I just joined the club in December...

Hello everyone.

Great forum, and very relevant to me now. I was out in DC in December (I had been prescribed beta blockers for some time, and also statins though I stupidly stopped taking the statins about a year ago) where I was staying with some friends. We had just finished dinner and were sitting down to watch a movie. The next thing I knew someone was shining a flashlight in my eyes and asked me if I knew where I was. Apparently I had gone into v-fib, and was dead for over a minute until the paramedic pulled me back. I woke up again with a brand new Boston Scientific Teligen 100 inside my chest, and a load of pills I will have to take for the rest of my life. I guess I am a lucky guy.

This happened about 6 weeks ago, and I am free enough from the cpr pain to start to educate myself about this. It is a lot to absorb.

Cheers,

Stumpy.

4 Comments

welcome!

by Tracey_E - 2009-01-19 09:01:10

You sure got lucky! Welcome to the club. Please don't be shy if you have questions.

Thanks!

by Stumpy - 2009-01-19 10:01:45

for the welcome, and yeah, I realize that. If my event had happened 10 minutes sooner, I would have been on my own in the house and stayed dead.

I am sure I will have questions, and thanks.

Thanks Lesley...

by Stumpy - 2009-01-20 01:01:32

It certainly is a huge shock, and to be frank when it comes to adjusting to this change in my life it is taking some coming to terms with. I have good days and not so good days, which is I suppose normal (whatever that may mean). I have put in a request to my cardio guy to refer me to a therapist to work through some of this stuff (also a first for me).

How do you all come to terms with this? I know I am not ready to die yet, I am 49 with lots still left to do. I have stopped using tobacco since this happened, eat properly, take the meds as directed, one cup of coffee a day (torture as I live in Portland and like many here I am a complete coffee-head), and I am forcing myself to exercise every day. From what I have read it looks like the danger of falling into depression over this is huge (I am borderline melancholic anyway before any of this happened), and when someone becomes depressed they become sedentary and then the heart can't start to heal.

Many thanks,

Stumpy.

Hi Stumpy

by Katielou - 2009-01-20 12:01:52

Welcome to the club.

I too have VF brought on by my condition Long QT.

That first cardiac arrest is a huge shock to come to terms with. I was on my own when it happened but my heart kicked back in and I survived. It then happened again, and again I survived. Like you, I was fitted with an ICD (four years ago now) and have been shocked twice since.
I'm so glad to have this lump of metal in me as for sure I wouldn't be here now without it.

I hope you get on with it ok as it is a life changing thing to come to terms with. I can tell you that although I think of my metal friend every day I lead a completely normal life. The only downside is that the meds do tend to make me lethargic but that's a small price to pay.

We are always here to help if you have any questions. Let us know how you get on.

Take care

Lesley

You know you're wired when...

You have a new body part.

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