Most Recent Messages in Coping

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Feelin' like a Weenie...

Gee, I thought I'd be 100% better by now ( 1 month post-op ), but seems I still have days I feel like a "Weenie" (Sorry Oscar Mayer no hard feelings). Anyway, I still have some days that I feel pretty anxious about all of this, especially since I must start back to work on Wednesday and I am a busy nurse.
I have days like today, that I have skipped beats (seems more prevalent if my GI system is acting up, where I feel kind of bloated, this in turn makes me feel a little SOB and am more awa...

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Three weeks after pm implant and still getting racing heart and afib at night

Allan (41) edinburgh,

I dont know what to do as almost every night when i try to go to sleep i am gettine bouts of afib and a racing heart

Should i be on beta blockers?
Or should i press my doctors for abalation?
Does abalation cure afib?
What are the pros and cons?
If anyone can help with some answers i would really appreciate some advice.
As when i had my pm checked up last week the technician was so layed back and said you are in afib less than 1...

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scared!!!!

I just had a pacemaker and ICD and Defrib put in back in 2005. I had dual valve replacement in June 2006.

SInce then, I have been having difficulties coping with it for several reasons.. i am young and it made me think about life in general meaning I want to live my life to the fulliest. But for some reason, its not letting me sleep properly at night so I have been taking Ambien, Innovance medicines to help sleep at night.

So with the big move to another country and get...

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Just a quick update

Dear All

Just a quick note to everyone that has given me and my family so much support the past 5 months.My father Kenneth and all the family as still doing very well. My father has been suffering the past two weeks with somnolence this is the side effects from Radiotherapy, but today we have all gone out again as a family and have had a nice family time.

Fingers crossed and living and being happy one day at a time.

Love
Debbie

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question

Has anyone ever had to have their pacemaker repositioned because they have lost weight. I have lost 65 lbs and my pacemaker is more prominent. It rubs on everything and I can feel it if I sleep on my stomach. I've had the thing for 4 years without many problems, but this is starting to bother me.

Peggy

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Worst months ever!

I was working and a graduate student until Labor Day. I have never felt the same since. After two hospital stays nobody seems to be able to give me a straight diagnosis. Still, I experience the following symptoms:
▪Terrible nights sleeping. I can feel my heart rate accelerate with any change in position. At times, feels like my heart is beating irregular, or pauses for a moment
▪Tired / fatigued. Some days I sleep all day
▪Significant drop in activity leve...

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Had two week check up feeling much better

I went to see my rep two dats ago
Must admit I had been feeling angry about lack of information made available about my pacemaker so i think i may have come across as rude to the guy at first.
But he really opened my eyes to everything.And i must have been in there for at least 45 minutes.

I now know that i am in a-fib less than 1 % of the time
and that my pm is doing its job.I have my af suppression leads turned on.When I asked him about turning down the wattage he exp...

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Peace of Mind...

Hi everyone, it's me Carol, PM recipient of almost 1 month. I've posted before over anxieties, arrythmias, and just coping in general with this new addition to my life. Just wanted to let you know that I'm doing pretty well, still coping as best I can . I have good and "could be better days". I did develop a friction rub, had an Echo done, and everything came out ok per the doctor, luckily I don't have any chest pain or unusual SOB.

One thing my EP did to help calm some of my fea...

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Anyone to CHat

Anyone,,,,,

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Dual chamber st jude medical with af suppressor dr2550

Alan (41) from edinburgh

New to club Had pacemaker in less than two weeks.

Is there anyone out there with same pacemaker as me ?

is it usual to leave the atral suppressor section of this device swithced off for first month?

How does it feel when it is switched on ?

Does it help with af?

How chronic is af?

and Is the maze operation the only way to completely get rid of it?

I had my first technicians appointme...

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Alan(41)edinburgh had a-fib last night

I am ten days into having my pacemaker and everything has been going fine appart from yesterday when i checked my pulse with one of those stupid watches and it gave me two readings below thirty so of course i panicked thinking my leads had come un done so i called my surgeon who luckily advised me that my pacemaker clinic was actually that morning.

