Most Recent Messages in Coping

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Ugh!!

My pacemaker surgery was on June 2, 2010. I can't stand this thing. I am having the hardest time coping with it. I am sure everybody senses some sort of anxiety over these. But I can't help but think I am struggling a little more than others. Am I alone in feeling like this? I am 32..there are so many reasons I hate this thing. The only person I have talked to my true feelings about is my cardiologist. I am very close to my family and even my boyfriend would be great to talk to, but they don't...

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icd unit

THNX 4 THE INFO. I GUESS I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT HOW SERIOUS ALL THIS COULD BE. AT 1ST, THE SAID IT MIGHT BE A UNIT MALFUNCTION, BUT WITHIN 24 HOURS THEY SAID NO, IT WAS THE REAL THING. I JUST THOUGHT I'D BE PASSED OUT B4 THIS THING EVER WENT OFF. ANYWAY, IF THEY HAVE TO TWEAK IT EVERY 3 MONTHS, THAT'S OKAY. BUT, YEAH, 4 SUCH A LITTLE UNIT, IT HAS A KICK LIKE A LIVE SPARK PLUG WIRE. I THINK IF I'D EVER FELT ANY OTHER CHEST PAINS MAYBE I COULD'VE SEEN IT COMING. BUT EVEN WITH MY HEART ATTACK...

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How long does it take to get used to Palpatations

I am 41 and just had a PM put in due to a 3rd degree block, which started last week, but I had symptoms for awhile. My PM is set at 50, and I can really feel it when my Heart Rate drops and it kicks on. The resulting palpatations, turn to anxiety and lightheadedness and more palpatations, which my Dr. says I will get used to.

How long does it take to get "SOMEWHAT" used to this?

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icd unit

for those of u in the know, what is the usual adjustment time to these implants? just got the combo pacemaker/defib in april. april and may seemed to go just fine. then june 28th, got a surprise shock. since it was a single event and i had a doctors appt the next week, i stayed home. however, jul 5th got 6 shocks in a row and needless to say, went to the hospital. over 21 episodes of vtacs seemed to be the culprit. with new medication and reasurrances, i have come back home. much more ap...

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Recovery time?

My husband (age 59) had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted one year ago after a prolonged illness in which his heart was weakened due to a severe infection. Prior to his illness he was always a very active person, healthy & in pretty good shape, although his weight tended to be a bit on the low side & he was/is a smoker (15-20/day.) Nobody would've believed he was in his 50's! (In fact, I'm 16 years younger & I had trouble keeping up with him!)
Now he just looks/acts like a frail old ma...

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Anyone allergic to pacemaker?

  • by nm
  • 2010-07-09 05:07:14
  • Coping
  • 2662 views
  • 2 comments

Has anyone ever been allergic to the metal incasing the pacemaker? What are your symptoms. Thanks.

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New Pacemaker

I have had my dual chamber pacemaker for about 3 weeks now. I am clearly still getting used to the idea of being reliant on the pacemaker. I am 38 years old, a husband and father of 3 little ones. I have two issues: bradycardia as well as my left ventricle is dropping beats. So now the EP has me pacing at 60 bpm. I actually feel much better physically, but mentally it's still tough for me to grasp it mentally.

Any coping suggestions from any younger people?

Best,

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Feeling better..Thanks.But last night..

I want to thank everyone for all the input on my weepyness. It made me feel good to know there is such support out there.
But, now last night i had some complications. I was wondering if anyone has had this reaction.
The day before I got my pacemaker, I had a reaction to something. My hands turned bright red and started itching so bad I wanted to use a knife on them. Then within minutes I was having trouble breathing. I was raced to the hospital and while working on me for breathing...

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Feeling a bit weepy tonight.....

I have had a few bouts of weepness since my PM just 19 days ago. Is this normal?
Just watched the movie 'Seven Pounds" and it set me off again.
Have others experienced a change in emotions? I didn't think this affected me so much but these tears just come when I least expect it. Am I morning the person I was before for my new life and I just have to adjust to it and I am not there yet?

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Do you wear a Medic bracelet?

I just went online and ordered the prettiest Medic bracelet for myself. The website is Creative Medic ID http://creativemedicalid.com/inc/sdetail/19762/post/
I was able to design a nice one with all kinds of beautiful beads and even 14k charm. They engrave it for free too.
I put on mine, Pacemaker, then my doctors name and the name of my Heart Hospital because I didn't know what else to put.
Do you have one and what is on yours?

