I am frightened

I had an ablation on Friday and was hospitallized till sunday.
I note that my heart rate seems not to go above 60
I went in to take care of the fast heart rate and came home with a low rate and a different rhythm.
I have a stress test on tuesday and they told me that I may need a PM

I am terrified... how will this change my life?
what is the recovery period like and what can I do while recovering

I need to work and don't get paid if I don't work so wondering if one needs like the 6 weeks they are talking about and why one would need so long

i could use some advice and help with this
I was told that 1/1000 who have an ablation might need a pm and why didn't they do it when the ablation went wrong
not sure what actually happened.. everyone seems close mouth and not sure what is going on

11 Comments

Oh my!

by pacergirl - 2010-12-22 07:12:07

I have had the slow heart rate... in the low 40’s and then I got the pacemaker. Bingo! I got my life back! It took some time and it took some adjusting, but I have a good healthy life now. I have some other medical issues, but I am doing well.

Hang in there and keep the faith. You can do it and you’ll be just fine. Believe in yourself, ask questions and put fear aside. Seek information about your future, just like you have here. You will find help if you keep asking. Sometimes ablations just don’t work out like one would want. However, pacemakers are the beginning and not the end. My life is better now than ever.

Keep your chin up and Hang in there.
Your pacer friend,
Pacergirl

thanks for encouraging words

by phbshea - 2010-12-22 08:12:04

I don't know anyone who has had this done. I feel like my whole life will change for the worse that I won't be able to do things I enjoy that there will be complications.

I am scared and angry that this happened but so thankful that you two took the time to reach out to me and offer me some support so I am so thankful to you both

It is hard to understand that arythmia that happened like 3 times a year ;and led me to the ER to get something like adenison has turned into this. I should have just gone to the ER and not tried to take the risk so that I could avoid the ER

I am not worried about the physical pain at all what gets me is the potential loss of control over my body and not wanting to have to go to multiple dr visits and have to have
procedures done

don't be afraid!

by Tracey_E - 2010-12-22 08:12:04

The unknown is scary, but pm's are not anywhere near as scary as they sound! Most of us find that the surgery is easier than we expect, recovery is faster, and we feel great after. I'm on my 4th one now and never give it a thought. It doesn't limit me at all or keep me from doing anything I want to do. Like pacergirl, it keeps me feeling great and my life is full and active.

Six weeks is how long we have to avoid lifting and raising the left arm (assuming they put it on the left) above shoulder level. This gives the leads time to grow into place. Most go back to work in a week or two unless their jobs are strenuous. Can get you get it done quickly and use the holiday time to get back on your feet?

They probably didn't do the pm right away because they wanted to see if you'd get back to normal on your own, that's perfectly normal conservative approach.

Check out the videos here, they give a great explanation about how the pm works and how it's put in.
http://health.sjm.com/arrhythmia-answers.aspx

Good luck! If you have questions, please ask away. We've all been there.

Dr. visits

by pacergirl - 2010-12-22 09:12:17

I only see my cardiologist once a year now. That's it 1 time a year. My pacemaker has a lifespan of 10 years! yay! I hope my car will last that long LOL!

My life has only gotten better since I got my pacemakers (I am on my 2nd one). Like I was saying, it took some time to adjust in the beginning, learning what I could still do and then I discovered that I could do a lot more since the PM than before! I still can't sing but I couldn't sign before either! Just a little joke around our house.

Merry Christmas! The gift of a good life with a PM can never be over rated.

cheers,
Pacergirl

pacergirl

by Tracey_E - 2010-12-22 10:12:44

Dang, I didn't get one of the singing ones either! I really would love to be able to sing, maybe I can get that upgrade on my next battery, hee hee

management

by Tracey_E - 2010-12-22 10:12:54

I see my pm tech every three months, I see my doc once a year. No procedures other than replacing the battery when it goes. It has not taken over my life at all. What do you want to do that you think you won’t be able to? I learned to ski and rollerblade and I spend most of my summer vacation hiking at high altitude, I’m a regular at the gym... all post pm. Most people don’t even know I have it. I don’t keep it a secret but it has so little impact on my life that it just never comes up in conversation.

The odds of complications are less than 2%. It’s a low risk procedure. I know that’s what they told you with the ablation, so this probably doesn’t help but I’ll throw it out there anyway ;o) I’m no dr and I could be wrong, but I think the odds of complications from an ablations are considerably higher than 1 in 1000.

This may sound like an odd way of looking at it, but when you have a fast arrhythmia, they control it with meds and when that doesn’t work, ablations. When your heart goes too slow, the pm speeds it up again. No side effects, no changing dosages, just a sophisticated computer that’s programmed to do exactly what we need to have a normal heart beat again. My point is that while it’s frustrating to have been left with a new problem when trying to fix your first problem, the new problem is actually much easier to fix than the one you started with so it may be a blessing in disguise.

pookie

by phbshea - 2010-12-23 04:12:36

thanks for your kind encouraging words
can anyone tell me how long you had to stay in the hospital after the surgery?

