Most Recent Messages in General Posting

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Blood Pressure!

Lately I have been feeling weak. I was really hoping that getting the pacemaker placed in would makes things get better but it doesn't seem that things work that way it sure does take a process. I called in last week b/c my left hand was completely numb and I had so much chest discomfort and was also dizzy. They got me in and said my b/p was low and I was dehydrated. They said that the hand was going numb because of my voltage being high and that they wouldn't lower in until 6 weeks. It is set a...

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question

Hey all,

I have a question, I went back to work this past Sat for the first time in 8 yrs. I've had my pm now 5 yrs this yr. I have a question, I'll be working at safeway grocery store @ their Liquid store, and I was told i had to left up to 30 - 50 pds, and no exception, Pm or Not.... Can someone tell me, if a business is allow to say this to you?

Or do they, have to work with me on this?

Please advice. I really want to keep my job, cuz Its Union benfits and c...

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How long does it take

Hi everyone~ I have posted before but now am under a different name due to the changes on the site. I'm wondering-how long does it take to feel better? Had my 1st PM put in on 12/28/06 and felt very tired to begin with and have been feeling more energenic but at times still get very tired. All my PM checks have been good so I don't think there is a problem there. Am I just hoping to recover faster than what it really takes. Can finally walk on the treadmill 20 minutes at a slow pace but sti...

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Where am I?

Blake , I went into list of members and I am not there, Can you help find me???lol Colleen

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Weird Question...

I'm looking at possibly having my pacemaker replaced in the near future (or whenever the battery dies) and mine is pretty old, so its bigger than the ones are now. My question is, won't the pocket be too big?? Is it going to look funny?? And what if I decide not to get one put back in at all (this may be an option for me) will it leave a large indent?? I had my PM put in when I was 11, so the muscle grew around, its flat , doesn't stick out at all. Thanks for any info!! -Patti

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WE SHOULD ALL THANK MR. JOHN HOPPS

John Hopps, a Canadian, invented the first heart pacemaker. At the age of 21, he joined the National Research Council in 1941 after training at the University of Manitoba as an electrical engineer. He found that by using mechanical means the heart could be artificially started again after it was exposed to a cooling process. With this discovery, Hopps was able to build the first pacemaker in 1950.


In 1958, the first pacemaker was implanted in a human body. Unfortunately in...

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my update

I had my medtronic dual chamber pm put in on 3/19 and had a tough time adjusting to it. I had passed out at home, was taken to the hospital and the next day it was put in. I felt bad and the subsequent anxiety was overwhelming. Since then I have seen the doctors who assured me all things looked normal. So now I am back to running 3-4 miles a day and it feels great. Thank God. But I have this tick or twitch in my lower left chest. It's not the pm but I'm not sure what it is.
Has anyon...

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.::*~*~Happy Birthday Amy!~*~*::.

Amy (Amy29): March 30, 1977 (cool, March 30th and you're turning 30, haha, i'm easily amused once again :)

A is for Amiable
M is for Magnificent
Y? B/c you really are amiable and magnificent.

Or (in light of heart topics) it could also be:
A is for Arrhythmia
M is for Mitral Valve
Y is for “Yo, that EKG doesn’t look right.”

Happy B-day and I hope you are doing well.
Take care!
~valerie

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They're Out to Get Us Folks

I tried to answer the question about pacemakers and polygraphs but couldn't find any mention of the two anywhere in the same sentence. BUT I did find info about a company which sells a "Shocking Lie Detector" which you can take to parties to amaze and amuse your friends by exposing them as liars. It requires 3 AAA batteries. Your victim (and soon to be former friend) straps his hand down on this dome shaped contraption and you ask a question. No fair asking something he can answer truthfully....

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Update on Me & Love to All of You

Hi everybody. All went well on Tuesday and I now have a St. Jude 5386 upgrade in my chest, supposedly the top of the line. We were surprised to find that I have no underlying rhythm on my own, so No. 5386 had better be taking care of business. I had to stay overnight due to "complications." Not to be too graphic, but this involved supper not staying where supper belongs. My daughter in law should be nominated for sainthood! Abbey refused to eat while I was gone, so her first order of busin...