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Life is Almost back to normal

Hi I had a pacemaker fitted in October 2007 I was 41 years old and had sick sinus syndrome diagnosed and paraxsymal atrial fibrillation and had had my thyroid gland removed by radio actve iodine and now i take thyroxine and baby aspirin in morning and a small beta blocker (atenelol) last thing at night.

The first six months after the operation(which was very quick totally painless by the way) i must be honest I would wake up scared and found the whole idea quite terrifying have a fo...

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I want my life back

I feel like crap, and am tired of it. I'm tired of feeling this way. How ironic how we thought a pacemaker would be the answer to my problems. Now I'm dependent on the dang thing and I'm sitting up at 3am feeling just as bad as I did 8 years ago. In and out of tachycardia, but yet 100% atrial paced. Now does that even makes sense? My rate response is set pretty high because without it I can't do anything. I'm sitting here, not even moving and my rate is high, but my last interrogations have cons...

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Pacemaker 3 days old

Hi everyone,
I've survived 3 days so far. I went to the hospital for female surgery and 6 days later left with a pacemaker. Still feeling somewhat in awe how it all happened and very thankful to God for a second chance. Wondering how long it took you to adjust?

Also, I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea right before my hospitalization. Before my pacemaker my heart rate was 33 -45. Now it's at 70 and I'm fully oxygenated; I'm sleeping better. Do you know of anyone whp didn't need...

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Insurance & Billing

Not sure if this is the right spot to post this but was wondering from those of you who have had a pacemaker implanted, do you remember how much you had to pay after your insurance paid its coverages? Just curious to find out how much it will cost me out of pocket once my insurance company has paid the bill that they will cover.

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Female Pacer

New pacemaker as of May 1, 2010. How that I am finally feeling good,the hot flashes have surface in full bloom, 24-7, hourly.Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestion?

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pvc's

Hi ! I have had my PM since 2004 and all this time I have been telling doctors that i feel the pacemaker going off. They either told me i was too sensitive or it was all in my head !
Well it was not the pacemaker i was feeling.
nobody ever told me about PVC's !!!!!!!!!!!!! and i guess i was too naive to know this by osmosis.

Before i had my PM I never felt PVC's.

Finally a PM tech told me about PVC's. hnmmmmmm

They only happen once in a while, but when...

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Please Help!

Hi. Please help! Today I am finding it really hard to stay positive about my arrhythmia/EPstudy/ablation coming up in a few weeks. As I had an EP study in January, & they couldn't induce my arrhythmia, I'm worried the same thing will happen again. I can't go on being so incapacitated by my symptoms. I am finding it so hard to do anything with the breathlessness & chest pain I get on exertion,plus palpitations & dizziness.

Also, I'm off sick from work again as my symptoms have returned...

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Two Questions

I have two things . . .

First, what are your lifting restrictions? My doc told me I could go back to doing my daycare business 2 weeks post-op. I have 3 babies, all of which need to be lifted, weighing between 13 and 24 pounds. On another site I read a 10 pound weight restriction on the left side for 3 months. If anyone out there lifts children, you know it's practically impossible to lift with only your right side.

Second, have any of you had sudden swelling in the ar...

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ICD battery very low...1st time

Ok...with cold hands, I found out yesterday after feeling not so great for 2-3 weeks, the ICD battery is at the end...soooooo, I'll be getting a call in the next couple of day's to schedule the replacement...This is my first replacement following nearly 4 yrs of use. I'm nervous, don't know what to expect? Do they keep you over nite? Can anyone that's had it replaced tell me what to expect? It really upset me to learn that news yesterday...the Dr. asked why I was teary...I said...I'm somewhat......

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Newbie, implanted 3 weeks ago.

Glad to find this where I hope there are some just as young as me on here (33). I've grown tired of doctor visits, hanging in the pacer area with a bunch of 70+ year-olds and everyone telling me I'm much too young to have to go through this. Tell me about it. I've had a difficult adjustment so far with everyday bringing me something different. My transplant was unique in that I am one of less than 1% of the population that has a heart like mine. I have PLSVC (Persistent Left Superior Vena C...

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You know you're wired when...

Your device acts like a police scanner.

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