Help.. Batteries need to drain

Hello everyone,
We have just joined this forum.. My sister, mother, and I have been trying so hard to learn about pacemakers/defib. since a year ago when our dad/husband had to have one put in.. Since then we changed drs... and have recently found out that the one put in was to small.. now we have to have it replaced.. However, we can't have this done until the batteries are drained down... this is what we were told.. When the dr turned the batteries up to 86%(which was the highest it would go) dad was functioning much better... he was walking around outside be much more active than we have seen him in the past year... Now, we are back in hospital with CHF and lung infection once again... Our question is.... When can this pacemaker/defibulator be replaced.. we want our dad/husband back.. we feel this is all wasting time just waiting... Please someone help us...
Becky,Shelley,Lynda

13 Comments

battries

by thomast - 2008-05-17 02:05:03

I don't know where you are at but I had a 2 wire unit put in Nov. 04, decided I need a 3 wire bi-ven unit which was put in May 05 and medicare covered it OK. The doctor said he was allowed to make that decision. Like I said don't know if you are in US or not.

we are in east texas

by Boog - 2008-05-17 07:05:16

hello friend,

we are in east texas. we have had a 3 leads put in and found out that the pacemaker is not working right and the third lead is not working. our doctor told us that he is going to change out the pacemaker and put in a more powerful one nad put in i think he said a new third lead. My dad still works a tyson foods and is 73 years old. this man has always worked and now this came up with his health. We started out with a doctor that had be used from other family members and we thought he was what we needed, come to find out he was not what we needed. we could never get answers when we ask for them nor would he listen to us when we would tell him about things that was happen to dad. One of our last visit at the hospital daddy was put on a sleeping pill and was having a reaction to it. we told the doctor because daddy was unable to talk or even wake up enough to tell them he wanted to be taken off of it. it took 5 days for the doctor to take him off. this doctor would not listen to family nor dad. we stay in hostpital for 4 weeks because he was sooo weak. CHANGED DOCTORS hope this one is better.
if you or anyone else as had anything like this happen to your love one please let me know because we a grasping at in information at alll. Shelley

Pacemaker changed

by Jack R - 2008-05-17 11:05:07

Mar 31st of 2007, I had a complete heart blockage and had a pacemaker put in that day. I complained of shortness of breath and they sent me to pulmonologists who found nothing wrong with my lungs. When I went to my winter home in Florida, I contacted my internist. She had an echo done and bloodwork. She found my ejection fraction had dropped from 55 to 25.My kidneys were beginning to shut down. She hooked me up with an EP Cardiologist and immediately after she examined me, she set me up for a Cardiac cath to be followed 2 days later with the implnting of a St Jude AICD 3 lead bi ventricular PM. I feel 1000% better. The point of all this is my first pacemaker was only in for 11 months. Please take your dad to another DR. There is no reason for him to have to wait for the batteries to run down. BEST OF LUCK...........JackR

Be agressive

by ElectricFrank - 2008-05-18 01:05:10

It is unfortunate, but medicine has become a large corporate profit center. How you are treated depends upon your insurance more than you condition. I consider my Medicare card plus a good supplement to me my greatest risk factor when I am dealing with the medical folks. I am a cash cow and then will try to add meds, procedures, and keep me in the hospital extra days because I represent easy money. Other friends of mine have problems getting needed surgeries, etc done because their insurance doesn't pay well.
So I make it a point to be well informed, ask for documentation on everything. Shelly you mention that it took 5 days to get your dad off of sleeping pills that he possibly didn't need. They tried this with my wife when she was in rehab after a stroke. I simply walked down to the nurses station an announce that they were to stop the sleeping pills effective NOW, and that any attempt to give them to her by mouth or injection would be met with legal action. That did it.
This is in the US.
frank

Up date on Dad 5/17/08

by Boogdaughter - 2008-05-18 01:05:22

I went and visted with dad.. short of breath.. looks good... but weak...Dr. P came in checked daddy out... was about to leave but I stopped him to get answers on questions... He had told mom and dad a few weeks back that they were going to run the batteries down on the pacemaker and defib in order to take it out and change it to a stronger/larger pacemaker/defib.which would take two or three months.... but today at the hospital the dr told me that it would take 2 or three years to wear battery down on the defib.. this has been a crazy roller coaster ride... and daddy is tired...

