Misplaced lead

On Dec. 9, I had a pacemaker placed for a slow nighttime heartbeat (under 40 beats per minute). Almost immediately I had shoulder pain. Doctor told me I was using my arm too much. The pain felt like I was being stabbed. This continued off and on until the Friday before New Year's. During this time, I was told over and over that I was using my arm too much. At one point I was told I probably had shingles. Then I collapsed. During the ER visit, it was found that a lead had pierced my right ventricle. On New Year's Eve, I underwent another procedure to correct the problem. The original doctor was out of town so another doctor performed the surgery. Needles to say I will not go back to the original doctor. I am feeling great health wise but ticked off that my pain was so easily dismissed. Anyone else had this experience. If so how are you coping with the anger?

4 Comments

Fire those responsible

by cohara - 2014-01-07 08:01:07

As a female, I have had my symptoms dismissed many times. My total heart block was diagnosed as anxiety by one ER doctor and as a psychological issue by a neurologist. Had to present to the ER with my heart pausing regularly before I was taken seriously. I decided after that to not suffer fools. I hired my cardiologist because he listens and takes me seriously. Same with my GP. The neurologist was fired with a phone call asking for my records and explaining that my psychological issue had been totally corrected with a pacemaker. Even my ophthalmologist listens and is responsive.

There is nothing like purging idiots from one's life. Doctors are human and make mistakes, but those too lazy to do some investigating to make sure all is well are immediately kicked to the curb. Life is too short to put up with undue hubris or professional laziness.

Those few times I have had to fire a doctor always included a letter explaining my decision. It is often better to write one version to vent your anger and then clean it up a bit for public consumption. Leave out the emotion and give a logical breakdown of the deficiencies. You'd be surprised how beneficial effectively communicating your displeasure can be.

Hope you find a doctor worthy of your time soon.
Carol

Get rid of bad ones

by Theknotguy - 2014-01-07 10:01:22

First cardiologist put me on coumadin and started watching his charts. I'd meet the numbers on the chart and he'd be happy. Problem was I'd start bleeding internally and end up in the hospital bleeding to death. Walked in his office with haemoglobin level of 7 (normal is 14) and he sent me home. No problem in his opinion. I was in the hospital that night. The "hospital" doctor from the group told me not to come in unless my a-fib went over 24 hours - my doctor had no comment. So when he left the group and wanted me to follow I didn't.

Second cardiologist had me on flecainide. When it works it's great. When it goes bad you wake up in the hospital after being in a medically induced coma for six days. Am I going to get rid of the second doctor? No. There were other mitigating circumstances.

The head doctor at an insurance health plan said, "Ultimately the patient is responsible for their own health."

Most health care people try to do a good job. But some are lazy, some are bad, some are misinformed, some make the wrong decisions, and you can end up dead. Point being you have to be your own advocate and, if you can't, you need someone who can be your advocate. You need to learn as much as you can about your condition and your situation. Then be prepared to stand up for yourself.

Hope your situation gets better.

Theknotguy

I never went back

by Grateful Heart - 2014-01-08 01:01:24

After my ICD implant, I was progressing nicely day by day. Then 18 days after my implant I suddenly had a strong pain in my chest that got worse as the day went on and if I took a deep breathe. So I tried breathing very shallow breaths hoping it would pass.

I didn't know about this site then and I didn't know anyone who had a PM/ ICD to ask. I waited hours before I called the Doctor (not my EP) not knowing if this was normal or not. It was also 2 days before Christmas and the last place I wanted to be was away from my family.

Finally, I called and the Doctor said to meet him at the hospital. Well.....he never showed that day. He showed up the next evening, Christmas Eve. He said they ran all the tests and he "GUARANTEED" me nothing is wrong with my heart. I told him something is wrong and how do we get to the bottom of it. He walked out of the room and I thought he was going to look at my chart. The Nurse came back in and said the Doctor discharged me???? I had horrible treatment from a male Nurse. He treated me like I was a drug addict. He knew nothing about me, I NEVER did drugs but when they couldn't figure out what was wrong.....he assumed THAT must be it! He walked in the room holding pain pills up in the air in his bare hands yelling "Look what I got for you"!

They also kept giving me morphine to kill the pain because it hurt so much to just breathe. Shooting it in so fast that I was getting a terrible rush....except I didn't know what it was at the time. I kept telling them it didn't feel good and they said they were pushing it in fast to help me.

That's just a sample of how that stay went....there's more but I won't go on. So, long story not so short.....it turned out there was fluid around my heart that they would have found if they only did an ECHO....which out of all the tests they ran....that was not one of them.

Yes, I was angry....and hurt, scared and in pain. How did I cope with the anger? Well, that was 5 years ago and I can remember it all like it was yesterday so....it stays with you. I never went back to that Doctor and I never will go back to that hospital as a patient.

So I was sent home and it continued to get worse. I went to another Doctor who did an echo and found the fluid around my heart. He treated it with extra Lasix for about 1 week and that worked. I did not want another hospital stay after that nightmare. I was reluctant to tell him I was in another hospital because I was afraid he would assume the first Doctor must be right......he didn't and the first Doctor obviously wasn't right.

So I think the best way to cope is to move on and find another Doctor (which you have). We can learn from others' mistakes too, not just our own. Knowledge is power! I try to learn all I can now about my condition and device. That's how I cope.

It's still early for you, it may take a little time. Hope you're feeling better.

Grateful Heart

Malpracticer

by J.B. - 2014-01-08 12:01:46


To me yours is a first class case of malpractice. Too many times doctors write off trouble we have with our pacemaker by telling us your pacemaker is working fine and your problem is something else. In your case that malpractice came within an inch of killing you.

I hope you will have a conversation with an attorney to see if you can be sure that quack doesn't harm or kill someone.

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