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Wake up call; again

Well it has been one week since my PM was installed. So far no problems. I head in for my first check up today and looking forward to a clean bill of heath with it.
You know this has been quite a ride. It all started with a TIA in 87. That was brought on by a stupid activity of helping my son and his friend carry a deer up a ravine while in the second stages of a real bad cold. My second episode occurred in 95; after ignoring dozens of warning signs I ended up with an angina attack, which...

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MY KIDS AND I

Hello to all my friends! I'm going to share something my kids and I did this weekend. The other day I saw a Beaver going under the house. I told my kids about it and sure enough they wanted to catch it. I was a little skeptical but went on with the mission. We made a trap with some old fencing. We made it with a trap door.................WOW, the kids said. It was raining that evening and after I made the trap we sat down to figure out what kind of food beavers eat. My daughter said l...

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6 weeks does that do it

I am heavy into tennis and weigth lifting i spend lot of time on the bench with free weights My Doc set me at 60 beats but for physcial stuff kick in a 70 and tops out at 130. With the pace maker its not like turning a switch as far as energy, i guess that will come back with time I hope. My Doc says 6 weeks stay off of the left arm and then i can go for it. I notice that i am not hungry at dinner time big breakfest and small lunch but almost not hungry at dinner time a bit of a change. No weig...

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Fitness update from Peter

Hi Guys,
if you remember a few weeks ago I asked you guys for ideas to get me from zero fitness to being able to ge to the airport to pick up Pacergirl (Susan) and her husband who are coming to the uk to see me. not too long to go now just a little over six weeks!!
Well thank you all for your idea's and support, and as I said in my last posting I could then hardly make it to my front gate.
The good news is that I can now get almost a hundred yards down the road and back, I have al...

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pain after 14 years??

I have had my PM for 14 years, and I feel very lucky that I've never had an ounce of complications with it. I never have had any pain around the site...until last week. I started feeling very weird pressure and pain around my PM. It subsided, but on the outer side it is still tender to the touch. No swelling or anything. Im sure that Im over-reacting, but Im a bit concerned. Could this just be muscle pain, should I be worried?? Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!! -Patti

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Lenora

Hi Lenora.
I along with a great many people in this club I feel.... wish you a speedy recovery form your latest setback, and hope that you are now ticking away and getting stronger by the day.
Keep us up to speed on how you are doing...Peter

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Another question!

I was hoping that some of you could tell me how long did it take you to start getting energy back. I had energy right after my surgery and now it has been two weeks from getting my pacemaker and it has started to be painful and sore. I have been getting spasms from the site that goes into my left arm is that normal? I have only been wearing the sling when I go out b/c I don't want my shoulder to start hurting. I also walked a little yesterday (just like a block) and that took like all the energy...

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Tools and other machines - update

Thanks for the responses that were given me on the use of tools and other machines. I called Guidant, now Boston Scientific and spoke to a tech who is forwarding some recent reports done by independents and their findings regarding the use of this equipment. Seems I might want to check things out if I'm around more of a mill type of shop with larger and more multiple tools running which is an environment I do sometimes find myself in. That may cause an interference. The other thing about th...

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april 3

hello everyone.april 3 my pacer is 4 yrs and going strong.
i had heart block and had a dual pacer put in april 3 -2003.
its my first pacer.
how long does a pacer normally last?

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coincidental need for pacemaker

My wife and I are physical therapists. We have practiced for forty years. In 2005 my wife developed a decreasing heart rate, I brought her to the ER and it was determined that she needed a dual demand PM. A ST Jude was placed and she's doing well. Almost a year latter to the day, I developed shortness of breath and a decreasing heart rate. A medtronic dual chamber demand PM was placed and I'm doing fine. My quandry is how could this coinsidence happen? Could it have something to do with ou...

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99% of the time, I totally forget I even have this device.