Most Recent Messages in General Posting

Post Message!

Nobody Says Thank you

Anybody besides me ever notice how few people that post questions here bother to say thank you when somebody tries to help them with a reply. Especially the new ones. It ain't me they are not saying thank you to because I don't ever try to give any answers, but it just seems strange that so few people will take the time to say thank you. I looked at that other site and almost always them people will say thank you. But then they don't have near as many people asking questions as there is here...

Read More...

Atrial Pacing - UPDATE

As anyone who has read my past posts will know I’ve had a problem with atrial failure. The atrium will just not pump the blood and tries to work against the closed heart valves.

Many attempts to get adequate pacing established (including a thoracotomy) have failed.

UPDATE – I had surgery Thursday and the doctors were able to restore normal function to my heart by establishing pacing of the atrium.

The unique method used is the clincher and I hope anyone else out...

Read More...

MP3 Headphones


Interesting and helpful information:

mp3 Headphones and Pacemakers Don't Mix

Study Shows Magnets in Headphones Can Interfere With Heart Pacemakers or ICDs

By Charlene Laino

WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Elizabeth Klodas, MD,
FACC

Nov. 10, 2008 (New Orleans) -- If you have a pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), do not take your mp3 headphones out of your ear and drape them in front of your chest.

...

Read More...

Ablation---UPDATE

Hey Guys,

Well it looks like I don't need to worry about my hair!!!....My Dr. deceided to try a sinus node modification w/o pm. On 12/18 I had a 4hr procedure w/ 14 zaps and came home yesterday !!..Turns out I had a major nerve running right behind my node since I'm very petite, so they couldn't blast it anyway!! .They said it would be about 10 days to see how it's going to work out...so far, not to bad...but my resting is still in the 80's and 90's...Much better than 120's I guess!!!...

Read More...

Them Drugs

Some excerpts from an article on drug company studies and publication of results.

"Conclusions about drug safety and effectiveness in reports submitted to the FDA and sometimes changed in the medical literature to favor the drug"

"Of 164 clinical trials for 33 new drugs between 1/02 and 12/02 22% were published in partial form with poor outcomes removed or not published at all. The unpublished ones were predominantly those with unfavorable results"

So the drug co...

Read More...

HELP...I'm new to this

Hi All,
I'm Paul 58 years old and new here.
I need help and advice from those of you who have already been through this. To date, I have had 5 Ablations, the last two in July of 2008, and I still have severe incidents of atrial fibrillation several times an hour. It stops me in my cold tracks and is usually very uncomfortable and sometimes painful. It is becoming more and more difficult for me to perform my daily work. My cardiologist says that my heart is badly scared for a...

Read More...

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

You were all sooo supportive when I had my Huge, Ugly Op.

And sooo informative about my ticker troubles.

Thankyou and keep on laffin', cause it keeps ya sane!


Bionic Beat

Read More...

Hey there

Hey guys, I just wanted to say sorry to all the people I may have upset over the past few weeks. I am having a hard time. On top of the unsolved feelings in my chest, a girl at school just died, and I have a million and one things to do over Christmas break... literally. We had an assembly today and at the beginning there was a tribute to the student who passed away and I bawled my eyes out in front of everybody... and I didn't even know her! I don't know. Anyway, sorry and thanks for being here...

Read More...

second opinion

I recently went to a different EP doctor to seek a second opinion for some complications with my ICD and I talked to my original doctor's office today and the nurse mad a comment to me about the other doctor appointment and how the other doctor and my doctor were on the same page thinking that I need to wait it out until the year mark............bla bla bla............well it shocked me to know that the other doctor went behind my back and contacted my doctor and discussed me going to his office...

Read More...

Pacemaker move

Has anyone had their pacemaker moved after initial insertion? Mine does alright where it is, but I just don't know if I can hold out for 6-10 years, or until something goes wrong. If anything happens and they gotta go in there for any reason, I'm definitely going to tell them to move it.
My pacemaker is right on the edge of my armpit, and just underneath my shoulder joint. I can grab it by it's edge and probably flip it over if I really wanted to. (I don't though, and I leave it alone as mu...

