PM and COPD problem

I am new to the forum and have posted this problem
on other posts, please forgive me for the redundancy.

I received a Medtronic 2 wire PM the day
before Thanksgiving 2012.
I was experiencing BRADY caused by
a heart block to the lower ventricle.
Age 61
I also am in stage 3 COPD as evidenced by my last PFT.
(Pulmonary Function Test)
I own and use frequently a PO (Pulse Oximeter).

I have been having my Brady attacks for going on 9 months.
The Brady corrected itself before we could get to the hospital.
I spent 3 days in Duke Cardiology Clinic, and wore a Holter for 24 hours without catching an event.

During this time (the last 9 months) I could exercise mildly and only when going up steps too quickly, would I experience any SOB.
Even then it was mild, resulting in a hemosat of 92.%
breathing normal would return in minutes.
At rest my hemo sat was constantly 96 or 97%
Activity would cause it to fall to around 92 to 94.
I.E.
Life with COPD was very tolerable then.......

we caught the event, making it to the hospital in time.
They basically panicked.
They had me transferred to another hospital close by
for a temporary PM. There was no Doc available to do the implant that day. (This was Tuesday before Turkey day)
In the cath-lab I fell to 8 BPM several times.

The following morning (Wed.) I received the implant.

An attending physician stopped by on turkey day
and mentioned in passing
"So you're the one who flat lined in OR"

I was released on Thanksgiving and have been an invalid
since. I can not go 20 feet with experiencing severe SOB.
To the point I feel like I can't breath at all.

At rest sat is 91 or 92% any activity w/o O2 and it falls to low 80's high 70's

Because of the COPD I was issued O2 tanks and and
a concentrator about a year ago.
I never needed or used the O2 until now.
Now
I can get out of my chair with out 4 L pumping
into my nose.

They may have set the RR to the ON position as my heart
rate jumps to 105 to 110 just walking 20 feet.
I have read here that my type of Brady
(Heart Block) should not have the
RR set to ON.

It literally feels like they removed or killed 80% of what lung capacity I had left.

Do you think an adjustment will fix this dilemma?

BTW
I go to a clinic this coming Friday for a check up
and will ask for Pre and Post Interrogation reports.

Please excuse the length of this diatribe as
I felt more info is better than too little.

1 Comments

just got out of a five day stay in the big H

by Skipster - 2012-11-30 04:11:18

Thanks to all that read my story
I just got home from a five day stay in the cardiac care
unit of the hospital

My "pace maker'" is now called a
"Waste Maker" as what it did to me.

Long story but they could do nothing for my
shortness of breath

Turns out when I flat lined and they used the
AED to bring me back, it caused a bleb (build up of dead aveoli)
to burst which put a hole in my lung.

This condition is called puenothotax
aka collapsed lung Only 15 to 20% but with late stage 3 COPD 20 % is pretty big) They did not catch this when the first released me)

They put me on steroid injections and said good luck
blaming the SOB on my COPD (even though I fell off a cliff did not slowly loose lung cap.)

This hole repaired itself the puemothorax is shrinking.
SOB still very prevalent.

and then I went into

A-Fib (atrial fibulation)
Have had it since the waste maker implant but it got much worse.
If you use a Pulse Oximeter you would notice the heart rate jumping to 115 or higher for no reason.

Just sitting reading with mine on I would see it jump,
it never did this before the implant. This was the a-fib coming on. (top atrial section of the heart quivers rather than beating.)


As for the a-fib..
it should pass (have been in a-fib for 36 hours now)
Have a drug Cardezin) ro take.
Pulse OX still jumps to ~115 at every 15 seconds or so

Had the "waste maker" calibrated -only adjustment
was a voltage reduction to make the battery last
13 years...har har har, I laughed as I have less than 3 years left due to the COPD'

So
Watch Ebay for a gently used Medtronic two wire pacemaker
with a bonus Pulse Ox thrown in if you purchase it.
I told my wife to have it removed before
my cremation.

Good luck folks
somedays you are the windshield some days your the bug.

You know you're wired when...

Your device makes you win at the slot machines.

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