Scared of having pacemaker put in

Am going to get a pacemaker on Mon. the13th at Scripps Green in La Jolla, CA. I had four ablations for atrial fib and finally the last one took. Recently about 4 months ago, I started passing out...damaging my head. I'm okay now... The year before I had 'almost passing out situations. Right now, my life is crap..I don't know when I will pass out..I can't walk my dog, take a bus, drive etc. I had an almost passing out episode last Fri.l..I have a Reveal monitor implated about a month ago and I had it read...It read that my heart raced and then went down to 30 pulse. The doctor was there and said that I need a pacemaker. I am horrified and scared! How is this going to change my life? What about all the articles about infection and moving out of place???Getting old sucks!

12 Comments

Pacemaker

by cans624 - 2013-05-08 08:05:36

I got a pacemaker in 2003 so 10 years ago it was hard at first but in a few months you will be fine it just takes time to get use to now I only notice it's there when I bump it

Change your life ...

by Zia - 2013-05-08 09:05:27

It will probably be changed for the much better. The horror stories you hear about are mainly exaggerated and the ones that do really happen are in such a minority that your odds are very good that all will go well for you. The PM should stabilize your heart rate so that all that passing out stuff should end, making your life much better. I've only had my PM for 3 years, but it's been so worth it.
Z

Most of us were scared

by Grateful Heart - 2013-05-08 10:05:11

A very small percentage of people with PM/ ICD have problems with them.

Most of the posters here find this site because they had some sort of problem after or questions before surgery. After finding this site, some of us stay here to help othersÂ…kinda paying it forward.

There are now 20,000 members on this site and believe it or not, that is less than 1% of all pacemaker/ICD recipients in the world!

You will probably feel much better than you do now and won't have the risk of passing out. PM's are very reliable...more so than your heart by the time you need one. Learn all you can from this site and ask any questions. You can also use the Search function on the upper right side of this site.

I wish I knew about this site when before I had my implant. You'll get you through this....we all have.

Welcome to the club,

Grateful Heart




I go to Scripps Green in La Jolla

by my4turtles - 2013-05-09 01:05:27

They did my pacemaker also.. I would not worry about the surgery .. Are you seeing Dr Rogers by any chance ?? he is a amzing DR

Wow! Someone else who is scared!!!!

by donr - 2013-05-09 01:05:31

Alexandra, you have just joined the largest club in the world - the club of those who are scared before going under the knife to have a PM implanted.

"Old Blood & Guts," General Patton, once said something like this: "Anyone going into battle who says he is not scared is lying!" (I really dunno what it was exactly, that he said, but this is close enough for PM purposes.)

There's a bit of truth to what Zia says, but to the scared person, the demon they face is a leviathan. It is so easy for those of us who have been through the experience to wave you off w/ a trite line like "It's a piece of cake." It truly is a piece of cake for us. For you, it's Leviathan!

Now Sparrow & Grateful are old hands at this & have seen a whole bunch of scared folks in their day. I've seen them for about three yrs, now, myself, & trust me, you are NOT riding a great white stallion & don't shoot silver bullets from your six gun. You are just another of the huddled masses scared out of your skull.

Let's talk statistics for a moment. Yes, there are infections to be caught. Yes, leads can implanted wrong. Yes, the settings may take a while to get right for you. The list is endless. But how much GOOD news do you see in the newspapers? On TV? The old saying in print journalism is that "Bad news sells." And actually, the worse the news, the better it sells.What did one of them say about this site? That there are 20,000 of us - & most of us are here because we have/had a problem w/ a PM implant. What do you expect to find if you visit a prison? Bad guys. What do you expect to find when you visit a hosp? Sick People. What do you expect to find when you visit a monastery? Monks. Well, you have entered a site where a whole bunch of people w/ problems have come for solutions.

OK, YOU have a problem. You're scared. We have the solution for you.

First - put things in perspective. You get up every morning expecting to live to see sunset. You don't expect to get hit by a speeding concrete mixer; to be swallowed up by a crack in the earth caused by an earthquake; to be eaten by a Great white shark in your bathtub; to be struck by lightning; or to be hit by a meteorite. Well all those events pretty well match the things you are building up in your own mind about getting a PM.

Now here's some advice for how to overcome that fear. I see that you are truly an old coot - close to 80. You have me by three years! Realize the wealth of knowledge & experience you have. You & I have each lived about 1/3 the life of our Republic. Here's one thing I have learned about this fear stuff.

Chat up all the people you come in contact w/ on the day of your great adventure. Become a real "Chatty Cathy." Ask questions about anything & everything that is happening. Get them to explain everything they are doing. Tell them "I'm scared outa my gourd." Right up front. If the staff is any good, they will recognize that & talk w/ you about what is going on to ease your mind. They know that it is stressful for you. Ask them where they are from. How long they've been doing this, where they went to school, how many grandkids they have, ask them if you can show them the pictures of yours. OR crews are usually pretty nice folks. Tell them that you have grandkids their age - or older. Anything to engage them into your ordeal. What are they doing & why are good questions for the OR crew. Ask them to warn you when they are going to send you into the twilight zone so you can tell them "I'll see you later."

