Too much time at home

I never had any heart problem, not even high blood prresure.  All of a sudden I have 2 heart attacks, I was brought back by "paddles"(not a good feeling).  So this meant my heart’s electrical system was not right,(get this) the Dr. said that some "virus" got into my system and went to my heart and weakened it.  Is somebody out there with this problem??  So I had an emergency operation done and a pacemaker/defib. put in me.  That was Nov.19, 2010.  I am still home recovering by Drs.orders. They still don’t know how I made it.  I was always a very active person.  Worked as a C.N.A. for 28 years and had never been in a hospital, except to deliver my 2 children.  I get very depressed thinking how my life has changed in an instant, but glad to be alive!  Hope to make friends with similar problems.

5 Comments

Me too

by pacerpaul - 2011-01-25 08:01:53

All I can say is I've been wondering if anyone out there had the same diagnosis! In 2009 I had a perfect echocardiogram and my heart was normal. In June I got sick with a viral infection and...yep terrible arrhythmia and my ejection fraction dropped to 23%. To make things worse my heart was working so hard that it was damaging itself and I was at risk for cardiac arrest. I was in shock and like you now have my little buddy helping my heart. At first I was scared and a little angry. Then I found out I was very lucky to have survived the virus so it puts it all in perspective. Good luck and keep in touch!

Paul

Same here...

by selvi - 2011-01-25 09:01:23

My heart experience happened in 2005 in New York, at my stepson's wedding of all places..........(i'm from Boston). healthy as an Ox....in good shape, 57 years old. my ejection fraction went down to 10% and they told my family on several occasions it would be my last night.........."Well" here I am 5 1/2 years later. it was pretty damn scary though to say the least. called it "Sudden Heart Syndrome"......also known as "Broken Heart Syndrome". started with a virus they say..........Happy to be Alive!! Good Luck!

Soooo Its Not Jus Me ....LOL

by Haida7 - 2011-01-25 11:01:57

I didn't Even Kno It Was My Heart, thought It Was My Lungs, Would Get Really Really Exhausted Walkin I'd Say Maybe 10 Feet, Then i was Awake most Nites Coughin, An Couldn't Sleep In Any position was Stuck On My Rite Side, So After A Few months Of This I finally Went To The Dr. he ordered A Chest X-Ray, Went Home Then Called Back To The Hospital In The Mornin For Another Chest X-Ray, Make Along Story Short On My Birthday Last Year Was Told I Had "Severe Congestive Heart Failure" My Ejection Fraction Was 15%, This year On Feb. 10 Surgeons Placed A ICD
The Drs Have No Clue As To How Or When This All Started With Me. I Am jus Glad To Be Still Here With My Children, Grandchildren An Siblings.
Am Lookin To Well I Guess talk With Other People Because i have Questions

Nope, not just you, me too!

by AmyS - 2011-01-26 11:01:06

Haida7,
You and I were in surgery exactly the same day for our implantation! It was a Friday, which I didn't like, because that meant I would have to see the on call doc. doing rounds the next day. I would rather have seen my doc who did the implant.

Anyway, I was diagnosed with 2nd degree heart block (Mobitz Type II, electrical blockage) and when I looked up what could have caused it, there were about 12 different possibilities. 2 of the possibilities were bacterial or viral infections sometime in your life. So, it's has nothing to do with how good of shape your in, age (I'm 44 and I've read of people much, much younger), cholesterol, previous cardiac history or anything. Somehow your heart muscle just can handle whatever the virus or bacteria had to dish out. I'm sorry if you're depressed, but it's not anything you did wrong, if that makes you feel better. It is hard to deal with at first, but I've found so much support here and feel so much better.

How do you feel now? Is your pain gone or are you still having some problems? I went through about 8 solid weeks of painful recovery and felt much worse when my doc was so unsympathetic. He just told I was having panic attacks (I wasn't, no anxiety at all) when I felt dizzy and weird. That just made everything worse. Now, finally, I feel so much better that the pain is gone. Now I feel like I can just forget about this thing and move on. So difficult to do when you're in pain everyday. Good luck to you and welcome!

Nobody At All In My Family.....

by Haida7 - 2011-01-29 10:01:28

The Depressed Part Of Me Is That The Dr Told Me That I Cannot Work "Ever" Again, Which Is So NOT Fair, Not Even Part-Time Is What Really Bothers Me.
I Feel Ummm Well Not Great, Cause I Still get So Exhausted Doin Even the smallest OF Tasks,
So I Feel Ok.
WHY?? WHY?? WHY ME?! Nobody At All In My Family Has Had A Heart Problem.They've Went Thru Diabetes An Cancer. I Used To Smoke An Drink But Gave Those Up Quite Awhile Ago, Dr Says That Could Have Been The Cause.
See I Start To Ramble On......I Am Or Was Ummm Confused About All the Numbers I Was Given or Been Told, It Was The Ejection Fraction Of 15% That Blew Me Away.
Sooo I Have A "BIG" Heart...In More Ways Than 1

You know you're wired when...

Titanium is your favorite metal.

Member Quotes

I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for pacemakers. I've had mine for 35+ years. I was fainting all of the time and had flat-lined also. I feel very blessed to live in this time of technology.