when doctors tell you you have a year ?

battery life

by Tracey_E - 2017-04-05 10:42:17

I assume you mean battery life? Battery life estimates are just that, guesses. I'm on my 5th. On my last one they said 9-12 months in July, went back in Oct they said 3-6 months, went in Nov and it was time to change it out. Another one, every time I went back for over a year, they said a year. The closer you get to the end, the more accurate the estimate. When I get to 3 months, they change my checks to monthly instead of quarterly. 

Once it gets to the end, you have approx 3 months to get it taken care of before it changes mode and limits function. We are safe at that point but if you pace a lot, it doesn't feel good. I've always had it done before it gets to that point. 

Time left

by Sownman - 2017-04-06 19:53:09

The estimates are pretty good and are on the conservative side. I had two ICD. One 2004 to 2011, another from 2011 to last Feb 8th when it was removed. My profile picture is that 2nd unit. When the first unit got low in battery it started to warn me with a buzzer. It's been too long for me to remember for sure but it was like for 5 minutes every 4 hours it beeped at me. It was loud enough I heard it but people around me didn't. You get a month of the beeping before it's dead. Don't wait for the beeping because replacement is no big deal.

nope

by dwelch - 2017-04-13 03:31:12

The estimates are not very good.  I like what my doc said, something along the lines of when it says three weeks then it is three weeks.  But I think the last one even after one year it said four left and has been saying that.  

I am 30 years on on pacers and on number four going on number five (not because it is running out of juice).  None of them have lasted as long as they were supposed to, I have a dual chamber, going on for a three chamber one (after 25+ years of pacing with a dual chamber you can have this talk with the doc too, the heart very slowly doesnt like being paced from the wrong place, your enjection fraction drops, they move or put in a three chamber pacer, comes back up in six months they tell me, will see).

When it reports as getting within that last couple of years, esp if you are say 5-7 years in, they will/should start bringing you in more often or doing more phone checks or whatever.  

You may or may not know it at first, but when the pacer knows the voltage is low enough it goes into a safety mode, locks your pace at 65BPM, which makes exercise or climbing stairs, etc maybe painful and certainly heavy breathing.  you still have a few months after that to get the surgery.  Am told these days insurance doesnt want to replace early, how much are they really saving a few months over the course of my life, its not even one pacer of cost, but am told that some docs have to wait for you go to into this mode before insurance will cover replacement.  Dont worry just veg for the week or few until they get you in.

Mine are all pacemakers not ICDs (pacer plus defibrillator like Sownman has) so mine have not made noise.  

No matter what phase you are in, brand new, cruising through the middle, or near the end of the pacers battery.  Know what your upper and lower limit settings are, take your pulse for a full minute.  If it moves around esp with activity and between your numbers, its working.  If it is locked at 65 and wont budge, call the doctors office.  Just keep on truckin until that happens or until one of the visits the doctor says what my first one did "hmmm, so what are you doing next week"...