Most Recent Messages

Can't afford insurance anymore!

Does everyone out there have health insurance? For the first time in my life I can not longer afford my health insurance due to ecomomic down turn.

I have applied for the State Insurance for low income people, but it appears that I will be denied. Right now my premuim, just for me is $2,000 a quarter because of my pacemaker and it seems that my ONLY choice is to allow my health insurance to expire as I do nto have any resources to obtain this money at this time.

I am marr...

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pullovers, flyes

Are these ok? I am now 5 weeks post-op. I had a pacer implanted while on vacation emergency style. The doc here is so nonchalant, at week three he said I could do anything I wanted, weights and all. Only thing he said was he would frown on my using a jack-hammer.(No danger of that!)

I'd love to go ahead and do like he says, but I have these visions of the leads ripping out of my heart as I do a nice stretch with my flyes! I remember at the hospital one of the docs telling me my weight...

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Irregular Beats 3 weeks after Implant

I'm a little concerned. It has been 3 weeks and a 3 days since they implanted with a Saint Jude 2 lead pacemaker for my second degree heart block. Everything seemed fine up till about an hour ago when I sensed an irregular beat. A couple fast then a gap couple fast. It pretty much straightened out after a little while.

Can anyone give me advice about what is going on. Could it be a lead problem?

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Is anyone familiar with the drug Gutron

I was recently hospitalized for a week due to dizziness caused by low blood pressure.My cardiologist has now put me on Gutron three times a day to see if this helps.Has any other pacer had this drug?
Ian

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Lead Failure

I have a pacemaker (biotronik with philos II DR leads). I was told I have a possible lead facture. They have tried 2 reprogramings and the 2nd doesn't seem like it is working. They want to add another set of wires. I'm a very active 42 year old mom of twins...I cannot have another wire malfunction. I've had cardiomyopathy, heart failure and suffered bradycardia (resting bpm 39) 6 years post diagnosis. Has anyone had something like this? What risks are involved if they add another set of w...

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Questions on New Med

Hi Everyone,

My mom has recently started taking Diltiszen generic for Cardizem for blood pressure and palpitations but although her doctor insists this is a very good medicine for blood pressure her blood pressure is still a bit hit...i wanted to know if anyone else is on this med for blood pressure and does it work for you? I'm taking her on thurs to get a second opinion.

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Wireless Pacemaker

Hi Everyone, I found this in the American Heart Association Newsletter that I receive monthly....enjoy!


First wireless pacemaker in US gives patient new freedom
Last Updated: 2009-08-10 11:16:07 -0400 (Reuters Health)

By Ben Gruber

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - After relying on a pacemaker for 20 years, Carol Kasyjanski has become the first American recipient of a wireless pacemaker that allows her doctor to monitor her health from afar - over the Interne...

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anyone taking MULTAQ

hi, I have afrial fib, atrial futter, RVR, I throw pvc, I am usually in atrial fib nearly all the time. I already had an ablation in May of this year. Until January I had no heart troubles, then I had hyopthyroidism, rapid atrial fib, after my ablation I got uclerated colitis. I am on synthroid, cardizem, MULTAQ, lowpressor, potassium, with little to no help, only cardizem IV or lowpressor IV pull me out of afib. I just started Multaq last Tuseday, I got a headache that won't quit, dizzy, a...

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Get pacer/defibrilator checkup, how ofter, where,

Any tried and true suggestions for interviewing for a cardiac doctor?

How much should it cost for a check up for pacer-defib and what questions to ask to find a good doctor to do this?

How often should this be done? Is a year too long a time?

Hubby has a St Jude pacer-defirbrillator since 2006, no shocks yet from it.

We had an overall checkup at the GP's last week, all ok on paper.

It has been a year since hubby's last pacer/defib m...

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Hey guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm back!!!! How is everyone?!?!?!?!?

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Triple By-Pass and Pacemaker

Hello,

I had a pace maker implant in Aug 07 at 45 yrs old, I have since lost 55 lbs, my cholesterol is 137 and my Doc recently said my last heart echo showed that my heart was not as badly damaged as he originally thought! So, I'm doing great right now. However, my boyfriend's Dad (78 yrs) is currently in the hospital, first started as bleeding from the bowel. Docs got that under control and he was scheduled to go home today. Docs said he could not go home today. He had a triple by-pa...

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Opinions please...

Does anyone out there plan to get the H1N1 flu vaccine?

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Starting to feel a little better

I got my ICD put in this past june, and I went to see my cardiolgist for my check up and yo have another echo/stress test. Well all is good. B4 they put this in my EF was 15 and now in about 2months it is now 35. I'm feeling alittle better, even started to walk on the treadmill and lift some weights. I'm excited to know where I will be in 6 more months. This has been a hard year for me, two open heart surgeries and I almost died twice. This was a GOD send. I just would like to know how long did...

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Meds Vs. Vitamins

How many of you use vitamins? What do you take and did any react with your meds?

So far I only found Vit.K to not go with Coumadin. The rest seem OK. I always used a dozen or so vitamin pills but stopped as my meds. increased. I'm now ingesting vitamins again. Your comments?

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Staph infections????

Ok here is what happened to me this week and I need some feedback about this so feel free to share your thoughts.

I am involved in a community social group. We do different things within our community, donate needed items, raise money and giggle a lot. It's usually a lot of fun. We meet at a different home each month. The woman who was hosting the meeting announced at the end of the meeting that she had contacted a staph infection and was under treatment for it with some pretty strong...

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Lucas and snowbroading

Hi Everyone,

My son is 5 years old and has had a pacemaker since he was 3 months old. He is a little jock - go figure. Currently his pacemaker is implanted in his stomac. This winter I was hoping to teach both my boys snowbroading.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

p.s. perhaps there is protective gear that he can wear.

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CRT-D

My husband just had surgery to replace his 2 lead ICD with the 3 lead variety in July. He has been feeling better, more energy and most of all NO shocks. One problem has appeared, doesn't it always, his breathing is not as good as it was with the previous ICD. He does have COPD, but has never had a problem being short of breath. Could the new 3 lead ICD be contributing to his breathing problem, he cannot walk around the block without having to stop to catch his breath, he gets light headed and...

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Can't reply

I've been trying to reply to a couple of posts but am unable. It keeps saying I'm entering an incorrect spam filter code....but I'm NOT ! I'll try again and see if this post works.

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We are the Lab!

I kinda feel like a lab as I test things out and from reading here. 2 things to report:

Milk before meds is working well for me. Whole milk best, then 2%, then Choc. Milk(watery)

After doing my 1/2 hr. grass cutting I checked my blood pressure in the evening. Was nice and low. I guess any exercise will do with higher blood pressure. As Pacergirl says "Get on with the living part!"

GAry

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Just shoot me now.......

and get it over with......LOL.

When I was implanted with this wonderful pacer of mine 8/08, I was set to pace at 60bpm. In April '09, I couldn't tolerate the rate of 60 anymore as it put me into an accelerated junctional escape rhythm with AV dissociation. The reps were called in and we turned my rate up to 70bpm.

Fast forward 4 months, and I am back at square one. Now I can't tolerate my low rate at 70 and my cardiologist is going to suggest to my EP to have my rate turned...

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You know you're wired when...

You have a dymo-powered bike.

Member Quotes

I am a competitive cyclist with a pacemaker!