one of the club!

Hi all,

Just wanted to say thanks for all the good questions and informative answers on this forum. You really helped me mentally and physically prepare for yesterday's pacemaker implant. Thanks!!!!!

And, yes, it all went well. The doc was pleasantly surprised by all my (good) questions which he spend 40 minutes answering a week ago -- he said most of his patients, typically older (I'm 33), dont ask any questions! I am also an unusual case for having only a single-lead atrial pacer to correct a "lazy" sinoatrial node that was dropping my "usual" pulse of 35 bpm into the 20s (with me not feeling too bouncy as a result).

As a young, active woman I was able to discuss alternate placements thanks to all the info and first hand experience discussed on this site. We went with a subpectoral placement with the incision in the groove between the shoulder and the chest (not right below the collarbone) and the lead placed through the cephalic vein. Right now it's a bit sore but otherwise I feel great. I'm curious to go through the healing process, fiddling with the pacer settings, and enjoy the benefits of a steady heart.

Thanks again!

=-) Margaret

8 Comments

Welcome

by johnl - 2011-03-25 04:03:20

Remember we are all friends on this site and there is always excellent advice to be found. Also some very amusing stories to enjoy. Best wishes, John

Us Oldsters

by ElectricFrank - 2011-03-26 02:03:27

We only ask one question, but we repeat it over and over.

frank

Good Luck

by KIRWEN1004 - 2011-03-26 12:03:45

Best of luck to you during your recovery.

Kirsten

Oldsters?

by Zia - 2011-03-27 01:03:38

Frank is right about the questions, but I'd say how fortunate for you to have a doc who likes to answer questions. Some of them consider questions to be insulting to their divinity or something.

fortunate

by sarabjot108 - 2011-03-27 02:03:59

oh, re-reading my post it sounds kind of rude regarding "old" folks and questions. sorry! I didnt really buy the doc's statement because I know how many folks (of all ages) on this site ask plenty of questions and understand the ins and outs of pacers far more than me. but, whatever his perspective/reason for answering my questions, I am indeed fortunate!

thanks for the well wishes =-)

Sara

by donr - 2011-03-27 08:03:38

Would you have known what to ask were it not for us old folks that inhabit this cave?

You didn't insult me. I'm so old that dirt addresses me as "Sir!" And there are a couple oldsters here that I defer to out of age respect.

Good luck, kiddo!

Don

Pam

by br3500 - 2011-04-02 01:04:50

I wish I could have gotten to you sooner. I have had mine tucked up under my left breast. They make an incision right at the bottom of the breast where the crease is, make a pocket inside of the breast and tunnel the wire up to the chest are, make a small incision, and loop the lead down into the vein. You wind up seeing or feeling nothing.Very few doctors do this. You may need to have a plastic surgeon also to make the cavity for you doctor. I just found a doctor in my area that specializes in this.

considered under the breast option

by sarabjot108 - 2011-04-05 01:04:48

Hi Pam,

No worries... from reading about the under the breast option on this forum, I did discuss it with my doctor. He had done a residency in San Diego, CA and had done several under the breast placements for all the swimsuit wearing women in that beach town =-)

We decided that the subpectoral (below the chest muscle) placement was preferable for me because (a) the lead doesnt have such a long way too travel, especially with most of it unsecured, (b) the lead placement is trickier (more possibility of problems) and includes tunneling, (c) access to the pacer (for replacement) is a little trickier, and (d) it met my needs for comfort and aesthetics, specifically with straps (bra, backpack, seat, etc) + not visible under skin (it's under the muscle!) + scar barely visible (at the base of my shoulder). In some ways, subpectoral has the best of both the other options (relative ease of access for pacer replacement, safe(r) lead placement, eliminate visibility of pacer, decrease scar visibility).

okay, that was the longest sentence-paragraph! hope it's clear =-)

Thanks for being so vocal about the options we women have! As for me, after a whole week and half of experience, I am a super fan of the subpectoral placement and would recommend for women and men, especially if active and/or conscious of scars/visibility.

all the best,

=-) Margaret

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It may be the first time we've felt a normal heart rhythm in a long time, so of course it seems too fast and too strong.