck to you and remember that you are not alone in this and this site gave me sooooo much support because of the welath of information. God Bless you, Nate!!!

hey whats young?? lol

by Hot Heart - 2010-07-09 06:07:19

Hi! I dont think age comes into it really, it hit me like a brick wall at 55, thinking only old people have pacemakers and I wasnt old. You willl mentally adjust to it over time. I was being wrestled today by a 16 year old and just stopped him and said, hey dont forget my pacemaker - he had no idea!

HH

moving on

by Tracey_E - 2010-07-09 09:07:33

I'm a few years older than you now but I'm on my 4th pm, got the first one at 27. Focus on how good you feel and try to let the rest go. I know it's easier said than done! As time goes by and you continue to feel good, it will get easier. I honestly never give it a thought anymore. If you were diabetic you'd take insulin, if you broke your arm you'd get a cast and think nothing of it. This isn't really much different, but for some reason when it's our heart we can have a harder time accepting the help. Our hearts for the most part are strong and healthy, just a bit of faulty wiring that's easily fixed. As heart problems go, we have the best kind.

I've always considered myself fortunate to have a problem that CAN be fixed, it doesn't hold me back at all and most people don't even know I have it. I was on vacation in the mountains last week and did half day hikes nearly every day. We explored slot canyons, climbed rocks, even spent several hours trudging through a creek to explore another canyon- all at high altitude. Without my little titanium buddy, I would have been sitting under a tree reading a book but instead I was able to have a blast and even keep up with the kids.

Two things that may help are to understand more about how your heart beats and how the pm works, and to know that you're not alone. There are a whole lot of us here who have been there and we're always willing to let you vent and share information.

p.s. none of us were ever immortal, lol, we just thought we were.

just live

by Max4pups - 2010-07-09 10:07:16

On June 3rd I had my dual lead pacer implanted because of Neurocardiogenic syncope (type) Cardio Inhibitory 2B with asystole.
I'm a wife and mom to 3 children. I have my up and down days. We found out I would need a pacer within a few days of breaking ground on our new home. My biggest guilt is watching my husband work so hard for our dream home and then I have to have a very expensive surgery...not in my plan ya know LOL Here he is working so hard to provide for our family and i just add extra burden to his load. Now as he will tell you my life is worth much more than that; however I still deal with that guilt. Being busy with 3 kids doesn't always a lot me time to feel guilty so for that I'm grateful. Each time I feel my heart begin to slow and each time I feel my pacer kick in it's that humbling reminder that it's because of the PM that I still have my quality of life and my family doesn't have to worry about me getting hurt during an episode.
You may NoLonger(be)Immortal but we're bionic! LOL
this is a great place to get support, plus I'll bet your wife loves knowing your healthy and aren't' going any place, your children still have their daddy, and always by the Grace of God life IS worth living :o)

Thank you

by Robcockrum - 2010-07-09 11:07:00

Thanks all. This helps :-) I am still dealing with the 'what ifs', also. I passed out while driving with my wife and family in the car. My wife was able to stop the car on the highway and no one got hurt. Nothing happened at all. It's CRAZY how lucky I am!!!! She saved us all.

Young w/ pm

by dhobson - 2010-07-09 11:07:56

I'm 28. Got my first dual chamber pm at 20. I'm now on my 2nd pm. My pm is for NCS (neuro cardiogenic syncope). I also have an enlarged left ventricle, mitral valve prolapse, heart murmur and was just diagnosed with SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) last year.

I don't know anyone my age who has a pm. None of my friends can relate to what I've had to go through. Fortunately, I have the support of my mother who got her first pm at age 28.

I get asked questions a lot during the summer time when I'm wearing a bathing suit or tank top and my scar is exposed. Most people have a hard time believing that I have a pacemaker. I actually get a kick out of telling people outrageous stories to explain my scar and typically more people believe those then when I finally admit that it's a pacemaker.

Good luck and know that you're not the only one out there.


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