One last thing you have to tell them - That getting old may well suck - but it is definitely NOT for the faint of heart. Also that they darned well don't want to get into a trivial pursuit game w/ you - you've had 80 yrs to collect trivia!

One last bit of folksy wisdom for you & it supposedly came from John Wayne. It goes like this: "Courage is being scared out of your mind, but you saddle up and ride anyway." So, let's get old Paint out & the saddle ready. It'll be off into the sunrise next Mon AM.

Cheers! Alexandra. We will be awaiting your return to tell us what a piece of cake it was!

Don (76 1/2 & loving it)

Scared of NOT having a pacemaker put in

by IAN MC - 2013-05-09 04:05:40

That's how I felt alexandra. I was s**t scared at the thought of passing out !!

Best of luck

Ian

Hi

by Janey L - 2013-05-09 07:05:45

The thought of having a PM can be scary. I was scared. So I joined this wonderful site before I had mine put in & asked LOTS of questions about PM's, the op itself, life afterwards etc. By the time I went in for my PM implant I couldn't wait to have it done because I just knew I was going to feel SO much better afterwards.

I have had to have settings adjusted to suit my own body's needs & that can take time, but it's all well worth it in the end.

I am 50. There are many people on here younger than me & older than me. People of all ages get PM's.

Please try not to worry (hard I know), ask all the questions you want etc....we are all here for you.

Good luck...& can't wait to hear how much better you feel with your PM. Please keep us posted.

Best wishes
Janey

Blessing

by Yakkwak - 2013-05-09 09:05:01

As someone who had some complications with my second pm, I can still honestly say NOT having one is farrrrrr scarier to me; having one is a blessing that not everyone who needs one can receive. We are truly blessed!!!!!! I understand the fear but try to focus on the absolute wonder of it all. Perception is everything. Perception affects health. Perception affects contentment. Sending positive thoughts to you!

getting old sux...

by lubro - 2013-05-09 10:05:43

Alexandra,

just thought I'd add my comments into the mix...
I had my pm implanted about 3 months ago...
While "preping" me for the procedure, one of the nurses was talking to another about a guitar player he had seen...before long, we were talking guitar players... rock bands... concerts...music genres... all the while, the procedure was being done. I could feel everything, but no pain... just sensations... the procedure itself is not the problem... it's the build-up you go thru before the actual surgery. Being scared is just natural...Try not to focus on the gloom & doom stories... yes there are those floating around... but, most procedures turn out just fine...I'm sure you'll get thru this, and hopefully you'll be posting with your "piece of cake" response... good luck, and let us know how things go...oh, and although getting old sucks, it surely beats the alternative... I have learned so much and gained so much confidence from the help of others in this club. Can't go wrong here....

Lubro

How is this going to change your life?

by Sabine - 2013-05-09 11:05:19

Well, Alexandra, the odds are very high that a pacemaker will change your life for the better. Passing out can do a lot of damage to your body! A head injury can be life threatening. Living with the feeling of almost passing out and with the fear of passing out is not much of a life, is it?

I was fortunate in that I didn't have a choice or the time to worry about getting a pacemaker implanted the first time. Mine was an emergency situation. Like almost everyone on this wonderful site, I found my way here when I had problems with my pacemaker. Otherwise, I would have gone on with my life like so many other people with pacemakers do.

Partially due to this site, I realized that I needed another lead. I did experience some fear pursuing that new lead. I was afraid I might end up worse rather than better, not to mention the usual fear of surgery pain and possible complications. Four weeks ago I got a new PM with an atrial lead added. Now, I really feel much better! I haven't felt this good in well over a decade. (I had a rare complication during surgery which resulted in pericarditis but it has healed now.)

I hope you'll report back as soon as you've recovered a bit from your surgery and let us know how you're doing! I wish you all the best. (Make sure to bring a button front shirt to the hospital to wear after surgery because you won't be able to pull things over your head for a few weeks.)

I don't worry about passing out anaymore...

by heckboy - 2013-05-09 12:05:52

That's enough for me. I go to the gym, walk the dog...don't think about much, really.

Alexandra

by Bevof NC - 2013-05-10 09:05:13

I would love to be as knowlegable as all the people on this site. I'm sure that would make me be more helpful to you. I have my 2nd ICD. I too was scared, but I had complete confidence in my EP Dr. I would be much more afraid not to have the implant if I were you. I can only tell you that I had very little pain.. Tylenol was all I took and it worked fine. I minded all my P's and Q's post op and never had any trouble. I'm not pretty to see but then I'm 72 now and skinny and my Icd showes if I wear certain tops...I just don't wear them.Ha!...If that's my worst problem-and it is...I hope you are as lucky as I. I play ball with the kids, mow the lawn (not a riding lawnmower) and do all the chores that need to be done...I enjoy life and I sure hope you do too! Bev of NC_

You know you're wired when...

Titanium is your favorite metal.

Member Quotes

I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for pacemakers. I've had mine for 35+ years. I was fainting all of the time and had flat-lined also. I feel very blessed to live in this time of technology.