logging the episodes

Hi everyone. Does anyone know what the normal episodes would be during a one month period of time. Mine was 177 - mostlly 1 min. or less but some lasted as long as 33 min. Is that bad? It also said the battery remains adequate at 2.8 volts - what is that? Maybe someone can contribute some info on what this all means.
Thanks for any input.
Sugar/Patty

7 Comments

episodes

by sugar - 2010-04-27 01:04:07

Hi Carolyn and Tracey - The episodes is how many times the pacer had to jump in and correct my beats and I wasn't sure what the normal amount is. I guess I do spend quite a bit of time using this thing - I had this put in on Nov. 24, 09 because my heart rate was 40 or below on a perm. basis - I have know about the a-fib since I was 24yrs. old and at 46 yrs. old I had a radio ablation and now at 60 I have a pacemaker because my natural pacer wasn't working correctly and also sinus whatever - No major problems with anything regarding my healing process - my awareness is always in high mode - my attitude stinks but it doesn't really stop me from doing anything I really want to do which is good. I travel alot and the only pain in the neck is going through security checks and the patdown. I am also lazy now but my insides feel like I am speeding around - that should get better as I continue to heal. I have found this to be an emotional journey as well as physical. My complete hystorectomy in May was nothing compared to this. I look up most of my questions on the computer because the people monitoring this don't say much even when I ask questions - I used to work in the medical field many years ago so when things are explained, I do understand them. I guess they don't want to go over this stuff with everyone and I should just accept this - not me.
Be well and thanks for writing.
Patty

what't normal?

by Tracey_E - 2010-04-27 11:04:16

There isn't really a normal. Some have no episodes, some have more than the pm can count, most are somewhere in between. All that matters is that the pm steps in when you have one, whether it's once or a thousand times.

I don't remember the voltage numbers. It's usually accompanied by an estimated battery life, tho. Batteries don't go down gradually like a tank of gas, they tend to stay the same check after check, then plummet. They can predict when it will plummet so you can replace it before that happens.

Normal Episodes? ~ ~

by Carolyn65 - 2010-04-27 11:04:20

I have only been a member of this PM Club for almost a year. I guess I have not been told of what "episodes" are. What is an episode and with what? PM?

The numbers you mentioned above, I do not understand what you are comparing to because this must of not happened to me yet. If I have episodes, I do not know.

Can you explain more? I am sure all the episodes/ numbers must mean a lot to all the educated, experienced PM members who have been a member for years. Us "newbies" need some input on what it is.

Thanks,
Carolyn G. in TEXAS ~ Bear Hugs to All ~

Episodes

by ElectricFrank - 2010-04-27 11:04:44

There are a number of types of episodes so it depends on which the number relates to. Some possibilities are afib, vtach, PVC's, mode changes..and there are more. Usually they will program the pacer to record the types that you are susceptible to.

frank

Episodes

by musser75 - 2010-05-04 02:05:19

Hi, Patty,
first of all I would advice you to calm down. Is your device an ICD or a pacemaker? But I assume it should be a pacemaker, from what you have told. Your history of atrial fibrilation bings to my mind that your atrial fibrilation could not controlled ýnder medication so radiocatheter ablation was performed ( that what I assume), in order to control the rate of the ventricles ( big chambers of the heart). This is the last choice and after ablation a pacemaker should be implanted.
2,8 V is favorable for a pacemaker. Newer pacemaker reach their ERI ( elective replacement indication ) at about 2,45 V, even tough they can function min. 6 months after ERI alarm. The episodes you have mentioned are probably atrial fibrilation attacks. First if they are a. fib. attack, you should receive coumadin in order to avoid that c lot from your heart gets propeled to your body. Secondly, if the ablation has been performed on the AV node, as I assume, than you don't have to worry. But a few setting should be adjusted for your special needs like upper track limit, mode switch rate etc. in order to prevent your ventricle from beating to fast. On the other hand, new generation pacemaker have atrial fibrilation supression algorithms, which can be turned on.
musser75, MD

episodes

by sugar - 2010-05-04 07:05:04

Mornin musser75,

I have a medtronics dual line - I don't worry about much when it comes to the heart - my ablation was 15 yrs. ago so very close to my natural pacemaker - they almost put one in at that time but meds along with the ablation worked out fine for me. I still had issues and just dealt with them form time to time and now my beats were 40 or below. Now I am still running at a rapid beat more often than I should. Very few people know I have this going on and if I have problems and friends are present, I just ignore myself. I have been going through the rapid beats since I was 24 yrs. old and my mom had all this too. I know that the drs. hear the same story over and over again because we are all alike in many ways - I just don't feel they want to hear from me so I keep myself under wraps and do alot of research. For many years I was a research secretary in the medical field so it is in my nature to wonder about these things and I hate to self diag.

I don't like to make other people feel uncomfortable because of my situation so I come to a forum like this. It helps a great deal to hear directly from people who are in similar situations. I have only one neighbor who just found out about this pacemaker the other day - they never know where I am because I come and go alot - I travel all over the place and pretend nothing is going on with me. Oh well.

Many of you have given me many questions to check into with the dr. on my next visit and I thank all of you for that. My cousin is married to a heart transplant dr in the Chicago area so I check in there every now and then as well.

Many thanks to everyone,
Sugar/Patty

thank all of you..

by shartey - 2011-07-01 02:07:09

Once again...I thank all of you for contributing, since my pacemaker is only 3 weeks old this Friday, still wrapping my mind around all of this..

nigel

You know you're wired when...

Your heart beats like a teenager in love.

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A pacemaker completely solved my problem. In fact, it was implanted just 7 weeks ago and I ran a race today, placed first in my age group.