Read More...

medicine is working for me.

hello friends, IAm in India with my parents. My kids are having a blast.Well!!! for me,I had been to the doctor and got mixed opinions on having the pacemaker. Anyway we did the ECHO(which is normal)and Holter again.I was taking theophiline at the time and my holter is normal. Well the doctor said that medicine is working for me. But can't relay on the medicine forever and might need pacemaker. For now to be sure he asked me to stop the medicine for few days and go for the holter again to confir...

Read More...

medicine is working for me.

hello friends, IAm in India with my parents. My kids are having a blast.Well!!! for me,I had been to the doctor and got mixed opinions on having the pacemaker. Anyway we did the ECHO(which is normal)and Holter again.I was taking theophiline at the time and my holter is normal. Well the doctor said that medicine is working for me. But can't relay on the medicine forever and might need pacemaker. For now to be sure he asked me to stop the medicine for few days and go for the holter again to confir...

Read More...

Re: Warrenty

The following is a link to a previous post which i really felt the need to respond to.

http://www.pacemakerclub.com/public/
jpage/1/p/story/a/storypage/sid/10729/content.do

I had my ICD removed a couple of months ago. I had always made it quite clear that I wanted the device back once it came out. It was mine; bought and paid for, so I thought. What I was later told, when I asked for it while in recovery, was that they couldn’t return it to me. They ha...

Read More...

Pleurisy

I've never had lung problems until my phrenic nerve palsy episode after an ablation in April. Now, I guess I'm plagued with chronic lung problems. It appears that I don't breathe deep enough now, and air just can't quite circulate as it used to. I'm so glad people can manage to live normal, active lives with one good lung.
Just got back from the doc who declared pleurisy and bronchitis. My upper chest is killing me. What's best for the pain. I'm about to break out the Ultracet. It just fee...

Read More...

TECHNICIANS

On a seasonal note, I went into my local hospital yesterday to give the "Pacing/Pacemaker Technicians" a tin of chocolates and a bottle of wine and a xmas card on which I wrote "To those brilliant pacing technicians". The lady technician who I saw, read the front of the card and said this means a lot more to us than the presents. I was very touched by this comment. We must not forget that the technicians are often forgotten at xmas unlike some doctors and nurses. So if you feel appreciative of...

Read More...

Thank you being here for me

Hi All,

I have been lurking around here since Sept 2 2008 reading as many posts as I can since my implant.
A little history about myself very athletic in my youth up until 25 years old rode triathlons and did a cross canada bike ride jumped out of planes and such always took pride in my low resting heart rate and perfect blood pressure.

Fast forward 13 years age 38
I was being certified for nitrox and mixed gases for scuba and began to pass out in 60 feet of wate...

Read More...

Anyone having PVC'S After PM

Hi Im 25 and I had a pacemaker put in last year after a total SV node ablation due to SVT. I was on the heart moniter at the hospital the other day and felt my heart kind of flutter like it has since I had the pacemaker put in and I have tried on many occasions to tell my doctor. He said it was the pacemaker doing its job but I was being paced and still had the PVC's and seen them on the moniter that day. I knew something wasnt right but he didnt believe me. Now I wonder if this is something th...

Read More...

DutchIndo

I recently had a ICD implant, Oct 16, 08. My cardiologist introduced himself at midnight, awaken by him while doing his rounds he insisted I have a ICD implant due to my enlarged heart. Ok after signing my waivers surgery was due and it was implanted. Hey I am naive and believed my doctor. Today is December 15, 08 and I have almost lost everything financially, including my job. I was a maintenance mechanic for the last 27 years. My doctor suggested I go and do something else, thats what my emplo...

Read More...

Who gets the warranty refund on a defective pacemaker


Medtronic sent a credit to the hospital for my pacemaker that was defective and still under warranty. The hospital refuses to send the refund to me, even though they did not credit my bill for the replacement surgery or the replacement pacemaker.

Read More...

apnea?

HI all,
I have another question , hope I don't make a pain ...out of myself.
-I ended up in the ER yesterday ( monday). I had been having dizzy and near fainting spells for 6 days and I just could not take it anymore. I also wake up in the morning as if in a panick , it feels like I had a bad dream or something, but I never remember anything.
Nothing showed up on any of the tests. They even had my pacemaker interrogated and I did not have any episodes of SVT at all since the last...

Read More...

You know you're wired when...

The meaning of personal computer is taken a step further.

Member Quotes

A properly implanted and adjusted pacemaker will not even be noticeable after you get over the surgery.