New PM Patient

Hello everyone, I am a new member posting for the first time.. I am 41 years old and had a catheter ablation procedure done in 2005 for A-Fib, and now I just recently had a Pacemaker put in on 3-1-2013.. for the Bradycardia.. I had been on sotalol since the surgery in 2005 and had no episodes this entire time, although I constantly felt tired and run down from the sotalol, probably because my heart rate was in the low to middle 50's... I recently was admitted into the hospital for severe vertigo which I woke up with late one night, and my heart rate had dropped to 41, not sure what the connection was, but after being in the hospital for several days, my heart rate continued to dropped to the high 30's. Doctors took me off the sotalol and still 2 days later my heart rate was still very low, so they scheduled me to get a pacemaker.. My heart rate is now in the 60's I do feel much better but do get anxious at times when I think about there being a foreign object in my body. The first week or two was definately more extreme, but still feel like my life has changed forever in many ways...I am trying to be positve as I know I am probably healthier now than before.. I also get tired pretty easy dont feel alot of motivation to do alot, quite yet.. I go back to work in 5 days, and am hoping that helps... I also, like many others, wonder where my health goes from here as I am still not taking any meds for the A-Fib, and know that could come back at any time, but so far have not had any episodes so I am very thankful for that. It will be nice to share stories and questions with others...

5 Comments

welcome

by Tracey_E - 2013-03-28 10:03:46

So sorry to hear you needed a pm! Hoping you get your energy back soon. The weird feeling of having a hunk of titanium goes away! I don't even give it a thought anymore. As we heal and feel better and get back to life, it gets easier and easier to forget it's there. I'm a few years older than you but am on my 4th pm, got my first one in 1994 for congenital av block. Your health will most likely get better from here, worst case it stays the same. This is absolutely not the beginning of the end! Know that emotional healing is as important as the healing. All the crazy thoughts are normal.

There's no reason to think you life has changed forever. Changed, yeah, but not for the worse, just a little different. My dreams of playing professional football are shot and I can't work in a junkyard with those big magnets that pick up cars. Yes, that's tongue in cheek, but really, there's nothing I want to do that I can't! I take a little longer to get through the airport and I was told no when I looked into laser hair removal. Little stuff! Both of my children were born after I got the pm, they're teens now and learning to drive (talk about stress to the heart!). I own a business, am a girl scout leader, band mom, active with several charities, hike or ski most vacations, do Crossfit 5 mornings a week... no one would guess I have a little computer helping my heart along if I didn't tell them. I am not defined by my heart condition and I don't let it keep me from living life to the fullest.

If you have any questions about healing or just want to chat, there are a lot of us here who have been through it.

Changed forever

by ElectricFrank - 2013-03-28 11:03:53

I'm 83 and have a pacemaker since 2004. From my perspective I would much rather have that "foreign" piece of titanium showing on my chest than to have a bunch of foreign chemicals circulating in my whole body. At least the pacemaker stays put and just tingles my heart when necessary.

By the way, as we age their will never be another day the same as today, pacemaker or not. That just happens to be the way life works, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

best wishes and welcome to the site.

frank

aches

by Tracey_E - 2013-03-29 02:03:06

It should go away! It takes a couple of months for the scar tissue to build up around it and the nerves to knit back together. Mine will still get a little achy if I overdo it at the gym, and I mean really overdo it not just a regular workout, the rest of the time I don't feel it.

Thanks for the responses

by heartpatient - 2013-03-29 12:03:21

It is so nice to hear feedback on my first posting,it really gives me hope and understanding for what to expect as time goes on..I was wondering if anyone else still got small periodic aches and what not in the area of the incision the first several weeks? They are not really painful, just kind of small aches in different areas on the left side... My incision looks great and I have no reddness around it at all, so all looks good on the surface...Will that go away ?

new pacemaker

by KathyB - 2013-04-11 10:04:11

Hello everyone. I just got my pacemaker this past Tuesday. It all started this year when I had atrial flutter, they did a TEE before cardioversion to make sure I didn't have any clots and found I had a congenital hole in my atrial septal wall. I got that fixed with a closure device in Feb and then found to have slow heart, and pauses greater than 4 seconds so I needed a pacer. I am sore right now but do not feel as lightheaded as I had been feeling as my resting rate was in the 40's. I am set at 70 and think that is a good rate for me. so glad I found this website. think it will really help me realize I am no alone. I am a nurse but you are not a nurse when you are the patient.

You know you're wired when...

You can feel your fingers and toes again.

Member Quotes

The experience of having a couple of lengths of wire fed into your heart muscle and an electronic 'box' tucked under the skin is not an insignificant event, but you will survive.