All is well

20 years ago I was told that I had something called in AV block. About 5 weeks ago I was told that actually, this thing that I've had all this time isn't really understood, and the fact I had missing beats in the ventricle meant that it's not just my vagus nerve being overly active at rest. At the time, after having been told to "wait and see" and to come back if I started to faint on and off for decades, I was somewhat taken aback by the news that now was the time to do something about it, not in 10 more years.

I'm now 3.5 weeks post op and just had my first pacemaker check. The leads are fine, my thresholds are good, I have another estimated 12.5 years of battery left. My scar is healing, in the words of my EP, wonderfully. The only concern raised that was quickly put to rest was a question of what I did yesterday afternoon. The pacemaker had detected afib and triggered automatic mode switch but in fact that was from me going for a run for the first time in many weeks and pushing 182 BPM.

I've been hyper focused on my heart rate for months now while going through investigation, via fitness trackers and feeling my pulse compulsively, in the days leading up to my pacemaker op to the point of it becoming obsessive and paralysing. I feel like I can now finally let go of this. It's no longer my job to check every heart beat, I have a device to do this for me, and it's working exactly as it should.

4 Comments

Acceptance just ahead. Lol

by Lavender - 2023-07-31 17:14:52

You're sounding much more calm and confident! 
In the two years since I have had my pacemaker, I only had one recorded "event" at a pacemaker check. I asked the tech the date and time.  Had to laugh because I knew exactly what happened. I had run up three flights of stairs at a medical bldg to avoid the elevator due to claustrophobia!🤪

Acceptance

by AgentX86 - 2023-07-31 18:11:50

It sounds like you're doing great. I would warn you about getting fixated on your heart rate. It will drive you crazy, literally. Save yourself a lot of grief and go by how you feel. If you really feel bad check it MANUALLY.  Don't rely on a watch. Watches lie, in both directions. They don't understand arrhythmias at all.

Acceptance

by Good Dog - 2023-07-31 18:21:42

You crossed the threshold from fear to acceptance. That is really big progress and what we all strive for! 

 

Congrat's,

Dave

I love success stories

by Gemita - 2023-08-01 03:22:10

Is that really you John?  Wonderful to receive such an uplifting post.  You have come a long way since you started posting and I can sense a real change in the way you are thinking.  But we all have to go down the same route when we first start our pacemaker journey.  We all have lots of doubts and questions when we first start out and we cannot suppress these otherwise they will keep surfacing.

I go back to my pacing clinic today.  I fear I may not have a similar complete success story to report but I still feel very much in control of my arrhythmias and symptoms thanks largely to my pacemaker. 

Fancy you triggering Mode Switch from your exercise pushing your heart rate up to 182 bpm.  No wonder they thought you might have experienced an AF event.  I believe though that the pacemaker can tell when a high heart rate is due to Atrial Fibrillation and when it is due to exercise.

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I live an extremely normal life now and my device does NOT hinder me in any way.