Most Recent Messages

Post Message!

and 4 days later.......

Whew! Had my Medtronic pacemaker placed 1-18-10. Today was the first time I ventured out to test the waters....went to Walmart with my husband, walked around about 15-20 minutes. I am glad I made the trip, but have to admit I am tired. Have had a slight dizzy "sensation" for a second. I am assuming that I am having a "normal" recovery. I do have Type 2 diabetes and I think that I may be healing a littler slower because of it. My incision site is tender, but pain is controlled with Tylenol. My d...

Read More...

I forgot

Hi everyone!
I think I forgot to mention in my original post that I'm a nurse. I wasn't going to say anything because I'm currently not practising due to medical issues, but I have a medical backround (sp?). Sorry about that. I think some of you might have been starting to wonder about my posts to other members and the medical undertones I sent. Sorry I didn't say anything sooner! If this changes anything let me know. I am here to help and be supportive and I am going through a lot right no...

Read More...

One Week Report

I've posted a photo of the incision at one week after my replacement. Yesterday I took off the outer bandage as they instructed and found some tape strips across the incision to hold it closed. Rather than exert a lot of pull trying to get them off I used a medium hot compress for about 20 minutes to loosen them up. After cleaning out some dried blood the photo shows what it looks like. There is absolutely no inflammation and it isn't particularly sensitive to clothing or the car seat belt. If i...

Read More...

and we have a winner!

LOVED the ep I met with today!!! The online reviews said it was a female (ambiguous first name) but it was most definitely a "he", lol. His partner is a cardiac surgeon, he routinely brings in a plastic surgeon to assist, and he has a long term relationship with my awesome St Judes rep who was there for my entire appt. His office staff is tiny and nice as can be, he was open to thinking outside the box, he was thoughtful rather than making declarations about how things have to be, and he explai...

Read More...

Anybody in SW New Mexico

I've just been told I need a PM (see my post in coping forum) and would like someone to touch base with because I've not made a decision yet on what to do.

Thanks for any good ideas any one has.

Read More...

Not there yet

I've just been given the diagnosis of 3d degree heart block with bradycardia. This came out of the blue; I'm 75, had never been sick in my life, and had no symptoms. The doc gave me only one option - get a PM! Since this is a rural area, I would have to go a few hundred miles to get it and I guess what I really need to know is - how is it? Right now, I'm ok but the doc couldn't or wouldn't tell me what happens if I just pass on this, only how much I need it? Wonder if he gets a commission? L...

Read More...

Disneyland

I know this may be a silly question, but does anyone know if it's OK to ride the rides at Disneyland or amusement parks with a pacemaker? I mean like roller coasters, and you know how some of the rides jostle you around quite a bit. I just never thought to ask my doctor, so I was wondering if anyone on here knew. Thanks for reading!
Sue

Read More...

Pacemaker symptoms???

i am having a lot of strange symptoms and was wondering if anyone else experience these things . i am having a weird skin sensitivity and also srtrange head sensations . i am wondering if anyone else gets these ?? please help me figure this out ?? thank you d briggs

Read More...

Pain in left shoulder & dizzy

Hi Everyone,

It's been 1 year since I had my pacemaker put in. In the past day or two I have been noticing some lightheadedness and pain in my left shoulder and arm. Has anyone else had this? I'm wondering if maybe something happened to one of the leads or something. Thanks for reading:)
Sue

Read More...

"dangerous rhythms"

I have had a dual chamber pacemaker/ defibrillator for 4 years with office and phone checks about every three months. I got my device primarily because of heart failure and for that it has been very good. My EF went from 30% to 50%. Yesterday when I saw my EP they detected some "dangerous rhythms" which my pacemaker is not detecting soon enough and so they are going to put me in the hospital to do something to the pacemaker to fix this. (Clearly I don't know much about this) It is an outpatient...