To Frank

by Boog - 2008-05-18 02:05:20

Frank,

Thank you so much for your input. You are right in so many ways about our health care system. Sometimes it seems that our on health care system is more harmful than good, please don't get me wrong we have many good doctors and nurses and hospital, but we have more bad ones than godd. It HAS become more about money$$$$$$$$ then the care . Sometimes I wonder if some make people worst than trying to make them better. If so this is a sad day in AMERICA. I used to have trust in our health system but since we have gone through this with ou dad it makes me question everyone, everything and everbody. Who knows I no we are so tired of watching this wonderful FATHER, HUSBAND, GRANDFATHER, BOTHER have to live in fear if he will be able to breath when he leaves a HOSPITAL.. SO SAD!!!! I just wonder if the shoe was on the other foot if they would want there loves treated as they treat ours. I pray every nite that people in our health care who don't give a care about the people they are treating to please stop and look for someday there loves could be leaving scared to death if they will get the help!!!! that they need. Who knows i was brought up to respect your elder and to treat people they way you wanted to be treated. Well values of our home life has gone right out the door. Once again this is a SAD DAY!! Again Frank thank you so much! I am Boogs daughter Shelley and I love my father very much. I will never give up on trying to get want he needs because he would do it for all of his loves ones ! shelley

Shelley

by ElectricFrank - 2008-05-18 06:05:50

You have the right idea. To be fair to the docs and nurses, many of them are caring competent people, but have the corporate structure above them calling the shots. To make matters worse, the average patient doesn't take any interest in their own case and just want to feel better. I have found that being knowledgeable either gets me better care or scares the wits out of them. In either case it gives me a reality check on who I am dealing with.

frank

5/18/08 Update on Dad

by Boogdaughter - 2008-05-18 11:05:50

Today I took mom over to hospital to check on dad.. he was back on oxygen.. said his chest felt a little tight.. he looks good... but weak..

We question constantly, Shelley and I have even blocked daddy's doorway so the dr couldn't get out so we could get answers to questions... I feel our hands get tied.. We have researched CHF and pacemakers/defib...especially Shelley... We just want answers.... the truth..

Frank I am so thankful for your words.. they have helped us so much..

Becky

Battery

by Carol - 2008-05-18 12:05:58

If you don't already have one, look for a cardiac specialist known as an Electrophysiologist or EP for short. It doesn't seem right that you'd have to wait for the battery to wear out if this particular PM is not the right type for your dad...but I certainly don't know all there is to know about PM's either. Good luck and don't give up until you feel you've gotten taken care of and had all your questions answered in full. Remember our doctors work for us and we should expect to be treated fairly and with respect. An EP Doctor deals exclusively with matters concerning the electrical system of the heart and Pacemakers. Hope you find a good one soon!
Carol

Up Date on Dad 5/20/08

by shelley1967 - 2008-05-20 03:05:23

We have been unable to post in a while... Monday morning at 2am the hospital called us and said that Dad was in destressed with his breathing and that we needed to get over there... we arrived quickly to his room and found him stuggling to breath due to filling up with fluid... the nurses had talked to dr and was told to increase Lasix and put catherdar in him... He also told them to move him to ICU...less than 30 minutes later he was moved into the ICU unit...In less than 7 hours dad had filled the cathedar bag 5 to 6 times...

