Most Recent Messages in General Posting

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Magnet placed over Pacemaker??

I will be having surgery soon on my rotator cuff. It is the right side thank goodness....but I am only almost three weeks post op from the PM.
I had my PM implanted very deep in my under my breast. I still can not move my arm above my head for two reasons. Even though the doc says swing it around....I have seen on here all to often to try and get to that 4 week mark before using your arm above your shoulder. Also...I still have to much pain..I am still swollen and bruised. It's getting bett...

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sleep apnea

I want to thank all of you that responded to my sleep apnea posting. Most of you asked the symptoms well, snoring, extreme fatigue, waking gasping for air, stop breathing during sleep to mention a few. I would stop breathing an average of 11x an hr for 45sec to 1 min. They can tell you this after the sleep study is completed. I truely believe that the heart disease and sleep apnea are connected. I don't really know which one comes first but at this point it doesn't matter. Thanks again for...

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PM has moved....After over a year

I have noticed in the past week that my PM has moved or turned. It was put in June 11,2007. I called my doctors nurse and she said that it isn't unusual for this to happen but to keep an eye on it, just don't touch it. She said she would stop in and see me when I come to have my next stress test.

What could have caused this to hapen now? I haven't done anything unusual. Ths morning before I got up I was lying on my side and felt a bit of uncomfortable pain coming from the PM pocket.

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Thanks!

Thanks to all you lovely people who have sent private messages and replied to my last postings - without your on-going support I really don't know who I would cope with being a new pacemaker girl!

Hope to be in chat later tonight gmt!

AND ANOTHER THING ..... the british weather continues to do what it does best.................... rain, rain and did I say... RAIN!!

Hope you are all well and chat soon!

Loopy Lou xx

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What are we debating?

This seems as good a forum as any to state one more twist to this very important subject. To cut to the chase, we are talking about human lives and the right to live in health. If we are healthy, we can be productive participants in society. What happens to those of us who struggle to put food on the table let alone find the hundreds of dollars for insurance premiums?

Are certain people more entitled to health care than others? Although I can hear a resounding "no!", [I hope], then ta...

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Thank You

I have been reading your postings for over a year now and I can not begin to tell you how many times you have come to my rescue. I have had a very long year and a half.

In early December 2006 I had severe back pain in the late evening, but, it went away. I thought it was from laughing to hard! Then the next morning I could not lift my left arm. I went to the Dr. the next day, took an EKG. From there I went for a stress test and was air lifted to a larger hospital. After being "sta...

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MaryAnne - HMO & Health Care

Hi MaryAnne,

In your reply to Verger on surgery and anesthesia you say "Now in Canada your surgery would be done high risk or not if it is determined you need the surgery. You see, we don't have HMO's that dictate whether you can have the surgery or not."

I wish to respond to that statement of as to me that may imply that in the USA the HMO helps the doctor make the decision on the level of care for a patient. We do not have HMO's that dictate the level of treatment for...

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Questions for the Cardiologist........

Hello everyone!

Hope you are all feeling good today! Well, another cold, windy day in Poole, Dorset UK!! Need to emigrate I think!!

Anyway to business......... I have an appointment on Thursday to see my Cardiologist and the Pacing Technician. Last time I saw the tech guy I forgot things to ask! Put me in a room with the doc and I always seem to go blank!!!

Anyway, I know I will go in with a list....(!) but need some hints as to what to ask.... This will be...

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Shoulder pain and live in Pittsburgh,PA

Hi I'm Stacey28
I had my ICD device put in last year on June 18th and I had no problems with the device or the settings. This year starting memorial day weekend I starting having shoulder pain and pain in where the device is and heat. I was wondering if there is anybody in the Pittsburgh Area that is on the site that may have had similar problems to mine. I need some help and I was wondering if there is anybody from Pittsburgh.

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Sleep Apnea

Has anyone with a PM ever been diagnoses with sleep apnea. I was diagnoses about 6yrs ago. When diagnoses the doctors said heart problems were associated with it. Since I didn't have any problems or symptoms of heart disease, I'm wondering if their connected now. The heart doc said studies are not completed to determine. A case of the chicken or the egg.

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Mammograms

Hi, does anyone know if you can have a mammogram done with a pm. I got my pm on July 3rd and I've been putting off having my mammogram for sometime now and was wondering once this pocket heals when I can get the mammogram done. Any thoughts? Thanks, Jean

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Smarthealth Contact Heart Rate Monitor

I purchased one of these on line from Assist Creative Resources, Wrexham. At any time, by just placing two fingers on the watch it gives an accurate heart rate, ideal if you worry about it, or you are exercising, and wish to know your BPM.
I had excellent service and follow up from this Company, they can be trusted to supply and service anything in this line.

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anesthesia

i'd like to ask all those out there, especially with stents and congestive heart failure, what is the big risk with anesthesia?

i've been rejected twice in the last month for needed procedures outside of the heart realm. one case , i didn't stop my blood thinners soon enough (plavix, aspirin), the other is i stopped them too soon. each doctor seems to have their own opinion on the matter.
i finally got in touch with the director of anesthesia at the hospital and he informed me...

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Lou

Sent you a PM :-)

Theresa (TKS)

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airport screening

My husband and I are going to Maui at the end of September, to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversay and to celebrate life. Since April I have had 4 stents put in and a month later my pacemaker. My question is about airport screening. A little leary about it and need assurance that they treat people with PM's with respect. We will be going through LAX Los Angeles Inter'l airport.

Any info would be greatly appreciated

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new patient

Hi I received my pacemaker about 6wks ago. My heart rate was at 20. This caused concern to the doctors. I had no symptoms and felt fine. I'm really having a hard time getting my head around this. I've experienced some problems and would like to talk to some of you about it. I've had to be adjusted 4 times already. I'm using the battery life very rapidly with really no explanation. What should I be expecting? I like to work with power tools and the doctors say I can't do that anymore....

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suturing down a PM

I have a question. I'm over 3 weeks post-op and the PM site still hurts all the time; feels like something hanging from the chest by a thread sewed into the skin.
I read that sometimes they suture the PM into place.
I'm just wondering if this may be the problem?

where do they suture the PM to? the skin, or internal, and won't it hurt or does the stitch dissolve after some time?

Ken

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Not pacemaker dependent

Thanks for your comments. The reason I was concerned is that I contacted a Medtronic rep and she stated that I should contact my EP as to whether or not I could have the ultrasound. Also the Physical Therapist wanted the okay prior to treatment. I have a PM due to third degree heart block with bradycardia. I was told so very little information at the time of my implant and I am learning little by little.

Sharon B.

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my baby back in hospital yet again

thank you all so much for your kind words it really helps me so so much. After coming home from his scar infection i knew he still wasn't quite right. He was grumpy crying and not feeding good. He had his appointment to see how his scar was. It was healing ok. they did a scan on his heart and found he had fluid around it. They wasn't happy and kept him in. My heart sank, not again this is not happining. The day after the fluid had increased around the heart. They have started intravenous an...

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Anyone want to mee up??

Just wondering............. if anyone is interested in getting together for a day of fun, conversation, etc etc compare scars!! etc! I am not sure how many people live in the UK - particularly the south....? Although that said - for ally you people who may be holidaying to the UK let me know! You never know we could meet up too!

I have received some lovely messages from people and despite being some distance away from each other was thinking about meeting up somewhere ....

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You know you're wired when...

Your pacemaker interferes with your electronic scale.

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I can bike a 40-50 tour with no trouble.