hi

Hi, I got my pacemaker on may 24th this year after twelve years of fainting! I now know that I have sick sinus syndrome with sa arrest but its been one hell of a journey finding out!
OK, a bit about me...my name is verity, I'm 28 and I'm a primary school teacher in an autistic unit in wales, UK. I've been fainting for years (ah ignore verity in the corner, she will be back soon with a drink in hand) but over the last year I have been sufferring with chronic migraines and fainting. Progress had been slow (an urgent appointment on the NHS took seven months) but I finally saw a cardiologist who ran holster tests, bp monitors and an echo and I was told that my heart was pretty healthy but they hadn't caught a faint. He wanted to implant a reveal heart monitor just to exclude anything sinister and so I ummed and arred over whether or not to have it done....am I being a guinea pig for some new gadget he doctors have? Am I wasting tax payers money, do I really need this if my heart is healthy? Anyway, I had it done and I'm so glad I did now.....fainted the night of the implant at home. Went into hospital the next day to find out that my heart 'paused' for 28.9 seconds (It looks pretty impressive on the printout) and that I needed a pacemaker.
Sorry, I am rambling. Fast forward a few weeks and I am much better. I am able to do more around the house and am getting used to the idea of having the little lump just below my collarbone. Before leaving the hospital my consultant asked me if I had any questions....my main concern was being able to dance at the front of gigs in festivals in the summer. He put my mind at rest that I can dance away but I may need to move back if I feel it pacing. What a relief that I can pretty much carry on as normal!!!
I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself. Verity

5 Comments

hello verity...

by lubro - 2013-06-12 02:06:25

sorry you have had such a hard time, but happy that you are feeling better... welcome to the club... and that "little lump" will become your "little friend"... kinda like a guardian angel...takes a little geting used to,,,
so.. give yourself time to heal, then get out there and DANCE ! ! ! !

Lubro

Welcome Verity

by IAN MC - 2013-06-12 03:06:01

I am very impressed that you paused for 28.9 secs ( you beat me by 3secs..I,too,have a sick sinus, maybe it was marginally less sick than yours ! )

I was also impressed that you produced a faint on demand on the first night ! so the good old NHS delivered the solution eventually. If ever you need help or advice you are in the right place here; there are some very knowledgeable people and we all have implants of one sort or another.

Welcome to the club
Ian

One lucky person

by Selwyn - 2013-06-12 08:06:25

Hi Verity,
Very impressive 28.9 seconds! I wonder what the record is? I remember seeing my flat line ECG which went on for pages ( a mere 8 seconds) and thought that the recording machine had lost it's leads or was broken! How wrong I was. The PM will save your life as you may not necessarily have been around to tell your story. So welcome to the club. Welcome to some quality of life. You have a second chance, which before the magic of technology was not the case.

I find dancing great exercise. You may have to get the rate response adjusted so that you can exercise like mad. Worth a chat with those adjusting the settings of the PM as to your requirements. Have fun. I've just come back from an evening of dancing.

feeling welcomed

by robo-ver - 2013-06-13 08:06:08

Thanks for your messages, this site is a wealth of information....especially the dancing tips from angry sparrow!!

I'm still a little bit in shock, but my coping mechanism has been to laugh (much better than crying) and I genuinely feel OK about the whole thing, its definitely a positive thing to happen to me (even if I did frighten the living daylights out of my partner, family and friends)!!

My doctors also told me that I'm not allowed to talk during my next surgery as I turned the theatre into a 'carry on' film...I couldn't help myself...they really should come up with a new word for 'screwdriver', its not what you want to hear during surgery is it?!! Ha!

Thanks again for your replies, I feel very welcomed!
Robo-ver x

concert!!!

by kimbo - 2013-06-14 09:06:08

Hi Verity welcome to the club im newish to the group too had my pm 1st March this year i also had a loop recorder implanted to find what was wrong took 15years to find i had svt which was ablated 1st march 2011 then started with the pauses, skips, dropped beats and 2nd degree block so a pm was inserted and must say new lease of life feel great work out 4/5 times a week at the gym and have tons more energy to cope with my autistic 17yrs old. I went to a concert in may this year and we was almost near the front which i thought was great but oh boy when the concert started hit me like a ton of bricks i could hardly breath and felt like my chest was been crushed very uncomfotable so i moved back a little and kept doing so till i was more comfortable i then loved it danced a solid 3 hrs round the pitch. i was not aware of the waves that the speakers produce can affect pms think i learnt the hard way but will know next time. Im from the uk also west yorkshire had my ablation at Leeds General briliant heart unit.

take care and enjoy them concerts and dancing.

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