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Hospital regulations require a wheel chair for patients being discharged. While working as a CNA, I found one elderly gentleman already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet, who insisted he didn't need my help to leave the hospital. After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator. On the way down I asked him if his wife was meeting him.

'Oh yes, in a few minutes but she's still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her...

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Arm & shoulder pain/ post ICD

Several times since my ICD implantation (1/20/10) I've seen posts here where someone is experiencing arm or shoulder pain. I was feeling pain there too, but I thought it was just part of the usual surgical discomfort. Some time has lapsed and both of my shoulders hurt, but the right (ICD side) is much worse. It definitely is not related to the incision and feels as if my shoulder is slightly dislocated, if that makes sense?? It hurts to lift my arm above the shoulder, to turn the steering wheel...

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house work and yard work

Hi
Can anyone enlighten me as to when and what I can do as far as housework (vacuuming) and yardwork (lawnmowing) etc. I can't seem to get a good answer from the Docs. I am 2 weeks now since implant and feel like I could do this stuff. Thanks
Howard

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depression

Hi all
Is it normal to experience some depression 2 weeks after PM implant? The last day or two I just can't seem to shake it. Also, has anyone any thoughts on drinking coffee in the morning giving you feelings of weakness and arm tingling? Just trying to figure out what is going on with me. For the most part I think I am doing okay. Thanks
Howard

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PVC's

Hi Everyone - I am sure this subject has been discussed many times. Anyways, I had dual ventricular pacemake implanted in August - 2009. It went fairly well and I am back to running full time for recreation. About January of this year, I notice like a tremble or shutter in my chest. Nothing really at first, it just happened occasionally. I didnt know what it was at first. About a month later, it continued and picked up with them happening more frequently. I went into my doctors office and...

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Neurologist and heart health

Has anyone here discovered a connection between our nervous systems and our heart issues? The more I research the more they seem very connected.

What got me thinking about this was my newest diagnosis of spouts of inappropriate tachycardia. It doesn't happen all the time. Just pretty much when I m upright!. For example, if I am on the couch...I'm fine. RHR is well within normal range. But if I get up and go to the bathroom for example-my RHT will hit the 100's or 140's at school walki...

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Water Water Everywhere

I've been dealing with the flooding here in Massachusetts for two weeks now. I've never had water in my basement until recently. I spent today bailing out. I had a couple of pumps running constantly. I've been at it for 15hrs today. My basement is a mess. I had a nice bar and wall to wall carpeting. All the carpet had to come up and I'm still pumping water and to think I'm one of the lucky ones. A lot of people have it worse. The good new is I probably ran up and down the cellar stairs...

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blood clots

I haven't posted in a while, but is there anyone with this problem, I had my pacemaker/difibl since 3/09, my left arm and upper left body is always in pain and swelling, I can't use that arm for anything, last july i was in hospital because they found a blood clot in my left arm I was put on cumodin for 9 weeks, Well my arm never improved, so I went and had a ultra sound done this moring, and I have a blood clot in same arm and cyst where my device is, they put me on 2 blood thinners, one is a p...

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low pulse with medicine

HI everyone :)
I have some questions for you...
I am taking the medicne Metoprolol once a day 50mg
and have been on it for about 3 weeks ..I have noticed my pulse going down into the 50's alot - then coming back up and staying at around 68 or so...my lower limit on PM is set to 50
I asked my Dr about this last week..becuz when my pulse goes down I feel like I use to before the PM was installed..so he suggested that we set the lower setting at 60 and try that...my upper limi...

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Permanently Logged In!

Hello Blake - I see I'm still logged in the Who's Online list whether or not I've actually logged in or not. I've taken particular care to log out when I leave the site, but it makes no difference. Would you take a hammer to it, Blake or perhaps a screwdriver, please. Kind wishes, Sheila

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tennis/track

pm installed 1/27/2010. after 8 weeks, dr orders i resumed playing tennis. no problems with stamina or range of motion. i havewith the run sprints in the senior olympics, age group 69-74. i run against runners who run in 10-20 meets a year. i have won gold in state meets in the 100 and 200 meters. now with the pm, my surgeon and cardio guy really dont have an opinion as whether i can resume sprinting. they have no problem with distance running but are concerned with the stress and impact from a...

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Back To Work?

A little background. I had a pacemaker put in last December 28th. On December 29, it was discovered that one of the leads had moved so the surgery was redone that day. Almost 2 1/2 months later, I was still experiencing quite a bit of pain so it was decided by my doctor and myself to have a pocket revision, so on March 10th, I had the surgery for that. The pacemaker was taken out and part of the leads repositioned and then restitched. The leads in the heart were not moved.

I ha...

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brady to tachy?

My pm was implanted due to bradycardia (Dec. 09), but several times in the past few days I have had a very rapid heartbeat, enough to make me uncomfortable. Is this a normal occurence? I see the EP in two weeks, just wondering if I need to check in any sooner.

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Oh Oh ???? (totally not heart related)

I didn't sleep at all (not a minute last night) because of severe pain in my throat. it almost feels like I might have an infection. my neck surgery was this past Thursday, so a week tomorrow.

lloyd just walked in from work, took one look at my neck and is demanding that I go to the walk in clinic...so he's gone up there right now to put my name in (then they give you a time to come back) as he says my neck is more swollen than it's ever been.

I don't feel "right" but wa...

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Lead Irritation

Hi fellow pacemaker friends,

Today I have been having what feels like constant strong heartbeats / palpitations. I have had these feelings to a lesser degree before, and mentioned them to my Cardiologist who said that they weren't much to worry about. I told him they mainly seem to happen when I lay or lean on my left side (pm is on my right side)...he then said that it could just be the leads getting slightly irritated by my position as my 3 month post implant check only showed 24 P...

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Ventricular Lead is fractured...

I have had a dual chamber pacemaker for 14 years now.I have had it replaced 3 times and now my ventricular lead is fractured..I am scared because this is my first lead replacement.Is there anyone out there who has had this done or can anyone give me advice on this procedure?Thank You so very Much in advance and I am so glad that I found this site.This is my first message:)

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Getting very discouraged

I have had VTach for years. Was on Amiodorone for years and it worked but the docs wanted to take me off because of long term effects. I am 56. In November of 2009 I had 6 ablations done. Did not help. My heart rate kept dropping into the 40's. So last week I had a PM implanted. I am on 180 mg of Verapamil twice a day and 120 mg of Sotalol twice a day. I feel like I have a chest cold. I feel like crap and thought I would feel better when the PM was put in. I was on Diovan for my BP but...

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Cough and fluid

I just had my first pacemaker implanted last week. I am taking Verapamil and Sotalol. I have developed a cough with lots of phlegm. I am wondering if anyone else experienced this or if I may have just picked up some type of chest cold while at the hospital. I am going to my primary care physician tomorrow to get checked but I am a little concerned.

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Reveal monitor

Hi Everyone
Its me again the pest, lol, I think we in England are catching up with the rest of the world at last. My son had his reveal monitor about 8 months ago and all of a sudden he is being given another monitor to attach to his telephone line so any problems he can send information from his monitor to casualty department at our local hospital.
I have read about this on numberous occasions on the u.s.a. sites but not known it here in england.
I hope that this is a good thin...

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Cheap fix

My daughter was going through my sewing stuff and asked what I was going to do with all my old shoulder pads. She suggested that I could use them to pad my incision area.

How did she get so smart?! Cheap fix... Thought I'd share

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You know you're wired when...

Your old device becomes a paper weight for your desk.

Member Quotes

Yesterday I moved to a new place in my mind and realized how bad I felt 'before' and the difference my pacemaker has made.