Read More...

www.allsportsarmour.com

i found this great website which sells protection t-shirts 4 people with pacemakers.. and the people who run the company are very nice people i emailed one of the people who run the company the other day about the t-shirts he got back to me straight away he asked me to send a picture of were the pacemaker was and the measuremeants of my chest and he said he would make a t-shirt with the protection cover fitted in the t-shirt for me .. and the t-shirt and shippin cost are cheap ..im expecting the...

Read More...

Why is it............

Ok I was just reading Tracy's post and it makes me want to boil inside and cry at the same time. Why is it that so many of us run into pompus people? I realize that some of us are fortunate to have good doctors, but I bet if there was a poll we all can relate to Tracy's experience at one time or another. Do these guy's not realize that their "attitude" towards patients is why so many patients become " gaurded and defensive" when being cared for. I know in my own experience that one minute I w...

Read More...

New Pacemaker

A litle bit of history: I am 59 yrs old and had been experiencing lightheaded and faintness since Dec/2009. I was Christmas shopping and started to feel faint. All I remember is waking up on the floor with a huge amount of shoppers staring at me. Transported to hospital with vital signs of BP 90/50 HR 34. I was admitted to a small hospital (not by my choice!) and the tests began. Thought I had a silent heart attack, but had no symptoms. Blood enzyme level remained normal. After an Echo Cardiogra...

Read More...

EP and Cardiologist`

To Jessame,
I have a similar problem. My EP who installed the pacemaker is in one city 48 miles away and my Cardiologist is in another City 43 miles in a different direction. They are both trying to control me to prevent me seeing the other!. The cardiologist wants to take over my pacemaker checks as well as seeing me for Angina. My G.P. lives in my community and is by far the most helpful of the three. So I too am in a quandry especially as I receive good care from all three.
Mu...

Read More...

Cardiologist vs. EP con't

Thanks to everyone that commented on my post. I really appreciate it. My cardiologist and my EP are both in the same clinic so that is why I see both. My primary care doc is the one that usually monitors my bp. But after getting out of the hospital my cardiologist decided to start managing my bp or possibly co-managing it with my primary because he asked if I was still seeing the same primary. While I was in the cardio's office he had a medtronic tech come in to make sure that my pm was working...

Read More...

Hoping Everything Is Back to Normal

Hi Folks

It seems ages since I posted and I thought I would bring you up to date. Brian had his operation on 20 November. He came through it all well and went on to Rehabilitation for a couple of weeks and then we went on to our house sit at the beach until 11 January. The medical folks taught me how to change his collar brace so I would cope when we got back to the country and as nursing assistance was nil over Christmas I learnt to cope with Brian's needs.

We left on...

Read More...

just a prayer

The Blessing of Unanswered Prayers

I asked for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all thin...

Read More...

The great fall

Hi guys and ladies,

I thought some of my friends would appreciate an update on my recovery from the fall.

I am slowly getting better. The gut winching pain is getting better and I have learned how to breathe through it. I DO NOT turn my torso in any direction. If I need to turn... I turn my entire body at one time. Sleeping is very painful.... there is no comfortable position. Thank goodness I have a large hubby whom I can hold onto to try to reposition myself in bed while...

Read More...

Pacemaker on Tuesday

I had a dual chamber pacemaker implanted Tuesday morning. I have a question about a medication I was sent home with. I'm still pretty sore. My husband filled my prescription and it was Sotalol HCL 80 mg. (generic for Betapace). I'm supposed to take 1/2 tablet in the morning and 1/2 at night. I took the first half and later got very nauseaus, felt like I was going to pass out, then threw up a couple of times. I looked this medication up and it says that you should be hospitalized and observ...

Read More...

Hello to all...your thought please..

Hi to all, wishing you all well. I have had my little tin box for two years now...and for me i am glad to report that it has generally been without incident. My pacemaker was put in for intermittant total heart block. The reason for my poorly put question is over the last four months i have been up and down physically, i have had time off work and have been feeling the pm taking over more often.Before pm I used to collapse about once every six months or soand have not done so since pm...untill l...

Read More...

You know you're wired when...

Your device acts like a police scanner.

Member Quotes

Life is finally better.