Most Recent Messages in Coping

Help! :( PM Newbie

I recently had a pacemaker inserted (Friday, today is Tuesday) after having a syncope monitor show why I was passing out 3-5 times a day. It all happened so fast I had the monitor inserted and a week later they told me I needed a pacemaker and 3 days after that they removed the syncope monitor and put the pacemaker in.

The Surgery didn't go well because they had trouble sedating me and numbing me so I felt a lot of pain. And was in tears through the last part of the surgery and hours...

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Has anyone had pulmonary vein ablation for afib?

If so was it successful?
Are you able to wean yourself off bet blockers?

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When does the stress end

Hi Guys

For a few weeks I have not been worrying and then bang out of the blue I go down hill. Stressing that I can feel the pacemaker kicking in, like a small flutter. Is this thing taking over my heart, will I be OK.

What the hell is wrong with me? Taking pulse, worrying and making life really hard with no energy, every day to day task takes forever. Help with advice.

Jules

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First Difib fire

My hubbys difib fired for the first time since he had it fitted 6 weeks ago and he has spent 3 days in hospital. As far as we are aware it was down to a stressful situtation in our local supermarket and the doctors said he must walk away from these situations in future. He started to blackout and then it fired. Thank god it did. We were told at the hospital it saved his life!!!

His heart was beating 300bmp.

He is now home and they have upped his meds.

T...

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Am I in Denial?

I hope I can spill my guts here without getting flamed! I received my icd/bi-vent PM 5 weeks ago, completely out of the blue. It hit me like a ton of bricks cuz I had never had much in the way of symptoms prior. However, knowing what I do now, I need to make major changes in my diet, commit to regular exercise and the biggie - quit smoking. I can't get my brain wrapped around the idea that life as I've known it must change. I feel great but know that changing my bad habits will not only make me...

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Getting Used To The Pacemaker

Thanks for the info in my past postings. I hear it from everyone saying that it takes time, and I just have to make that statement sink in! Thursday will only be 2 weeks. I did go for a walk today and felt okay with it. Didn't do my usual long walk - just still a little cautious about something happening I guess.

I still do get that 'catch your breath' heartbeat in my throat chest area. The feeling I was getting before the pacemaker. I can feel the pacemaker kick in sometimes at that...

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Bradycardia and Stress-induced hypotension

Have had PM since 1996. Just replaced for first time 8 days ago. Lucky, I guess. Also found out i have a second electrical "defect", which results in severe hypotension after stress events (sympathetic withdrawal).

From what i was told, after your ateries, etc.. expand during a severe stress event, they are supposed to contract to keep your BP up. Mine, however, stay enlarged for an extended period of time, causing a severe drop in BP (as low as 50/30 before they revived me. Wo...

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CHD Awareness

Hey, it's me again! This year, I am going to attempt to raise all sorts of hullabaloo about CHD awareness. We'll see how it turns out... I am shooting to raise at least $5,000 for various CHD organizations and to go around and speak at local schools. Maybe I'm going too far with plans, but you've got to, right? Anyway, wish me luck!

P.S. CHD Awareness Week is February 7-14!! I know it's a bit early, but you know...

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Handicap Permit

Well hello everyone its been awhile. How is everyone doing? Well Im having a problem at my College. I was told by campus safety that in order for them to continue to pick me up at my classes and drive me to my car that I would have to show proof of a disability, in the form of a Handicap Permit. I was wondering if anyone in here has gotten a Permit for them selfs and what the process would be to get one. I am not sure if my doctor will approve of it because I am not really disabled. I just have...

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Afib-and Pumonary vein abalation??

I have a pacemaker for sinus bradacardia

and parxosmyl afib

and I am on medication liquid bete blocker 40 mg a day at

night to stop or try to limit my attacks while asleep
Apparantly pulmonary vein abalation is 85 % effective at ridding you of afib more effective if you have paroxsmyl afib opposed to chronica fib.
Has anyone gone through this operation?
How long does it last I am told 3 - 5 hours seems a long time .
What are side effets?

