Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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Swelling

Hello my pacemaker friends,

I have noticed today that my ankles, feet and hands are pretty swollen. My Cardiologist had them change the settings on my PM because I was not able to make it through a stress test. Now I'm swelling up. I don't know if it's related or not, but this isn't normal for me. Has anyone else had this problem before?
Thanks,
Sue

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Help me to understand my settings (UK)

Hello,

I received my PM on 5th July 2011 due to bradycardia, and I am still new and clueless. I have a Zephyr XL DR 5826 and two leads, though my ventricular lead is not really doing much. I am 50% paced and so far I was enjoying my new life. I started sleeping better, being more active and for the first time in my life able to start running.

Initially I was told my PM will have a setting for the minimum rate (the rest and the base one), a higher 'exercise' rate plus that i...

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Telephone transmission problem

New pacemaker user here who has medtronics unit which allows MRI to be done. Tried to do telephone check today but had telephone transmission problems. Was told this could be caused by having Verizon FIOS. Was also told that if I had a problem it might be overcome by paying an $11.00 monthly fee.
Anyone else run into this? Anyone found a solution without paying a monthly fee? Thanks in advance.

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Settings Changed Now CHF Symptoms

Hi,
I'm new to this site. I am having my biventricular pacemaker/defibrillator ICD changed on January 30th. The last time I was in the doctor's office the Tech said she was going to turn down some settings for the battery to last longer. Since then I have been having CHF symptoms. Any chance that is from the settings being changed?

Thanks much,
Fourreel

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Thank You rg.new here Dad is nervous

Just a quick thank you to all those that have taken time to calm our nerves. I've told my Dad about this site and now he is a member. You all have made both of us feel better and I will be sure and keep up to date. Thanks again!!!

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Past its sell by date

Heart block- St Jude- pacemaker July 2003 and still going. Now being checked every 2 months. Due Knee Replacement Surgery in April. Told in 2003 the battery had a 7 year life but its still going. Is this the NHS getting the last drop of blood out of my stone or good economics ?

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Suggestions for low cost checkups?

I normally have my PM checked every 6 months, but it has been over a year now and I really need to get the battery level checked, if not just for my peace of mind.

Short story is my wife, son and I are living with the inlaws while I look for work, and have no income to pay for a PM checkup.

Any ideas to help me through this tough transition? Once I secure a job as an RD, the hospital insurance should cover it, but who knows how long it will be until I find a job!!

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my PM moves.

in March, they are going to replace the batteries in my PM, and my new Doctor,is going to go in and "seat" the PM better, when it was put in in 2005, if l turned on my right side while in bed, it would flop forward, in fact l could manualy "pick" it up, (hint:you should not be able to do that!!!!) so l went to my cardologist then,Dr Lewis, here in Syracuse.and he told me it would attach itself in time, well it never did!!!!!!! so my new cardiologist is going to fix it,with mesh to hold it.

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Battery Life & Other Issues

I have recently been seeing a pulmonologist and my cardiologist over the last two months because I have been running low on physical energy and can walk very long without having to sit down and rest. I now fall asleep sitting straight up and without warning. I had a lung strength test done and also a cardio catheterization done, and I told I had low blood oxygen transfer which is making me weak. I also have sarcoidosis, and I am scheduled tomorrow morning for a CAT scan because I had dark spots...

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prepared for checkup.....

Thank you Don and Pookie for your pep talk regarding information I need to take back with me from my checkup today. Feel fulfilled at checkup appointment but when I'm back home, I feel "short changed". Things will be different today. I'll be more assertive but with a smile.

It's the beginning of week 6 since implant of Medtronic MRI Sure Scan and I don't feel ready to go back to work. They said it would be 5 to 6 weeks. Being a flight attendant requires a lot of lifting. My own bags...

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phone check in from mexico

My wife has a Medtronic pacemaker and we're traveling to Mexico and want to check it over the phone from there. Any ideas how to do that? We know we have to call directly with no country code, but how do you do that from Mexico?

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Happy to be tweaked,,,,

Happy New Year fellow pacemaker peeps! Hope you all had a great Holiday season. Well last time I posted I had been somewhat concerned that I was pacing so much but mostly when driving my SUV, which so happens to have a keyless ignition system. After conducting an experiment of driving my husbands truck which is just your normal old ignition starting beast, I discovered that I was pacing while driving it as well. As the days went on I realized that I was pacing all the time and it was driving...

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PEN AND PAPER

I am a firm believer of writing down whatever questions I have before a Dr's appt..........How often we leave the office thinking that "I wished that I had asked this or that".

GERb

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New here, dad is nervous

Hi, hope someone here can give me an answer....my dad had a pm placed last week secondary to low heart rate with exercise. He has a dual chamber pm with the rate set at 60. He went for his first checkup yesterday and they said it was not working correctly and accused him of not behaving post op and are questioning a dislodged lead. He has had one episode of sob-which was his primary complaint, and he also had an episode of lightheartedness .

They made some adjustments and told him it...

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Telephone check up

Hi, received a PM in August 2011. Today was my first time with the Telephone check up. They couldn't get the magnetic reading. I am not sure if I was placing the magnet in the correct spot. So I have to go in into the office in February. Should I be concerned?

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Optimzation

Hi
There is some info on the Optimization setting, posted by Pookie, and how when it was turned off all her unwanted symptoms went away. Can somebody please explain what the Optimization setting does and how it could cause unwanted symptoms?
Cheers Roy

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what info to expect from checkup`

Hi Everyone,
First time poster and new member. 72 yr old healthy female and still employed as a full-time flight attendant and on no prescription drugs. Palpitations, elevated BP, very good EKG and ECHO....the Holter Monitor revealed 5 sec pause. Cardiologist and electrophysiologist diagnosed Sick Sinus Syndrome and scheduled PM implant.

Dec 07, 2011 was implant. At check-up Dec 20, 2011, the only info I left with was: 60bpm, no driving, don't elevate left arm higher than shoulde...

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WOOOH

Hiya... EXCITED SO HAVE TO TELL SOMEONE!!!

I had an appointment with my doctor about 3 weeks ago, when I originally got my PM put in 7 years ago, I was using it 87% of the time. My heart would stop for up to 10 seconds every couple of minutes daily - at age 10 my resting pulse was 20 bpm. When I went to see my doctor, he told me that I am now using my PM about 2% of the time!!!!!!!!!!!!


WOOOOH
PirateFly

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second opinion

So I finally got a second opinion about whether or not to do a repeat ablation. This doctor said the opposite of what my doctor has been telling me. He said the ablation is not a good choice because they just cause more problems typically. He said exercise and get off the Sotalol because long term it's not good. I explained that I do exercise but it brings on more irregular beats and that without the Sotalol I am hardly ever in normal rhythm. I asked wouldn't that make me at risk of heart failur...

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cat scan

can you take a cat scan with a pacemaker?


thanks

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You know you're wired when...

You have a shocking personality.

Member Quotes

So, my advice is to go about your daily routine and forget that you have a pacemaker implanted in your body.