Most Recent Messages in Coping

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Confused.

I have no idea what to do.
I don't want to wear a bikini because of all my scars , but I want to wear one so badly at the same time.

I asked my mom if I could ever have plastic surgery to fix this problem and she said of course I could , when I stopped growing. Anything to make me feel confident and beautiful about myself. ( just no dying my hair).

I honestly am so confused about the whole thing I don't know what to do.
On one hand I would love to go to the beach...

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Kind of at a loss

Hi. I got my PM in January of this year after going to the doctor for what he told me were palpitations-"nothing to worry about but we’ll do some tests to put your mind at ease"-that turned out to be heart block. I feel kind of adrift here because I thought my symptoms would go away after the surgery. When I went to my first checkup in Feb, I described my symptoms and they told me that women just have palpitations oh yeah "did they tell you you have atrial fib?" Well, n...

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i need your opinion!!

Hi everyone!!! Im here so confused...dont know what to do. As u may know my name is brokenheart because i have a broken heart from a doctor that told me he was going to fix my heart rhythm problem and instead burned off my av node giving me complete heart block. I was very delicate and in intensive care for a couple days. Anyway, after that i ended up with a pacemaker. The problem i had which was the svt is gone however i still have atrial tachycardia that affects me because it makes my heart r...

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News of needing a PM- a sinking feeling.

Today was the sinking feeling when told I needed a PM.
Are are kidding me?? I thought they were just dizzy spells that I could brush off but after a car accident and no longer tolerating the sx's the news came- Sick Sinus Syndrome. Here is the kicker, I work in health care as a Cardiology Technologist.
I did stress testing, stress echo's with many a paced patient....and ta da...my turn. I have seen the bruising, fractured leads and the serious infections of a new implant and it l...

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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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almost 1 year

I am coming up to the end of my 1st year with my pacemaker. It took a while to get used to it. But, now I really dont notice it very much.I walk about1 kilometer every morning and am thinking about starting to jog.I hope everyone out there is having a good day as we really have to take it 1 day at a time.

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Thanks

Thanks to al that show undrstanding for the "newbis" One does not realize how hard it hits till something like this happens, I am just going to slow down, but not stop. I am going to look at it from the positve side- I beat it twice and I am going to get stronger

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Depressed.

I am a 43 year old female and just had my second pacemaker/defib implanted (first one was 2007) because the first one "migrated" to under my arm. This one was implanted under the muscle. I am about 3 weeks out from the surgery but I am still in substantial pain. Taking tylenol but getting somewhat depressed that I'm not feeling stronger yet. I am supposed to return to work next week and am worried I'm going back too soon. Any thoughts?

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still kickin'

I am 36 years old and on my 4th pacemaker/ICD. I got my first pacemaker when I was 19 years old. Now I have cardiomyopathy/heart failure. But without my pacemaker, I wouldn't alive. I am 100% paced, which basically means that if my pacemaker were to fail, I would die. It weighs heavily on my mind, but I try to get on with my daily routine. I am very thankful for everything I have. But after 17 years of dealing with electrophysiologist and cardiologist, it gets old! I am an old pro at thi...

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mom and her defibrillator

hello to all. i sure am happy to find a site such as this. on to my question. my mother recently had cardiac arrest and it was decided that she receive a defibrillator implant. things are slowly going back to normal but this whole thing has had an emotional impact on her obviously. she is most afraid of sleeping alone, as the cardiac arrest occured during sleep. if i was not awake when it happened she would not be with us today. i thank God all the time. so i'm wondering is it safe for h...

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Doing Well

Hi all

iam glad to say that my icd is doing what it is needed to do. I feel great coping alot better and thinging about geting a job.

Pete
keep pacing

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Coping with the heat

Hey Ya'll

It 6:00p.m. in south Texas. It is 100 degrees out right now. I have tried to stay in as much as I can because the heat is really pushing my heart rate up. It is usually between 74-84bpm. For about the last week or so with this heat I have been running between 98 & 128bpm No exertion involved. It is just too hot (it's only May). Any advice from anyone on what I can do to get my heart rate down?
Mona

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Any suggestions

Hey Guys:
I was wondering if any of you with HF may have any suggestions. We ended up moving about 15 months ago from Altitude to sea level due to all the issues I have been having. One thing I am noticing is that as the weather warms up my fluid retention builds up. I am taking 40mg of lasix BID, Aldactione 50mg a day, coreg and tykosin. My doc says that it isn't uncommon to have increase in fluid . . Have any of you mastered a plan that may reduce the sx that you might suggest? I h...

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Hello Everyone

I am new to this site. I am glad I found this site it is nice to have someone to talk to and see I am not the only young person going through this as well.I was born with a hole in my heart and it closed up on its on.Then I was diagnosed w/ Mitral Valve Prolapse. Then SVT, IST, & SVT.I am 33. In Nov 08 I had an IST ablation on my sinus node for fast heart rate. Then in Feb 09 had to have a pm put in for my heart pauing to much. I am still having wierd flutters all dayw/lightheaded,sweating,tired...

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Here we go again

Went into a-fib yesterday morning, finally went back to normal 22 hours just a couple hours after telling the docs and them asking me to come in for a cardioversion (went back to normal before that). Now, was out of a-fib for about 8 hours and went back into a-fib and have been for about 2 hours now. Chest is killing me and having trouble breathing. I now have a new appt with my EP next week to talk about trying an ablation. Nurse said they would probably put me on warfarin in preparation to...

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Shortness of breath

I have had my PM for four weeks and am experiencing shortness of breath. I feel as if I have run three miles instead of simply walking up the stairs or doing yard work. I also get this feeling at times when I get up or when I am bending dow to pick something up. I was told that I would feel so much better after getting my PM and so far I do not feel better; I have less energy than before and this shortness of breath is bothersome. Has anyone had similiar feelings? Am I just impatient?

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New Here...

I should have searched for this group earlier...I'm STILL trying to come to grips with the fact that, at age 44 (implant at 43) I have a defibrillator/pacemaker. I'm not dealing with it very well. Many issues to deal with, PM/DF just one small part...

But just wanted to pop on and say hello. I hope to find support here that I've not found anywhere else....

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What am I to do

I am 50 YO male and a father of two beautiful girls 2 and 4. I was diagnosed with Bradycardia on 1/31/09. I was having light headed episodes while driving and thought it was neurological or my high stress job. Episodes were due to toprol xl, a beta blocker that I was taking because I had slightly elevated BP (>130). Off meds, had cath work done, heart and pipes are clean. Have worn several HOLTER monitors and event recorders. BPM decent during the day ( >50) while sitting at work, higher...

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trying..

hi. im pretty new with this. i've had heart issues my whole life. born with hole in heart. it was repaired when i was 1. about 5 years ago found out the patch is starting to come off a bit, i have another hole in my heart, and a leaky valve. then my current stuff started about 3 yrs. ago. i was contantly dizzy, lightheaded, chest pain, running into walls, falling, fainting, passing out for more time than i should have. no one believed me it was my heart. i kept going to the er and they told i wa...

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still pain when i move my arm

Well,I went to the doctor Again, told them about the pain in my arm that seems worse now after 4 months of having the PM implanted. They said have no ideal and it was not coming from the PM,I know it is ,I can move my arm up and forward but not straight out or back,and the pain nearly makes me pass out if I reach out for something.It was placed on the right side,I am a lefty.I have a boston scientific with two leads,have both fast&slow heart beats.They tested my PM and said leads were still in p...

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You know you're wired when...

You can feel your fingers and toes again.

Member Quotes

Try to concentrate on how you’re able to be active again and feel normal, rather than on having a machine stuck in your body.