Whirlwind

I turned 33 on June 7th. 

I stayed at home because I was extremely fatigued as I had been for what felt like months. 

The fatigue and lightheadedness got worse and worse and I went to Urgent Care June 16th because I missed half a day Thursday, all of Friday, and didn't feel I was going to have the energy to return to work on Monday either. I was directed to go to the ER for a head CT.

My ER visit turned into admission, which turned into over 25 vials of blood, MRI's (with and without contrast), an MRA, stress test, a chemical stress test, and being constrain to a hospital bed with a heart rate hanging out at 48 then at 46 then an 42.

It was at 42 when  I was told that my heart was good but was only working at below 45%. I was going to need a pacemaker.

The night before the surgery my heart rate hung out around 38 and I was terrified. I'm not quite sure if I'm done being scared yet.

I went to the ER for a CT and left a week later with a pacemaker. The symptoms my bradycardia had given me are lifting but getting used to by heart beating so fast, even at rest, is so intense!

So I joined the pacemaker club (IRL) on June 20th, 2018.

Device: Medtronic Azure XT DR MRI

 

Please reach out to me with questions, comments,  or to talk because I think everyone close to me is already tired of me trying to wrap my head around all of this!

 

5 Comments

Welcome to the club you didn't want to join

by Theknotguy - 2018-06-24 15:24:14

Yeah, it was pretty intense for you.  No argument by me.  But it looks like they've gotten things under control - which is the good part.  

Your body is reacting to the increase of blood and oxygen.  You'll be hyper for a while.  Quite a strange feeling after so many months without isn't it?  The feeling of hyperactivity and euphoria will eventually go away.  I went from feeling cold all the time to feeling hot all the time.  Eventually things settle down to "normal".  

They set the voltage higher on the pacemaker right after it's implanted.  They should reduce the voltage at/about 3 months.  So that may reduce some current stress you have.  

Two things.  1) Concentrate on just one day at a time.  Otherwise it's overwhelming.  Hard to do, I know, but you don't have to worry about your heart not working now.  2) Start looking forward to what you CAN do.  The pacemaker has fixed some problems and now you have a great new life ahead of you.  

Hope everything else goes well for you.  

pacemaker

by jessie - 2018-06-24 23:23:32

welcome to the pacemaker club. i have had one for 12 years this august.i never think of it not beating now for a long time now but it took me some time and a lot of good people here who helped me. it has given me 12 years i would'nt have had. our grandaughter was just ten then and he brother six. so i have been here for a lot of life events. enjoy every day and good luck to you. it can only get better. jessie

New Pacemaker....feeling stressed

by Rosalie - 2018-06-25 16:29:01

Dear Whirlwind, i, like you, had very similar feelings after my implant. Although i am older, i had never experienced any heart problems till 2016-2017 when EKG revealed abnormalities indicating possible arterial occlusion ( ST elevation.)  I was sent to Boston for an emergency cath which revealed perfect arteries, but something thought to be IHSS ( a cardiomyopathy.)

The following year my mitral valve needed either a repair or replacement. As it turned out i needed a replacement of the mitral valve, a myectomy ( removal of ventricular muscle to reduce the sub aortic stenosis, a repair to the septum ( from birth and about 25% of the population is boen with this but never needs repair.) My surgeon said   this would have been an area  for clot so he repaired it. One other repair (4 for 1 price.) Afterwards the sinus node ( electrical system was not working due to the myectomy.) Waiting three months to see if rhythms would normalize, and they did not so i had a pacemaker implanted. I was not feeling well for 8-12 weeks- the same jittery feeling even when lying down for sleep. My heart rate at reat was 82 bpm. As one of the other responders commented, " your heart, my heart has to adapt to thos new mode of functioning." I would say it took me close to 9 weeks to adjust. I still have hours when i feel strange, foggy head, tightness of chest, lightheadedness." When i exercise my heart rhythms return to normal sinus rhythm, then I feel like my old self. If i am too sedentary, especially after sleep is when i notice the tightness in chest ( my ventricle is being paced then.) no explanation for any of my symptoms yet. Ia sm still waiting to see what is ahead.

i just wanted you to know " you are not alone with this horrible new sensation in your body." When i explainwd how i was feeling to my EP Doctor , he said, " there must be something else wrong with you. Everybody feels better after a pacemaker." Not sure if he ever asked his patients " How do you feel?" Very disappointing!

Good luxk. The PC Club helped me very much.

Rosalie

Awesome replies!

by Kmwebro - 2018-06-26 23:59:35

I'm kind of beat and I have a killer lightning storm nestled in above my house but wanted to check in before bed & am happy I did.

 

Your comments were all so thoughtful and made me feel genuinely better. I hope to respond more after some rest but felt compelled to go ahead and say thank you!

Young

by Jessek - 2018-07-03 23:26:44

I thought I was young at 35 getting mine. Wow 33 I feel ya, I was dealing with anxiety up until last week when I got mine. I've been feeling great just still getting used to limited movement in left arm for next 6 weeks. Good luck

Jesse

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