Play dates.....

Hi there,
My daughter is 8 years old. She is starting to go for playdates and I was wondering if there was anything to tell parents to watch for with the PM. We are still new to the whole PM world.
My daughter doesn't have heart issues. She has a condition that doesn't send the message from her brain for her heart to beat. It is a very strange disorder. Her heart is in great shape.
Thanks,
Tess

6 Comments

play dates

by Tracey_E - 2009-07-21 08:07:14

I'd get her a kids medic alert bracelet for emergencies. Let the parents know she has it but don't make a big deal about it, you don't want her to feel bad and you don't want to freak out the parents. Eight should be old enough for her to understand her condition. I know by that age I could explain my condition to a gym teacher when they wanted me to do something I shouldn't be doing, and I knew the symptoms that something was wrong. Let her be as normal as possible and downplay it whenever you can. If you make it a big deal, she will follow your lead. If you treat her like all the other kids, she won't think of herself as different either. Because she's not much different. Her heart needs a bit of help but it sounds like her problem is fixed.

oh, I forgot!

by Harry'sMommy - 2009-07-23 10:07:25

P.S.
Harry has a 'strange disorder' too . . . he doesn't have any other "heart issues". He has nothing structurally wrong with his heart. There is just a problem with the top chamber of his heart electrically telling the bottom chamber of his heart to beat. So if his pacemaker would stop working, he still has a sinus rhythm of 40 - 70 bpm. He would just be terribly dizzy and tired, causing his heart to fatigue 'quickly'. So I totally understand :)
Harry's Mommy

sympathetic

by Harry'sMommy - 2009-07-23 10:07:38

Hi there!
My child is 6, and has had a pacemaker since 18 months. We've done "playdates" in the neighborhood for a while, but I always 'brief' the parents, especially so that they can prepare their kids. My son, being a boy, is prone to really active play, so I have to preface with "so, I want to let you know that Harry has a pacemaker . . . it doesn't affect most of his play, but please watch out for tackling, wrestling, falls and ball hits to the abdomen, etc. He's never had an incident that needs medical attention because he knows what he can and can't do. So really, treat him as you would anyone else. But if he would get dizzy or pass out, he has a medic alert bracelet. If something would happen, please call 911 first as you would for your own child, then me."
We really try to downplay everything for Harry's sake, but believe me, I still worry every minute. Hope this helps?
"You can't bubble-wrap them" (but I LOVE that commercial!!!)
Harry's Mommy
Jennifer

i worry too

by momof3 - 2009-07-24 07:07:48

my daughter has the same condition-full av block but otherwise structurally fine. her heart was naturally beating at 27-60bpm. she's had her pacemaker for only 4months (she's 2 1/2) and i'm still wondering who to tell, how to tell without freaking people out about having her in their care. let me know if you've figured something out that works!

play time

by JennMiller - 2009-07-26 04:07:09

Hey Tess,

I have an AV block my heart rate was in the high teens, and got my first pacemaker at 20. While I'm a little old for playdates I understand your concern. I would just agree with the other posts, no magnets and what not. You also want to be careful she doesn't hurt herself as far as where the pacemaker is located. If its located in her upper chest it may cause some arm pain if she plays to hard. Other than that I would make some copies of her PM card and insurance card and some basic medical info if any thing does ever go wrong. That way you could leave it with the mother or school or after school activity. I still do that with my work and if I go out I always have that info in my wallet where my friends know where to find it. I know this all must be scary, it took me a good year to come to grips that my heart didn't work with my brain. But I'm now on my 2nd pacemaker and cant even begin to tell you how amazing it is. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

-Jenn

To pace or not pace

by nathan - 2009-08-05 11:08:50

My son is 8 yrs old. Complete AV block but otherwise structurally fine. Doctors found this at about 18 months. HR is about 55 avg. No symptoms yet, just seems tired more then normal and more irritable. Sometimes he is just wiped out by the end of the day. Doctors seem to say to wait for symptoms like passing out or dizziness. Sometimes I wonder if a PM sooner than later would be better....

You know you're wired when...

You get your device tuned-up for hot dates.

Member Quotes

As for my pacemaker (almost 7 years old) I like to think of it in the terms of the old Timex commercial - takes a licking and keeps on ticking.