Pacemaker

Thanks Robin1 for comment on parnoidandroid67

by PietBesem - 2018-04-28 08:14:10

Beautiful comment. I am facing this thing too. You helped. Thak you. What's helped me most over my stressful life has been Transcendental Meditation-and I'm seeing tons of new reseach on how that simple practice helps PTSD sufferers. Check it out both of you :)

Trust things that are trustworthy

by Gotrhythm - 2018-04-28 14:54:08

I couldn't possibly improve on the wisdom contained in Robin's answer.

I will only add this: When I first got my pacemaker, I wondered occasionally what would happen if it failed. I think everybody does at one time or another. So you're not alone.

Here's what I have learned from 6 going on 7 years living with a pacemaker. Today's pacemakers are miracles of reliability. They are unbelievably tough, for all practical purposes unbreakable, well shielded from electromagnetic interference, and programmed with all kinds of failsafes. But just in case, they are also monitored by exterior sources.

You are dealing with an anxiety disorder and seekling treatment for it. Good for you. Even while your feel anxious, you can still talk sense to yourself. Resist the tempation to think the pacemaker is the cause of your anxiety, or that having a pacemaker makes your anxiety worse. 

Listen to Robin. Take charge of battling the anxiety at its source. And as you have learned in TM, stay in the present. Be comforted that in this moment, the pacemaker is keeping your heart beating. Learn to trust that it will continue to.

Anxiety and 100% pacing

by LondonAndy - 2018-04-28 15:26:17

Nice words from Robin, and I can't add much.  But I am 100% paced too, following surgical complications when a mechanical aortic vale was inserted into my heart almost 4 years ago now.   I think I can honestly say that I have had no issues with the pacemaker at all. 

I do not doubt the effect that your anxiety is having on you and your health. My next door neighbour is in her 60s and has the same problem, and the effect it has had on her has been terrible: she has a-fib, very high blood pressure, and has had more than 6 ablations. If there is a technique to keep that under control it will be a huge benefit, but of course that is easy for me to say and difficult in reality.

100% Pacemaker Dependent

by steppingstones - 2018-04-28 19:58:02

My life has been 100% pacemaker dependent for 40 years.  I am what you call heart-beat dead.  Only once (the 2nd pacemaker in 1982) I received a call on Friday saying there is a defect with the pacemaker you have, we need you in the hospital on Monday morning for a replacement.  Now I am have the issue with synchronization and awaiting a CRT-P implant.  Because this relates over to heart failure I have been very upset over it.  But, I am only alive today because of the pacemakers of the past.  Robin is so right in her words and  thank you Robin as I also needed your words today.  God is so good all the time!!

Want to go to Mars w/ your PM?

by donr - 2018-04-29 03:05:46

So your little buddy can meet its cousin?  Why not?  He made it there safely & is still working, I think.  They are made of the same stuff & are just as tough as one another.  Stop worrying about the PM dying on you.  It is far more ruggred & reliable than your native heart.  That has already been proven by the fact that you needed a PM!  Your native one went belly up & little crosses appeared where it's eyes used to be.  Now you have a control system that can easily be replaced & will be exchanged about every 6-7 yrs. 

You did NOT tell us if you have an "Escape Rhythm" that survived the ablation.  The designer of our hearts was a pretty crafty old soul - he (she?) put all sorts of back-ups in the system. (Did you relize that?)  There is a back up rhythm generator built into the ventricular node that takes over in the event that the sinus node croaks.  Runs slower, so it doesn't fight the sinus node for control.  Ask your EP next time you are in if you have a surviving escape rhyhm.  You might just be surprised.  If the answer is "Yes," you can stop worrying. 

Besides, if you are worried about part of your ststem failing, laddy, you are worried about the WRONG part.  Worry about the leads.  They fail far more frequently than the PM guts. I had my first lead fail at 4 yrs out from implant.   My PM survived a 35 mph smack from a Jeep Cherokee once.  the force of the impact darned near ripped my heart from its moorings, but the PM came through totally unscathed.

The lead apparently failed from brittle failure - at 60 BPM, the lead gets whipped around about 3.5 MILLION times per month. It's like bending it back & forth to make it break - but it doesn't.  They last through years w/o breaing, but break they do.  I've heard of no PM failures, though they may occur, they are extremely rare, Not so for the leads, however.

The following is something I wrote back in 29015.  Still there, so go see what your PM is as tough as!

DonR

2015-02-15 08:02:56

General Posting

678 views

2 comments

Edit

Several times, I've discussed how "Hard" the guts of our PM/ICD's are. I always mention that we have the same technology as the guidance computers of the latest rover sent to Mars. I've seen this animation before on YouTube, but forgot where it is. Well, it came floating into my IN BOX a few days ago, so since a photo is worth a thousand words, thought I'd pass the link on to you all so you can SEE what I mean, rather than trying to visualize my myriad of words.

If any of you think you can do worse to your PM/ICD than this, I'll send you to my #2 daughter for arm wrestling. You are beyond Arnold Schwartzenegger!

ENJOY!!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/XRCIzZHpFtY?rel=0

Donr

2 Comments

Saw it before

by Theknotguy - 2015-02-15 10:02:22

Saw it before. Lost it. Glad to see it again.
Thanks donr

Mars

by Peanut40 - 2015-02-25 01:02:49

First time I have seen that. Liked the comment it is alive. Hits home real hard. Thanks for the link Donr