Around 8:30 dad's dr came in with the PM/Defib crew and they checked out his PM and had to reset it.. He also found the third lead was not placed properly and not working... (He wasn't the one that put it in.. that was old dr. fault) This new dr.. is having to fix problems the other caused... After checking dad he came out and sat down with Shelley, mom and I and talked to us... (OK this was something new to us.. a real dr that talks to you!) He told us that dad's heart was extremely enlarged and was only functioning 10- 15%.. This shocked us.. We have never been told how bad it was just that it was bad...The new dr put dad on Heart strenghing meds.. He also told us that dad could us a heart transplant but due to his age and health that it was not possible... He said that his lungs were not the problem... (Now ya'll, the old dr told us that his lungs were bad and he had COPD..) Misdiagnoses to the hilt.... We felt relief... and saddness.. but a peace fell over us... We now knew what we were dealing with... Our questions had been answered...The Dr. told us as soon as dad was stronger and all the fluid was off him (CHF was better) he would go in and replace the third lead .. he said this will help keep the fluid off when it is working properly.. We are blessed with this new dr... he has so much compassion and looking in his eyes you see the caring and dedicated person he is...He reassured us that he would be there for us and Dad... He said we were working towards quality of life... not the quanity... We decided at that point that we would take each day and fill it with joy, love, happiness, and family for dad..

Where we are at: Shelley and I spent the night at hopsital.. dad was, we believe, relieved to know we were there if something happened... We went in to see him at the 8am visit and he was sitting up on side of bed eating his breakfast.. looked so much better.. swelling from the fluid was gone.. his lower stomach was hurting from the constant coughing due to breathing treatments every 3 1/2 hours....

We would like to thank Pookie and Frank and many more for their support on here. We believe that we were lead to this website to help us deal with all going on...

Bless you all...
Becky & Shelly (Boog's daughters)

Where we stand now.. 5/22/08

by Boogdaughter - 2008-05-22 09:05:46

Dad's heart rate is so unstable... it is jumping from 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's about every 10 seconds...Our dr. moved him to "Step Down" today.. We are now working on getting him more stable in order to replace the 3rd lead.. Our Dr. talked to the pacemaker company and they said since the wrong PM/Defib was put in that there would not be any charges to replace... He said that we would not just jump up and put a new one in until Dad was stronger..Dad looks great now that we are out of ICU and he is with nurses that we have had in the past and completely trust and are so full of compassion.... Shelley and I came home today to spend the night in a real bed.. Mom is staying the next few nights... Her and Dad have been spending the days together and poor dad has had to look at me and Shelley..

Please keep the prayers coming to level out his heart rate and to keep him safe through the journey we have left to go thru.

Take care all..
Becky & Shelley

Udate 5/24/09

by Boog - 2008-05-25 04:05:55

We haven't been able to post due to being at hospital..Dad now being in IMC "Step-Down" and a little stronger our doctor says he can do the surgery to replace the pacemaker/defib early next week.. Shelley and I have spent the nights with dad and mom doing the day shift. I know some people think they are in hospital let the nurses take care of him that is what they are for... however, we had one bad incident on our last hospital stay that has caused us to stay around the clock... and dad wants it that way too.. he is not comfortable staying if he doesn't know the nurse on duty.. We are lucky this time that being in IMC we know the majority of the nurses from all our past stays... they are great with dad (and with us)... So now, we probably won't post again until after the surgery.. We ask for your prayers...and Pookie thank you for your kind words.. We send our prayers out to you also... and Yes we feel a special bond with you also... Thank you and this site for everything...

Becky, Shelley, and Ah-mom (our mom)

well here we go again

by shelley1967 - 2008-05-28 04:05:20

today dr comes in and said tha dad had a lung infection, well last thing we wanted to hear! Dad spirits are not good at all. Just got off the phone with mom and she is about to her wits end over all o this . So I told mom I was calling the family dr to get him to call the heart dr. Well the family dr called mom, and told her that he was going to call the heart dr and if they try sending him home tell them NO!!!!!! So guys i feel like we are back to square one, My heart goesout to daddy because I know he is so tired of this!!! Trying to keep up his spirits but its really getting hard! I just wonder if they HAD put in the right pacemarker to began with if alots would not have happen!!!!!!!!! Trying to get answers fixing to become a legal issue!!!!!!!! Well thanks yall so much for yalls support!!! Shelley

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