25 years old

I was just looking through a few post and noticing ages. The people on here that are my age had their pm implanted when they were younger, or there is a larger age gap to the next person. I know age is just a number but being my age and getting a pm has been quite the experience. Just looking to see if there are others out there around my age that needed one. Mine was implanted august 6, 2013 a week before my 25 birthday. Dealing with my life style changes have been quite hard bc not only do I have a pm but I have neuro cardiogentic syncope and still have problems passing out. My pm was places for severe bradycardia low 20s. I passed out behind the wheel of my car and crashed it, my SA node just stopped working. I am a full time nursing student and work full time in a hospital, so I haven't been able to slow down since I got this. I guess just knowing that I really am not alone might help me feel a bit better about this and the way my life has changed. I don't complain about it because I wouldn't be here with out it but as we all know life isn't the same.

7 Comments

Normal

by rfassett - 2013-11-16 06:11:13

A term hard to define is normal. What might be normal today will be a distant memory in the future when we have a new normal. At 25, you can not appreciate the wisdom of the aged, but your new normal is just one of many new normals you will experience over the span of your life. I hope you do hear from others of your age group on here. But even if not, with all of the caring hearts on this site, you can never be alone. Good luck with your studies. For those of us that are busy, I think we feel that we miss something when we don't get the time to sit around and contemplate what has taken place. I can relate to that.
As a self employed professional, I was back to work full time plus the day after my implant in addition to the distraction that comes with having two new puppies in the house. I have not had time to sit around and contemplate what took place. And it sounds like you are in the same boat. I have been forcing myself to stop and smell the roses. You need to do the same. Good luck!

not alone!

by Tracey_E - 2013-11-16 06:11:44

You are most definitely not alone! There are quite a few here your age who have a fairly new pm but they tend to heal and move on. I am 47 now but got my first one at 27.

NCS is a little trickier than my CCHB, but it doesn't hold me back at all. I am healthy and active, mom to two teens both born after the pm. You have a good attitude! No one wants one of these things but I consider myself grateful to have a condition with a fix.

Lots of info on NCS

by lbdina - 2013-11-16 07:11:05

I've got NCS, SSS and Bradycardia too. There are lots if posts, many recently, about this.

If your PM has a rate drop response feature, it can help counteract the drop in BP if it is programmed properly. It may not solve it completely, since plummeting BP is part of the NCS syndrome, and often happens before heart rate drops. You may or may not née Meds, but there are some non drug things that may help.

Read some of the posts in the last 3 or 4 days and you may find something helpful.

Hang in there and look forward to a full productive life.

Lou

Maybe better?

by Theknotguy - 2013-11-16 07:11:43

What is normal? What is "normal" for me may not be normal for you. You're still alive and able to function. It's a lot better than the alternatives.

I was walking my son's dogs on a pet trail when I collapsed. My heart rate was 20. When they got me in the ambulance my heart stopped. So they did CPR, broke a rib, and collapsed the lung. They couldn't get my heart started in ER so they did CPR all the way to the heart OR. They installed a temporary pacemaker, then after they figured out I was going to live they installed a permanent pacemaker. I haven't stopped since.

I learned very quickly what the difference was between a problem and an inconvenience. Having your heart stop in an ambulance is a problem. Everything else is an inconvenience.

Yes, you'll need to take some time at the end of your training to get a little "me" time. But it also may be better that you don't have time to catch your breath. That means you don't have time to worry about every little twinge and pain. You also don't have time to be depressed either. So maybe it's a blessing in disguise?

If you can get over this temporary inconvenience there is a whole world out there to see, do, and experience.

Also think how much better this will make you as a nurse. You can tell patients with new pacemakers you have one too and look what you're able to do.

Oh, and I have sleep apnea and a CPAP too. I've been able to travel all over the USA, Alaska, and to Barbados with the CPAP. A little inconvenient, but I've still been able to see the world.

Hang in there. Life gets better!

Theknotguy

Me too

by Sharron - 2013-11-17 12:11:34

Hi,

I got my first pm when I was 21 and I too was a full time nursing student,18mths into my course when I was told I need a pm.

Just I quick post really, just to say I was able to continue with my studies and placements and qualified. I have been a paediatric nurse now for just over 15 yrs.

Best wishes
Sharron

Same Age

by AndreaD1989 - 2013-11-19 09:11:41

I am 24 years old, & while it seems "rare" for someone our age to have a pacemaker- you're not alone. I had my first device implanted at age 7, upgraded to a dual-lead at age 13, and just had a new battery replaced two weeks ago. I guess since Ive had one since I was so young, its been easier for me to deal. Ive pretty much "grown up" with one. Ive been able to lead a "normal" active life, played sports all through school, still enjoyed an occasional drink or night out with my friends, & am now 16 wks pregnant with my first baby. It will get easier. You'll stop noticing the soreness & you wont even notice the scar anymore. It wont be the only thing on your mind when youre trying to go to bed at night, & the more understanding & knowledge you recieve about it will ease your mind. My advice to you is to think of yourself as the same person you were before you had the surgery, just improved. The pm doesnt make you "different", although I know its hard for our friends & co-workers our age to understand or relate to what we're dealing with. If you need someone to talk to abut anything, feel free to private message me or add me on facebook. (Andrea Davidson in Crystal River, FL) It does help to have someone who can relate to feeling like a "geriatric patient" (no offense intended to anyone) while youre only in your 20's. =)

Age...

by jenny97 - 2013-11-19 12:11:41

is just a number, but it can feel very meaningful. I was in my early 20s when I got my first PM. I'm in my mid 30s now and on my 2nd PM. Like you, I felt pretty alone in the beginning. Going to the cardiologist's office (even now), was quite the interesting experience because it was me and a lot of people in their later years. Because of this, people always commented, "But you're so YOUNG!" I get that at the airports too. I joke a lot that I am an 80 year old in disguise because medically, I have a lot more in common with an 80 year old than a 30 year old :)

As you can see here, you are not as alone as it feels. And this is a great place to vent and find support and camaraderie. Give yourself some time to adjust and work with your doctors to get a treatment plan that supports your lifestyle and gets your NCS under control as much as possible (a tough task, I know - from experience).

All the best to you in this journey!

Jenny

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