Early Retirement...?

Into my 5th week after the implantation of my first crt pacemaker. After discussing my job duties with my EP, she told me after 6 - 8 weeks of recovery i ought to be able to perform my job as well as i did before the pacemaker. Knowing that there's always the possibility of unforeseen complications and losing even more time from work, i reported my medical procedure to my union in the hopes of freezing my health coverage just in case. The union then sent me to one of their doctors to confirm my claim. I was half expecting that maybe he'd tell me 8 weeks was too long of a recovery time. Instead he told me i won't be able to work at all. I started telling him how both my cardiologist & EP said i'd be able to return to work with no limitations. Then i questioned how he could make a determination so quickly, he said it was because my ef was below normal.

Anyone here ever had an health insurance doctor contradict what your regular doctors said...?

He didn't tell me much more, but from his behavior i felt like he was telling me my condition is much more serious than my doctors are telling me. He told me my union would get in touch with me soon.
If its in my health's best interest to retire early then i honestly have no problem with that, i've daydreamed about spending my days aimlessly riding my motorcycle around the country many times. But if i'm actually fit enough to work then i'd rather work, at least till 55, i'll be 47 next month...

3 Comments

It depends

by Grateful Heart - 2013-06-20 09:06:52

It depends on the type of job, your duties and their policies.

CRT implant

by golden_snitch - 2013-06-21 03:06:20

Hi!

Well, you did get a CRT implant, so obviously your EF at the moment is below normal. CRTs are mostly used for people who have some degree of heart failure due to the right and left ventricle not beating insync. Only in some cases patients without heart failure, but who are paced 100% paced in the ventricles, get a CRT. I think some insurances in the U.S. do not pay for a CRT, unless the EF is below 40% (normal is not 100%, but 60%-70%) or maybe even lower.

Didn't your cardio tell you why you need the CRT?

Now, if you have heart failure, then your chances that the CRT will improve your EF are pretty good. I have a friend who went from an EF of 27% up to 45%-50% after she had the CRT implanted. So, what I'm trying to say is that even if your EF is a bit on the low side at the moment, it might increase within the next couple of weeks or months. Maybe you can get another echo done then and show the results, in case they improved, to that health insurance doctor? If both your EP and cardio said you can work, and you feel fit enough, I don't see why you shouldn't. Can't the EP and cardio certify that you're allowed to work? Maybe that would help with insurance.

Best wishes
Inga

Recovery

by LeeT - 2013-07-13 01:07:52

If you return to work and as a result of your PM fade who is liable in a lawsuit. Your company why should they risk it, long service retire and find another job.

You know you're wired when...

You have a $50,000 chest.

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