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can you tell?

is it possible to tell if your pm is working or if your leads have pulled out? I am not dependant so I was wondering if there is any way to monitor yourself

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Tiredness

I have had my PM since 5-24-07, and after the anxiety and learning to cope with the PM I have recently started being tired quite and bit and feel that I may need an interrogation and some tweeking. Could having the above symptoms start after this length of time? I actually have not felt really good the past two years although the PM checks out okay during the doctors visit and phone checks. I do have an appointment to try and resolve this problem with the EP.

Sharon B

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Scuba/Hockey

2 1/2 weeks since implant and I have already began working out again. I coach and play hockey, but I am taking a couple of more weeks off before returning to playing. I am a little concerned of returning back to scuba diving especially for the anxiety of other divers that something may go wrong with me. Does anyone have any experience in either diving or hockey that I might benefit from knowing.
Thanks Dave

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Great pm check up

Had a 3 month check on my Jan implant. Wow. Best ever. One brief SVT in three months and nothing else! This new Medtronic is working fantastic so far. I was having all kinds of malfunctions with my old Guidant. What a relief! I am atrial pacing 29% of the time and feel the best I have felt in several years. No more tachy runs or PVCs. Yahoo!

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no workmans comp

well I just found out today I am not covered under workmans comp. I unfortunately I have no reason why my heart stop it just did and I got a pm. So workmans comp said not our problem

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Had my

8th month checkup, my cardioligist is very happy with my progress considering the damage I have to my heart. Told me that I had been given a second chance and dont blow it. I told him I think about that everyday. Im so happy I could do a little dance. yehaawwww sorry but Im really in a good mood since the visit yesterday. I wanted to again say THANK YOU to so many of you for being here for me the last nine months, you have no idea what you have done for me, I can never repay your kindness, only...

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New sidebar stuff

Wow I haven't been here in awhile and I have to say I love the changes to the formatting of the site...I love all the additions on the sidebar....kuddos to the developers job well done!!!

Hope life is treating all my PM friends well....good health to you all! Cheers, Mary Anne

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3 year anniversary!

Hello Everyone - I have not visited or posted on the club for quite a while. May 18 was my 3 year pacemaker anniversary. Last interrogation I was still pacing 100% in the ventricle and 47% in the atrium. Most days I don't even think about it. Recently I saw a new physician. Filled out med history but did not list PM. When she examined me she saw it and asked if I had forgotten about it; I sure did! I was very fortunate to not have had any post-PM problems whatsoever. My heart goes out...

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Chest Pains....it is normal??

Hi again.

I'm now about 3 1/2 months post op of my first pacemaker. I had a side insertion, which has been absolutely fine so far.

However....over the past couple of weeks I have been suffering quite a bit of pain. It's not constant, but varying from excruciating to minor. I think it might be the pacemaker moving, however I don't know if this should be painful or not. I'm also sffereing chest pain, which was never a side effect of my NCS, but has only started since th...

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pm zapping at the same time every day

Hi all,
My pm (medtronic sedr01) gives me three hard thumps at 3:14 am every day. Used to be 4:14 before daylight savings time. If I am awake i could almost set my watch to it. Anyone else have this happen to them?

Also sometimes when iI am crouched or leaning over doing something picking up a tool or tying my shoes I will get a couple of thumps and when I stand up sometimes I am quite dizzy have to hold on to something is this normal?

Brent

For more about m...

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Infection

  • by JSJ
  • 2009-05-19 11:05:14
  • ICDs
  • 1843 views
  • 3 comments

Hi All.
Have a Medtronic icd implanted since Nov 07. Developed what I thought was -and still is- a bad cold or flu for past two weeks. Sunday 5/17 I awoke with pain and swelling around icd and thought it was from excessive coughing.Mon 5/18 awoke with redness around icd site and more swelling. Went to hospital and was told icd and leads were most likely infected and complete removal is generally the only treatement This am redness is reduced but still have swelling. I am hoping...

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Coping with fear and embarrassment of shock

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and and desperatley in need of advice. I had my device implanted about 5 years ago. I have been shocked probably about 5 or 6 times since then. I get terribly embarrassed when this happens and then I have fear of it happening again after. I have been cleared to be active but I cannot get the thought of the ICD out of the back of my mind. I love to play softball and have my own team. I was doing great this year as far as dealing with the fear of b...

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Swimming

I had a Pacemaker inserted in 2005. I was 29 at the time so it was a bit of a shock!! I used to swim about 3 times a week and swam a mile each time. Since then my Consultant Cardiologist doesn't allow me to swim. I can only splash around these days, which is frustrating. I really miss it as swimming is great for toning!!! Is this a common thing? Surely 4 years on, the leads are well setlled into their new home and won't move?!! I am a Nurse myself so realise the potential dangers but would welco...

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Midodrine...

Hello, everyone! I haven't posted in a few weeks, but am having some troubling issues. I wonder if there are any others on Midodrine that can share any experiences they have had. I have been going along for five weeks post op taking Midodrine 2.5mg three times daily. I have felt better than ever, then all of a sudden, my blood pressure was 162/122 today at work. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, and wondered if anyone found that Midodrine was boosting their BP way too high. My card...

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Electric Foot baths

Hi there -
I have not been on here for long time due to illness in family.
I would like though to ask this question, I would love one of those electric foot baths, but have been told that because of the vibration, anyone who has a pacemaker this is a no no,
please can someone tell me if this statement is correct.
Thanx for any info.
Fluzy Suzy

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New Olympic event

There's a new Pacer Olympic event:

Who can maintain a shout the longest?

Patch almost had it today until someone came in and evaporated his beloved electronic appliance shout.

The great thing about this event is the suspense. Surely to gather large crowds, because will he/she be able to hold on or will they get "knocked" off? Who knows.....it can happen to anyone.

By the way, Patch has been practicing for his other event. He's now up to 6 feet, but som...

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Two Questions

I have two questions. First, I know about not lifting my arm above my shoulder for the first six weeks, but I don't really know why. Does it have something to do with dislodging the leads or something? I assumed it was just muscle healing at first, but it seems like the doctors are concerned about more than that.

Second question: Does anybody else also have fibromyalgia? The two should be unrelated, but I'm curious what experiences other people have had.

Thanks again...

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New to Club Not Devices

Hi All,
Just wanted to expain a little about myself. I just got home from the hospital, after being there for almost a week. During this stay I recieved my 2nd pm and 4th device. First pm was implanted in jan 2003 but had to be removed within 6 months due to infection. After removal and nothing replaced did fairly well till Oct 2008 same symptoms as before began again, no clear reason why. Fainting episodes become more and more frequent, and as a last resort cardiologist put in a revea...

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Health Insurance Denied due to PM!

I had pm put in 1/28/09 for heart pauses..my husband was just laid off from his company and we will not be covered by the beginning of this month.

We cannot afford COBRA and checked w/ a few other carriers and insurance brokers, they all said I would be an automatic denail due to pacemaker!
Help..let me know if you have changed coverage after pm surgery and with who.
Thanks!
Rosie

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Trying to Move On

Hello,
I'm new to the group. I had my PM inserted 4/24/09. I went in for an electrophysiology study and had the PM inserted the next day. Thank God all went well and recovery has been good with the exception of depression. I'm having a very hard time accepting my fate and have all sorts of fears that I will never be the person I was before. I'm afraid of being alone and this is so hard because I have always been very independent. My husband stayed home with me for two weeks while I rec...

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Member Quotes

My cardiologist is brilliant and after lots of trial and error got me running. I finished this years London Marathon in 3hrs 38 minutes.