Sorry!!

I posted a message a couple of days ago and i only got one comment.......so im going to try this again! haha I was told that i could keep tryin meds that havent worked for almost three years or get a pm. Im really stuck between a rock and a hard place! I just wanted to see if you guys could let me in on some of the pros and some of the cons to a pacemaker!

Thanks to everyone for all the help this far!

Hope your all ready for Christmas!!

7 Comments

hello rd

by pat - 2007-12-18 08:12:44

pros: i'm alive and feeling much better

cons: i cant think of any

lol

reallly rd, i am just joking with you, but for me it saved my life and i am thankful for it. it really is up to you and your dr. to decide what is best for you to do healthwise and i wish you well. if i can answer any questions you might have i will be glad to

pat

Not to be harsh...

by ela-girl - 2007-12-18 08:12:57

Hi, rdelvis07.

I don't think you are going to find people on this site who are going to tell you NOT to get a pm. For the most part, we are all better off because of our pm's and are around to see more days because of them. It is ultimately your and your doctor's decision since you two know your medical history etc. I don't think anyone here really needs to tell you the pro's of a pm. I'm sure you can guess a lot of the pro's from reading a lot of our messages. As far as the con's...sure you might see a lot of complications pop up on this site. This site exists for a number of reasons and one of those reasons is to get more information on problems you are having with your pm because someone here might have gone through the same thing and can help. But that doesn't mean the majority of us have pm complications. At any rate...sure you might be uncomfortable for a couple of weeks or months until you adjust to your pm or until your settings are set right. You might have trouble wearing a bra or seatbelt, washing and drying your hair, sleeping comfortable, or your arm/shoulder might get stiff for not being able to have a normal range of motion for 6-8 weeks. Yes, you are going to have to wait to get back into activity for 6-8 weeks if you golf or swim or lift weights or or or... Maybe you will want to wear a different kind of bathing suit if you don't want your scar to show. I don't think a lot of us would consider these con's, though, when we have gotten so much more in return for having to be inconvenienced for a few weeks. Keep in mind, too, that just because you have a pm implanted does not mean it will cure all the symptoms you were having before the pm.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that life is a gamble. You never know what you are going to get. You just have to have faith that it is all going to work out for your good. It seems you've tried a lot of other options up to this point without having any success. So, what have you really got to lose? We can't make up your mind for you. YOU have to do that. Rest assured that if you do choose to get a pm, you will have a pacer family waiting here for you to help you along as best we can.

ela-girl

ela-girl comment

by aldeer - 2007-12-18 10:12:36

ela-girl gave great advice and is so right. I tried meds for about ten years, and all it did was eventually put me in afib almost all the time. I so wish I had done the pm much sooner before so much damage was done to my heart. (severely enlarged)... my advice is if you do decide to go ahead, be sure to find a great doctor in that field. Whatever your decision, we are all wishing you lots of luck. aldeer

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

by ted - 2007-12-18 10:12:46

Hi:

You have gotten some helpful advice from the previous comments. In my opinion, we must be very cautious about seeking or accepting medical advise on the Internet. Especially since no two people are exactly alike and our medical conditions vary so much from person to person. I think that it is an issue of finding doctors that we can trust and then listening to what they have t say, whether we like what is told to us, or not. When I was told that I needed a pacemaker, the doctor asked me is I had any questions. I replied: "If you were me, or I was your child or loved one, what would you do"? He said he would get the pacemaker. It's not about being between a rock and a hard place. That situation is a lose-lose one. It's really a choice between life and slow, or quick death. Most of us would probably not be here to express our views if we had waited years to debate the issue of whether to get a pacer or not. One can waste an entire lifetime accumulating information and still be too frightened to make a ever make a decision. So it's really about being scared to turn either left or right, so we stand still. I say that if you don't trust your doctors, the get new ones. If you do trust your doctors then listen to them. Good luck Ted

Sorry...

by Suzzy - 2007-12-19 01:12:16

Interesting question but; not once that is hard to answer....

PRO....I am still living

CON....I could be 6 feet under

Getting a pm helps all who need it. It may not be the answer for you, and that is something you should be talking over with your Doctor, and not trying to get strangers to decide for you.

If you are wondering . . .

by dward - 2007-12-19 03:12:32

While I totally agree with all of the responses you have received - I just focus on the difference a pacemaker has made in my day-to-day living...

I can feel it under my skin. It doesn't hurt.

It's actually an interesting conversation piece because most people don't know much about them.

As far as interference from things, I don't find it a bother. I DO avoid the airport security metal detectors and get hand searched instead, but that's no big deal.

Other than that, my life is exactly the same - except both my wife and I sleep better at night knowing it's there.

But yes, from a medical point of view - ASK YOUR DOCTOR(S) what the differences are between medicating and a PM. Then decide.

Meds vs. PM

by Vai - 2007-12-19 12:12:34

Well you have received a lot of excellent comments in response to your posts. Just to add my perspective.
You said that your meds have not worked for 3 years so why do you think you have a real option to continue with them. I agree with you that the alternative of a PM is a hard decision. Some of us went through that decision process as well. The anxiety or "fear" is really not knowing what a PM is & what it does and having surgery to put a piece of metal in the body. Given a choice, we would not naturally choose this option. Learning more about the PM and the procedure will help you go through this decision in a more informed way. You came to the right site for information.

I too was given a choice of meds vs. PM about 3 years ago. I chose meds which partially worked. Had some scary episodes along the way and finally some 18 months ago decided to go with the PM. I am still on some meds though. The PM decision was the best for me. Life as it should be resumed for me.

Best of luck in your decision.

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