So i went along and they checked me out and everything was ok they said my a fib was at 1%.( Is that good or not?)

I have a tw...

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Pacemaker in For One week

Hi Everyone Allan (41) Edinburgh

Well One week has passed and I must admit each day i feel a little stronger.I am able to sleep partially on my right side but not for long.I am no longer sleeping in affternoons and my wound is very tidy but still a little tender but no more pain killers.
I must admit i am glad my pacemaker sight is still sore as it reminds me not to carry anything heavy with my left arm which is incredibly hard to do.

I have a twin chamber pacemaker wi...

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thanks marty

Thanks for telling me about the "phantom shocks". I had my defib checked. Sure enough, the three shocks I thought I had were just of the phantom variety. Its a load of my mind. Thanks bunches. =)

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New Pacemaker in for 36 hours

Hi everyone Allan (41) Edinburgh

Well i have my pacemaker now.

The actually procedure took less than an hour and was totally painless.I didnt feel cables go into my heart it only made my heart beat a little faster .

The cut site is very tidy that does ache quite a lot for first 48 hours but pain killers help.
I have been up and about every day but by about 1 pm i am totally knackered but i feel strong in mornings is this normal. i guess it will take a while...

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panic

Two years ago I passed out at work do to an arythmia. That night a defibrillator was implanted. About a year after that, I started getting panic attacks. They were finally starting to go away when I got my first shock a couple of weeks ago. Now, I've been having dreams about it shocking me again. At least, I hope its a dream. When I wake up suddenly I don't really know if it is a dream or if it really shocked me. I still don't. I had one last night. The panic attacked harder than ever....

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Lyme Disease?

In July this year I suddenly went into Stage 2 heart block with a 26 pulse rate. The Doctors were stumped and watched me for 2 nights. Since I dropped into total heart block and my heart actualy stopped, the Doctors in there wisdom sent me to surgery for a PM implant. This was quite shocking to me,,I almost died twice! I could not understand what the hell happened to me so suddenly.I thought I was a healthy active 58 yr old male who had 2 months prior passed a yearly exam,,Well I was accepting...

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" ONLY 2 DAYS TO GO! "


ALLAN (41) EDINBURGH

Well the storys i have read on here over the past two weeks are so mixed i dont know whether to be relived or terrified.

My diagnosis was pretty text book intermitent episodes of afib mostly when i am asleep or during any sort of physical exertion now adays (strange) i never even knew what afib was till two weeks ago must have been suffering with it for years obviously getting worse now as i am exhausted all the time now get out of breath walkin...

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Thankyou so much!!!

Thanks to all of you who took the time to answer my post and offer all your support! I just knew that talking to others who have gone through this experience and are doing well would help me cope! I look forward to the day when I can help someone get through the initial post-op period and beyond as a veteran. Not trying to be sappy, but just the fact that you guys took the time to reply brought tears to my eyes, so as you can see, still a little emotional here. I'm sure I'll have many more qu...

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general info

hi ive just had my pm fitted at the age of 24.2/10/07. i just wanted to know is it safe for me drink to drink alcohol so soon after the op.and how long before i can play sports again

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Does anyone use Byetta?

Good morning. I was just wondering if anyone with diabetes is using the new pen Byetta. I just got the pen 2 weeks ago and am very pleased with my blood sugars. Diabetes and heart disease usually go hand in hand. I have a difibrillator that was one year old in Aug.

I have been told that I might lose some weight with Byetta. Boy, I sure hope so. But the main thing is to get my HbA1c test down to normal. My last test it was 7.1%. My sugar has been running 78, 88, and 91 before...

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You know you're wired when...

You play MP3 files on your pacer.

Member Quotes

I am very happy with mine. I am in the best shape of my life. I lift weights, compete, bike, golf and swim.