Worried mum

Hi everyone my 20 year old son has been told he needs an icd but says he needs more time to decide . He is active and loves wakeboarding and snowboarding and is worried he wont be able to carry on with these sports. Are there any other wakeboarders out there and did any of you take a while to come around to the idea of having the icd. I am finding it hard to understand why he is refusing it when his life could be at risk. He has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and an mri scan has showed scarring which his doctors say has made him an icd candidate

5 Comments

What I would do..

by turboz24 - 2009-10-19 02:10:18

I would make sure he has discussed all of his concerns with the doctor.

I would suggest that he ask his doctor about sub-pectoral placement of the ICD. If you are fit and in shape, the standard placement of the ICD..

1. looks pretty bad (I keep mine covered 24/7)
2. can interfer with some things, backpacking for example.
3. It's also quite painful to get bumped on the ICD.

I dont' wakeboard, but I assume you lay chest first on the board, which would probably hurt me.

Poo on the post above!

by Me - 2009-10-19 04:10:12


There are many others like your son! Go to http://cardiacathletes.org/ Show your son that getting a device does not have to interfere with his lifestyle!

<3

36yr old wakeboarder

by gargoyle725 - 2009-10-20 02:10:39

here are my 2 cents. I am 36 and was surprised with my pacemaker. let me just give you a list of things I do and what I have encountered
wakeboarding - I went just after my six week healing time. I am not good and ride with my pm on the front side. well I fell hard slamed my pm on the water and it hurt but I was fine. I need to learn to ride the other way.

free style jetsking still going strong with no problem

long distance waverrunner riding 100+miles a day no problem.

surfing a little uncomfortable.

tubes and kneeboards no problem.

kiteboarding no prob.
I also train close quarters combat and BJJ daily it only bothers me a little and we go 100%. I am a jail guard and have had to fight since implant.
the only thing I have yet to do since my implant is Base jumping the presure of the chute opening scares me. sorry a little long but I wanted you to know what I can still do.I am thin build and my pm is really close to the surface..Oh I carried a camp chair over my pm in 3-5 seas on my waverunner to an island survival weekend but I will never take the chair again that sucked

I understand the hesitation

by ShadowWeaver - 2009-10-20 04:10:19

I have been in martial arts for over 20 years before having a pacemaker implanted this past March. Honestly, there is not currently any protection around for someone at my level in the martial arts to protect my pacemaker from the impacts it could receive. With the pacemaker, my career as a martial artist has pretty much come to an end and that is something I have a very hard time accepting. If your son has engaged in these activities for a long time, he probably defines himself by those activities and his ability to do them. I have always defined myself as a martial artist who pushes all the limits showing people that the human body is capable of so much more then they previously thought. For me, the idea of not practicing and not pushing myself like that is worse then the idea of dieing. Even now I just feel like a shell of the person I once was. Honestly, if it weren't for my daughter, I would not have had the pacemaker put in, but she is 13 and still needs her dad around for a bit. Your son sounds like he is still young if only 20. It might help to try to point out all the things he will still be able to do with the icd. There are a number of us for whom life just for the purpose of breathing in and out is not enough. He probably still has much to sample from life's bounty and may find other things that interest him just as much. At the same time, there is protective gear that could protect his ICD during those activities that he may want to check into.

Regardless of what he decides, realize that what he is deciding is if the life he would have with the ICD is worth living for. He has to decide if those limitations on his life are something he can accept and move forward with. From what I understand, most activities can still be done with a PM/ICD. I just happen to be in one and at a level that mine can't be done safely, but that is very rare. Please keep us advised as to what he decides.

Michael

another worried Mum

by Amelia - 2009-10-20 08:10:38

Hello. I feel your pain.

My son is also 20 and has just been told he needs a pacemaker. His cardiologist is very understanding about his need to participate in lots of sports and has said that he will place the device under the chest muscle to protect it. He also suggested we could get a protective shield to wear during sport. My son is an active sportsman but his doctor does not see a problem and is very helpful.

Check out the cardiac athlete site. It is very encouraging. At such a young age they want to feel that they can live a full and active life and it seems that this is definitely possible. Obviously I am concerned but I am determined to ensure that he will have only a few restrictions and not feel like an invalid.

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I have had my pacer since 2005. At first it ruled my life. It took some time to calm down and make the mental adjustment. I had trouble sleeping and I worried a lot about pulling wires. Now I just live my life as I wish.