1st Interrogation coming up...

Greetings! I have been poking around this site for about a month now, when I quite suddenly had to get a pacemaker last month. I can say that many of my questions have been answered just by searching.

A little background, I have had a history of passing out since I was in college or for about 13 years. It happened three times while I was in college and all three times they never figured out what was going on. Fast forward to 2008, and I passed out in front of my orchestra while teaching one day. Hospitalized for 5 days, had the whole battery of tests, including a tilt table which revealed that I would go significantly tachy (170's) and then drop suddenly to the 70's. Blood pressure would only drop nominally or not at all. At that time they diagnosed me with Neurocardiogenic Syncope type 2 , started me on metoprolol to control the tachy and sent me home, and hooked me up with my EP whom I love.

That kept me pretty stable along with hydration and salt techniques for 5 years, I didn't pass out again, and I felt pretty good with the metoprolol. This fall all of that went to crap. I passed out at school twice, felt really crummy all the time. Convinced my EP to do a 48 holter, which coincided with me passing out at school a third time on October 21st (luckily with the holter attached). They expedited the test results that day, and my EP would not let me go home and put me in the hospital. Apparently the holter recorded consistent daytime rates in the 50's occasionally dropping to the 40's, and night time in the 30's with pauses of up to 10 seconds. While in the hospital for two days they pulled me off the metoprolol and discovered that my electrical system was fried, I would go from 150's+ to 50's and back again. My Neurocardiogenic Syncope diagnosis changed into Sick Sinus Syndrome and a pacemaker was implanted on the 23rd of October. THey put me back on the metoprolol to control the tachy (since I tolerate it well) and my EP says the St. Jude 2210 I now have will take care of the brady. I must say I feel better than I have for years, and it is amazing what oxygen does for the brain! My EP says I'm a little young (32), but at my incision check, the 2nd week after surgery, even he said that I look incredible.

That said, I have my first interrogation coming up on Monday, and I just want to know what that normally entails. They did just a general magnet check at the wound check appointment. (that was funky) My limits right now are set at 60 low and 140 high, but I don't know what mode I'm in or anything. When the tech came in the day after surgery, I knew enough to ask that, and how much which he said I was pacing 25% but not more than that. My EP says since I am a "good questioning/involved patient" I will get a printout of everything, and I will make sure to ask.

Ultimately I am scared of what I will feel on Monday, and will it make me feel crummy again. I like to go into things knowing exactly what should happen, that way if there is anything out of the ordinary I can call them on it. I realize interrogation is probably not a big deal, but as a new host, it is what I am scared of. Also how do they decide if your settings need changed?

Sorry for the novel, but I feel sharing is a good thing!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

MelodyMarch

4 Comments

A fat laptop

by Theknotguy - 2013-11-27 01:11:32

For me the lady brought in a fat laptop, draped a coil of wire around my neck with a bulb on the end. The bulb went over my PM. She started the fat laptop and started finding out things about my life that even I didn't know.

Felt a little funny because the PM goes into a test mode while they're doing the interrogation but that's no big deal.

The lady was having just too much fun pulling up events about my life since they put the PM in. I was looking at all of the graphs thinking, "I didn't know about THAT!" Then she pulled of the cord, closed up the fat laptop and left. The PM went back into normal mode.

There was one mention of, "So that's when your a-fib started!" and she was off to the next reading. A very weird doctor came in, took the readings, asked if I had any questions, smiled, and left. I was thinking I was back on Propofol or something.

So if you can think of any good questions, write them down in advance. I was caught completely off guard and missed the opportunity.

As we used to say about computers: What is in the manual is important and interesting. What isn't in the manual is more important and even more interesting!

Hope your reading goes well.

Theknotguy

Should be fine

by Beckes76 - 2013-11-27 10:11:32

You will not feel a thing. If they adjust your PM it will only be for a quick second and that is all. It is kind of like going in an elevator and it stops suddenly. It will go away very quickly. They do that to see where it should be set at and that is is. Good Luck and welcome to the club.

Becky

Good to ask questions

by KAG - 2013-11-28 12:11:39

It's good to hear that your EP recognizes, in a positive way, that you're an engaged patient. When you get the printout it will have lots of info on it, like what mode your pm is set to, how much your pacing, how much your HR varies, etc.... Don't worry about understanding it all right away. You can ask questions on this site and folks here will help you. I remember that when they did the test mode, they let me know a head of time which is a good thing, I felt "funny" but it went away quickly. Other than that they're just dumping the stored data from your device into the computer.

I've found that understanding what my PM does has helped in me adjusting to it and getting back to normal activities.

As far as your settings and any changes that depends on how you feel when you're doing your normal activities. If you feel fine, don't change it. I found that keeping a log of what I was doing if I didn't feel right helped to figure out that I needed a small tweak to my UTR. I've been great since then.

Sounds like you're doing great, keep it up.
Kathy

My First Interrogation

by nicklepickle - 2013-12-21 12:12:49

I just had my first 3 month check up. Like you I am 29 have had my problem of rates up and down as high as 170's and as low as 32 with 6 second pauses. I also have SSS (tachy-brady) My first interrogation was a breeze, just place the device that checks it over your pacemaker to look at the triggers and they can make adjustments on it right then and there if needed. I didn't need any adjustments at this time, I have still been slightly tachycardic with rates less than 150. The tech said that I had 7,875 dropped rated from where my rate suddenly dropped form over a 100bpm to less than 60bpm (where my pacemaker picks up) in just 3 months and I ma pacing at near 25% mainly 100% dual chamber paced. I also felt much better hours after my pacemaker was placed. I am glad to hear you are also feeling much more human and not like death warmed over. If they have to adjust your settings on the pacemaker you may be able to tell if they are turning it up or adjusting it for a few seconds or testing it to make tweaks but noting at all like the way I was feeling before the Pacemaker. Good luck!

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