Pacemaker fitted -- My life is back :-)

I had a pacemaker fitted last Wednesday 13th June and it has transformed my life.

Im only 48 but had been complaining to my GP for several years of severe fatigue and generally feeling like I am 100 years old. (I always thought I was not being taken seriously, had been told it was probably depression etc etc), had also suffered from the occasional passing out if I had a cough.

Had ECG's, Blood tests, X-rays etc etc — nothing

Passed out at work during a meeting so back to the GP, saw a different GP who referred me to Cardiologist, and stopped me from driving :-(

Cant fault the UK NHS from that point onwards, saw Cardiologist in May who actually agreed that I wasn't well and he suggested a Loop Recorder implant and had that done last week of May. 

I received a letter 5 days later saying I had Bradycardia and also Pauses in heat rhythm and that a Pacemaker was the recommended treatment. I would get an appointment soon.

Had a phone call last Tuesday saying the overnight Loop Recorder results changed the urgency and I needed to be at the Hospital at 8.30 the next morning.

I didn't really have time to get my head around everything , The team at Salisbury were amazing, so calm and relaxed. Diagnosed with Sick Sinus Syndrome, and now have a St Jude PM2172 2 lead set up in DDDR (whatever that means lol).

What can I say afterwards - WOW

The debilitating fatigue has vanished in 3 days and I feel fine, Cardiologist wants me to wait until my first checkup before he will let me drive, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The other very obvious thing, I wear and Apple Watch, and in the Health app my heart rate graph is all over the place like a dogs dinner, and my Heart Rate was frequently in the low 40’s now its very calm and well organised and sits nicely at 60 when I’m resting as thats the basic rate programmed in.

I am so happy with the end result !

D

 

 

 

 


1 Comments

my heart stopped

by dwelch - 2018-06-20 09:46:48

I woke up with an empty feeling with my first pacer, which was good...I had/have complete heart block, the upper and lower were running at their own rythm indpendently.  The lower chambers having to work so hard I felt every heart beat before the pacemaker, for those first 19 years.   

The pacemaker smoothed it out so well that I could no longer feel every beat or hear them in my ear.  It was an empty and disturbing feeling.  Had to check my pulse the traditional way using my fingers on my wrist to make sure I was still alive, took a long time to get used to it.  In the grand scheme of things it was a relatively short recovery time, that first year with some tweaks as those older pacers are not as good as the current ones.  that new pacer feel doesnt last all that long and you settle in for life with the new feel and that becomes the norm, not something you think about or worry about.

There are a number of posts about heart monitor devices, watches, and bands and stuff folks use for activity/exercise.  Short answer, dont expect those to work for you anymore, but some might.  Also you just got your device so scar tissue has to form, the devices now autoadjust to some extent but you may still need some tuning which will happen in the few weeks visit and the 6 montht to a year visit.  Before being tuned you can get double hits for which the body I think can only respond to one, but the watch/monitor might see both.  Give your body time and the docs time to get you tuned up then perhaps the monitor will work better...or not...go read the other posts though, lots of folks with the same question and lots of discussion on the topic.  small price to pay though to be able to drive again and live a normal life

 

 

You know you're wired when...

Your heart beats like a teenager in love.

Member Quotes

I had a pacemaker since 2002 and ever since then my life has been a total blessing.