battery dying

My mother has decided not to get a new battery in her PM. She is 92 and has made her mind up. I am asking if anyone knows what symptoms I should look out for. She was told that her battery was low 6 mos. ago. she has had this one into her 9th year. Her other one lasted 8 yrs. The one before -4 yrs. She also has had one lead not working for many, many years. She has gotten quite weak lately and seems depressed. Does anyone have any input on this? Thanks for listening.

12 Comments

Symptoms to expect

by janetinak - 2009-07-05 07:07:22

this was addressed before & you can look in previous comments for more info. I am sure that someone on site will give you better directions on how to find previous comments. But as to your question, as I understand it, as the PM get low it willl restrict how much output it uses. In other words, as in my case, my main symptom of SOB came back as PM did not increase its pacing when I got more active. I sure hope it goes easy for you & your Mom. I support any one's decision to die when they are ready/want to & I guess
we with PM's have that option more than most. But you mention that your Mom is depressed so I feel I have to ask has she spoken with a professional about her feelings. Just thought I needed to say that.

Hope it ends well for you Mom,

Janet

thank you

by joycekj - 2009-07-05 10:07:12

Thanks Janet, Actually, she did have a bout with SOB, she called it wheezing. when I spoke to her, it seemed to me that she was out of breath. I have spoken to her about what I feel is depression, but she refuses to see a doctor about it. She is far from a whiny and feel sorry for herself kind of person...but she just doesn't care anymore. She also has CHF and is a diabetic, but takes all her meds and takes care of herself. She just isn't going to get a battery. i do thank you very, very much for your input. Sincerely, Joyce

PM Battery Life

by SMITTY - 2009-07-05 11:07:48

Hello Joy,

I'll see if I can add a little to the infomation Janet has already given you.

Predicting battery life is not an exact science. They can tell when a battery is getting low, but just how long that battery will last is impossible to predict because it depends on how the pacemaker is having to assist the heart, My pacemaker is 9 years old and about 3 years ago I was told my battery had an estimated remaining life of 24 months. Durign my last in house checkup in March I was told I had an estimated remaining battery life of 18 months. Spthebest they can do is guess.

Each generation of pacemakers have better batteries so I would not be concerned until there is evidence the pacemaker is failing and then your mother should revert to her condition before she got her pacemaker. Of course I sure her CHF (which I also have) is probably worse and the pacemaker is not likely to be helping that much if any at all. One of the symptoms of CHF is SOB, I know from experience.

May I suggest that if at all possible get her to have a PM checkup if it has been 3 to six months since she had one. Maybe you could get her to do it by simply telling her that you need to know what the condition of that battery is for your own peace of mind.

Somewhere I have a copy of a message I prepared on this subject for someone not long ago. Tomorrow I'll see if I can find my copy if you still haven't gotten all the information you need.

I wish you an your mother the best,

Smitty

MoreOn Battery Replacement

by SMITTY - 2009-07-06 03:07:12

Hi Joyce,

The following is an edited version of something I prepared a few months ago for someone with a problem very much like you andyour mother.


Even beyond the ERI, pacemakers can continue to pace for a long time, and do not simply stop emitting electrical energy suddenly or unexpectedly.

So while I can understand your mother not wanting to have the battery (pacemaker) replaced, I would encourage her to get the new pacemaker. The pacemaker is not likely to extend her life for any great amount of time, but it can provide her a better quality of life for what she has left. A quality that may be less painful to you and her family than watching her slowly die in dreadful pain as some body organs shut down due to the heart's inability to pump a sufficient amount of blood to keep everything working as it should.

Of course you have to respect her wishes, but if she insists on not having the pacemaker changed out you may want to start considering a hospice for her to spend the final days, as they are almost a certainty to be much better prepared to care for her than you can in those final days.

Good luck,

Smitty

OH DEAR

by pete - 2009-07-06 03:07:43

If I was in your situation I would move heaven and earth to persuade her to have her pacemaker replaced. Many patients much older than her have had replacements. I am not sure you would even be allowed to refuse treatment here in the UK. It would be viewed as suicide here in the UK. The other problem which you must consider and tell her is that her final passing could be much more unpleasant than if she had her pacemaker replaced. Still I think its fair to say that if she loses the will to live she will not last very long. I do understand and do accept that this is a normal human condition, that is that you feel that you have reached the point where you would rather not go on. I am sure I can say on behalf of all of us on this site that our hearts go out to her and we will be thinking of her. Cheers Peter

Made me think Smitty

by Hot Heart - 2009-07-06 04:07:48

I had said to my family that if i ever had a stroke or alzheimers so bad that i couldnt authrorise the battery replacement myself i wasnt to have it. That way I was thinking that I wouldnt be a burden, and that there is no way I would want to live with those conditions.

I just sort of thought with 3rd degree heart block that I would fade away. I didnt think of it as suicide, just as refusal of treatment, which, in the UK i thought i was entitled to.

Joyce perhaps your mum feels the same as I do and doesnt realise that it wont be a quick death. Whatever her decision, however hard for you, try to respect her decision. Ive been a daughter whose lost a mum and im also a mum of a daughter myself.

Take care and you and your mum are in my thoughts and prayers

HHxx

bad battery

by joycekj - 2009-07-06 06:07:41

I wish to thank you all for your input on my Mom's decision. I will pray that it will last that long. And Peter and Smitty, I have pleaded with her about all of it. She is stubborn and has made up her mind. Altho, I still won't give up. Joyce

thank you all!!!!!

by joycekj - 2009-07-06 07:07:48

You are all very special people......I can tell. Thank you all for your opinions, it has helped me a lot!!!!! I wish you all good health. Joyce

PETER AGAIN

by pete - 2009-07-06 08:07:54

Hi Joyce, I greatly sympathise with you on your heartbreaking situation. Unfortunately a lot of pacemaker patients think they will simply have a peacefull death if they dont have the pacemaker replaced. The problem is that the battery just does not just go flat all of a sudden, but gradually over 6 months reaches a point where the pacing functions and heart chamber capture are intermittent. I dont need to tell you how distressing this could be for both of you. Maybe she will be admitted to hospital and they will do what needs to be done. Wishing you well. Peter

Hi Joyce

by ddk - 2009-07-06 12:07:05

I believe your Mom will become more short of breath. As for the depression piece - when the heart beats slower and you still expect to keep the same activity level in life there is a difference in the amount of oxygen that is available for activity requirements. Being short of breath and having less oxygen to use makes a person crabby and sad. Waiting for my PM to be switched out caused me to be very sad and very crabby. Let your Mom know that what is occuring is a normal progression and that it might be best if she rested more often - this will rest her body so that the oxygen she does bring in is of benefit. Ask her to think of her energy as a cup of water. How does she want to use that single cup of water? On laundry, cooking or visiting. She can use her cup for laundry but won't have enough later in the day to walk or eat. Remind her to choose wisely for how she wants to live.
Wish you both well. Diann

pam

by pamurello - 2015-03-02 12:03:10

Are there signs that your battery is low. Mine is close to replacement time. I have so exhausted and depressed, it is all I can do to get out bed in the morning.

pam

by pamurello - 2015-03-02 12:03:14

Are there signs that your battery is low. Mine is close to replacement time. I have been so exhausted and depressed, it is all I can do to get Luton bed in the morning.

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