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I'm 27 with a new ICD

Hi, I am 27 and just had my pacer/diffib put in a week ago. I have been having terrible anxiety and depression and I'm just not coping well at all. I really don't know if it is from the meds (Coreg/ Lisinaprilll) I'm on or just the pacer itself...I also just had a baby 9 weeks ago but it seems like this has all hit me at once. I never even knew I had a heart problem until 3 months before my baby was due. How long does it take to wrap your head around all this?? I just want to feel normal again...

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update

Hi Everyone!!! Im back. God bless all of you and all the new people out there. Just wanted to give an update on my condition. I am doing better...thank God. I havent had any fainting spells and i can sleep so much better now. I occasionally get the pvcs and sometimes feel the crazy flutter..but i am really learning to live with this pacemaker thing. It really has become part of me now.
On a different note...i am recently going through a lot of stress in my life and feel like my chest hurts...

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Can anyone else feel the pacing?

I had my pacemaker implanted in 1996 after flat-lining in the ER. I apparently not only have bradycardia, but also have an abnormal reacgtion to sevre stress/anxiety - my blood pressure and pulse drop even further. However, they set the floor at 40 bpm, and it apparently hardly ever had to pace me.

Up until a week or so ago, I pretty much ignored the pacemaker, as it never went off - or only in a deep sleep. It then went off ca. 255 times in one day (max the memory will register)...

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New to the Pace Maker world

Hi, Im a 48 year old woman and I received my St. Judes pacemaker July 3rd. On my first check up 2 weeks later I mentioned to the cardiac nurse that something did not feel right and it turned out that one of the leads had moved so I was rescheduled for surgery. I had surgery on July 31st and they ended up replacing the lead as it was not working correctly. Im having a really hard time learning to trust "Penny"(my husband named her!) Prior to getting Penny I had been back and forth to the dr's so...

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Lawn Mower

Anyone know if I can still operate a small gas-powered lawn mower, 4 HP ?


Ken

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out of whack

I had my icd implanted on June 19, 08 and still feel out of whack. Somdays I have that feeling like I took a pain killer or something and feel kind of depressed at times and other times I feel anxious. I have been given ativan which helps but I want so much to feel like I have some energy. the fact that I have this icd i have no problem with and very happy I have it. I just feel out of whack. Anybody know how long this lasts and how to deal with it.

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Disabled with a pacemaker

I had a pacemaker put in my chest two weeks ago. I am a disabled person for 66 years. I walk with crutches and have been walking with them for over 56 years. I was told not to use my crutches for two weeks after the operation. Are there any members in this group that are disabled and must use crutches? Are there any problems that I should look out for because I am disabled? Thanks for your time.

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Pain in PM area

Can anyone shed some light on what causes the pain in the pm area. I have experienced this for a while -- it comes and goes. When it comes, I feel like tearing it out! My docs don't seem to be listening.

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Jeremy

My son Jeremy has had a pacemaker since he was 3 yrs old. He is now 15. He is doing great. He is in the band and can play three or four instruments. He is a A/B student and most people do not know he has a pacemaker. He is very normal and we forget he has a pacemaker. At least other people do. I am mo and I try to act like I forget. I worry for when he graduates hopefully from college, about how he will do with insurrance and things. Here is a paper he wrote for school. I thought it might incour...

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How to feel

I had my ICD put in June 19th 08 and have had relatively no problems, I do feel some times a little disoriented and forgetful and I am sometimes frustrated of this condition because I used to workout and go dancing (I am only 52). I do drive sometimes but short errands only. the reason I am writing this is because when I see my doctors they ask me how I am feeling and I always tell them I don't what to feel other than the symptoms I described. anybody feel the same way?

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You know you're wired when...

You have a new body part.

Member Quotes

Your heart’s electrical system has a manmade helper. A helper that only knows to do what it is programmed to do and will perform that function day in and day out, without fail. Now, go enjoy your new grip on life.