I actually had PATS for 30 years and finally after a few ER visits this fall decided to do the ablation and I could kick myself now(but that would probably tire me out)
I don't like how I feel as I get so winded and tired over nothing. It is causing me stress and the things I do when I am stressed are walk the puppy and go to the gym and both of these things I can't do. I am frightened of not being able to do these things ever again... and frightened of the what if's. I was told that 1/1000 need a pm... I don't have good luck! if it were 999/1000 chance I could win the lottery, I wouldn;t . I took this gamble thinking that a 1/1000 were pretty good odds...right!
I want to feel better now, I hope they can schedule me for the procedure right after the stress test on tuesday which I am dreading as I have had one before and hated it and that is when I could jog a little... now I can hardly shuffle without getting winded.
I just don't know anyone who went through this before or has a pace maker and I fear that my time on this earth will be cut short because of this!! i am 56 and feel like I have so much more I want to do in my life and wonder if the pm will take off years.
I am scared of things that may go wrong. I am raising an 8 year old niece and I want to be here for her and to be able to do things with her , like swim and kayak and hike and horse around
I am not one to have a pity party but for some reason this is really getting to me
I do appreciate your writing to me as hearing from others is making things seem better and not so frightening
phbshea

fears

by Tracey_E - 2010-12-23 09:12:14

everything you are feeling now is perfectly NORMAL! It's normal to be nervous and fear the worst, doubly so given your experience with the ablation.

If your hr is low and not going up, I am totally not surprised that every little thing leaves you winded, hearts are supposed to beat faster and if they don't we're short oxygen, i.e. tired and winded. A pm will watch for when your heart needs to go faster and make sure it does. It's a very simple fix.

I was born with my heart problem and got my first pm when I was 27. I had two children after that, they're 12 and 14 now. My husband is a workaholic so I do a good imitation of a single mom. Both kids are in band so I'm active with that. We marched in a parade last week and my job was to run back to the water vehicle when one of the kids needed something so they stay in formation. One of my kids cheers, I'm team mom and we traveled to two competitions in the last month. I lugged bags and fixed hair and spotted stunts during practice for 35 girls. We took my girls horseback riding and hiking in Yellowstone and hiking and rafting in the Tetons two summers ago, that's high altitude, and we went to Bryce (high altitude) and Zions (streams in slot canyons) last summer, again to hike. I took 10 girl scouts on a camping and canoe trip three weeks ago. My family is planning a ski vacation for spring break in March. Are you seeing the trend here?? :o)

Go take a look in the gallery. Skip over the scar pictures and look for the active ones! Many of us post pictures of our vacations and activities. You'll see hiking, cruises, triathalons, anything you can think of! It is scary when you're told you need a pm, but once we get it and have time to heal, most of us get right back to living life full speed ahead and forget we have it.

The usual stay in the hospital is just overnight.

Fear is tough to control...

by Edouard - 2010-12-23 11:12:44

...so I won't say "Don't be afraid".
Everyone has a different situation, but for many of us, the PM is a minor inconvenience.
I got my PM last May. Surgery was a snap - I was awake through the whole procedure and released within 24 hours. I was up and about the house the next day - chomping at the bit. Within 2 or 3 days, I was driving my wife crazy (she'll say that I do that continuously!) because I wanted to do all sorts of odd jobs.
I stopped favouring my left arm after about one week.
Because I am a competitive swimmer, I had to wait 6 weeks before getting back in the water. Otherwise, my life was totally back to normal. Since then, I've competed (rather well, I think) in several swim meets.
The moral of the story: If you're as lucky as I was, the biggest impact that the PM will have on your life is that it will give you an interesting story to tell when you're out with friends!
Good luck, regards, and Merry Christmas
Edouard

Don't be afraid

by Pookie - 2010-12-23 12:12:40

Hi.

My name is Pookie and I've had my pacer since November of 2004. I was 42 at the time. Everything Tracey and Pacergirl said is bang on...they wouldn't steer you wrong.

Yes, it will take some getting used to, but it's just the first part of your journey of feeling a whole heck of a lot better. Just be a patient patient...lol. Don't expect to be your "old" self right away. It takes time. We all heal differently.

I was watching CNN the other night and they had this doctor on talking about different medical conditions - as in diseases (which a pacemaker is NOT) ...and those who had a very optomistic attitude were the ones that healed the quickest. Mind over matter, right? It's like going to a party thinking you're going to have a crappy time, and you do, right? So try and grab your happiest and best attitude and think of this as something that will improve your life.

And please - after you receive your pacemaker, if you have ANY questions, don't hesitate to ask, that is what we are here for - to help you understand things (as some doctors aren't the greatest at explaining things) and we are here to support you in any way that we can.

How many of your friends can say: I now have some internal bling bling? LOL.

You will be fine. Just give yourself time to heal and realize that a pacemaker is in there to assist your heart, nothing more.

take care,
Pookie

new pacemaker now nervous

by phbshea - 2011-01-06 07:01:55

i had my pace maker placed on Monday and came home on Tuesday. I immediately came down with a horrible cold.
My heart feels heavy, I still get winded and not sure if this in normal.
I also had a few episodes of teeth chattering and a little heart flutter..this was weird.

I am disappointed that I can't take a walk without getting super tired again but I am not sure if this is normal and asking questions of my surgeon is not easy to get in touch with.

also another thing is I have what I am assuming is heart burn.. is this something that happens too.

The pain is managable during the day but wakes me up at night still
anyone out there who can answer these questions

You know you're wired when...

You run like the bionic man.

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Since I got my pacemaker, I don't pass out anymore! That's a blessing in itself.