Ignorance

Ignorance, I understand

by Ileen - 2017-08-28 11:08:23

Congratulations, on being frree again. I received a pacemaker in December. I am still getting scared about every weird jump, skip in chest.But, I have always been an anxious person. I got mine from having heart paused. Yes, a lot of people have a long adjustment period. Maybe you could talk to your Doc to see if therapy would help. I did, it helps some.Meditation does too, and if you believe, faith and Trust in a higher power helps.The people on this site have helped me a lot. Keep coming back. They will help you learn all about your new friend, pacer!! God Bless , Ileen" Stay calm and carry On" 

Thanks

by PacerOSL - 2017-08-28 11:16:54

I don't have a doctor yet. I'm not even sure where to go. A hospital obviously but when I left I was given no information. 

Thank you for replying.  I don't even know what kind of job I can do.  I used to be an analyst but that doesn't seem to be an option anymore.  I look forward to learning about this heart condition I have acquired.

Ignorance

by TAC - 2017-08-28 12:01:10

When a 47 y.o. physically active male person ends up with a pacemaker, it causes a big shock. Your concern and desire to understand what happened to you is justifiable. You were close to dying from an unexpected disturbance in the electrical system of your heart. The type of electrical problem you experienced, is known as a blockade of the wiring system that carries electrical impulses from the upper part of your heat to the bottom. When this happens, your heartbeats become very slow and they may even stop at some point causing sudden death. The pacemaker was a life saving solution, without it, you might not be alive today. What caused the electrical malfunction? Perhaps you were born with some defect there, or you might have had some injury to your heart from a minor heart attack. Sometimes these electrical problems are side effects from certain medicines, alcohol, or industrial chemicals. The chronic use of illegal drugs particulatly Cocaine, can also be blamed. The panic attacks and anxiety may have been stimulated by your apprehension about your ordeal, and might not be physically related to your heart problem. Having a pacemaker will requiere a permanent follow up by a cardiologist and an electrophysiologist.

going forward

by Tracey_E - 2017-08-28 12:41:01

The only jobs we can't do with a pacer would be arc welding, anything that would have us on a sound stage near giant speakers, some industrial settings around equipment that generates a large magnetic field. Pretty much anything else goes. 

First thing to do is find a good general practitioner who can refer you to an electrophysiologist, which is a cardologist that specializes in the electrical issues of the heart. They vary in follow up. I have a home monitor so only go in once a year, before the home monitor I went every 3 months. The home monitor does a quick check in nightly, a full download every three months. I get an email telling me all is well. You can ask how much battery is left when they interrogate so you know what to expect.

Also ask your gp about anxiety. Sometimes talking to someone helps, sometimes medication can get us on the right track. Or sometimes just learning about your condition and realizing you are not alone is enough to move forward. Knowledge is power. Anxiety attacks are real and you're facing a lot of changes and adjustments now. If you need help, don't be afraid to ask for it. 

St Judes has some great videos explaining heart block and how the pacer fixes it. It can sound scary but it's actually pretty simple- the atria beats, the signal doesn't make it to the ventricles sometimes ( or all the time with some of us) and the pacer sends a signal to the ventricles mimicking what the heart should have done on its own so the heart stays in sync.

http://health.sjm.com/arrhythmia-answers/videos-and-animations

Hi!

by mckate - 2017-08-28 12:44:14

Hi! I also have heart block, I'm 31 years old. It can effect anyone at any age. Typically, the younger you are the likelihood it was congenital (birth defect). Being your age and having the onset of symptoms, it is likely you had a virus prior that damaged your heart, or maybe heart attack.

It is very critical to get a workup from a Cardiologist. If you are able to continue with the physician that put the pacemaker in, that is best. You need to have your pacemaker interrogated every 3 months on average (the clinic will decide what schedule is best for you). Then every 6 months to 1 year you will need to check in with your Cardiologist.

Pacemakers have batteries, and although it is typical to last an average of 10 years before dying, they can malfunction. My first pacemaker was recalled due to a huge reduction in battery life. Originally it was predicted to last 12 years, but lasted 4.5 years. I hadn't been to my Cardiologist in a year due to loss of insurance, so when I went I found out I had 6 months of battery left. That was a shock. So don't let time lapse. Luckily, Medtronic replaced it for free.

You may be having panic attacks, but you need to ensure that your heart is otherwise healthy. Perhaps if it is, you need settings changed on your pacemaker. They have my max rate increased so I can do cardiac exercises. I lead a very active lifestyle with minimal restrictions. Please feel free to message me if you need more specific details or have more questions.

Follow up

by TAC - 2017-08-28 22:28:30

The doctor who implanted the Pacemaker has the responsibility (by Law) to refer you to another doctor for the follow up. Doctors are not supposed to leave patients haging up in the air.

Move forward

by Debbie-55 - 2017-09-20 00:48:24

Congratulations on your release. Now, move forward to beanle to live your life to the fullest . Learn everything you can about your condition. Start by finding a doctor in your area that will disclose your diagnosis of your specific type of heart condition. In this support group, everyone of us are unique by so many factors but are similar in other ways. So find out first what type of heart condition you have. Then go out there and google it and read and watch every article and video out there. Once you do that the pieces of the puzzle will connect. We learn from each other once you have the basics. Read, read, and read. I keep a diary of my condition so I can watch for trends and changes so that I can discuss with my cardiologist things that could signify a problem. My condition is new to me and I am constantly learning. Read all the questions proposed by fellow pacemaker receipants and you will see there is a lot of normalcy that we worry about needlessly. But, most importantly, we are not doctors so if you think you need a doctor, go and don't second guess yourself. You got a second chance at life in more ways than most!!!! Good luck and stay in contact with this group- everyone is amazing, including you!!!❤️

Thanks for the comments

by PacerOSL - 2017-11-17 23:56:09

This is PacerOSL mother and he said to say thank you to those of you who commented.  He is still having awful panic attacks but keeps on going.  Thank you again. He has a lot of chest pain when he is in a particularly bad panic attack.  He still has yet to see a cardiologist. Without any kind of insurance it is difficult to get an appointment.  His heart won’t let him do any labor work and Texas law prevents him from working in the field he is educated in so he’s pretty down.  He’s still my baby no matter what!