I have had a pacemaker for 20 years

Dear parents!

I am now 24 and have had a pacemaker from age 2. I was born with complete heart block and my heart rate eventually decreased to around 17 beats per minute.

I am completely healthy now, but my mum recently told me how terrifying it was for her to find out the diagnosis.

Please feel free to contact me via PVT MSG if you want to set up a call or if you have any questions about what its like to actually grow up with a pacemaker (its awesome - you get out of things when you realllly want an excuse, but can actually do absolutely everything. I’m training to run a half marathon)

 

6 Comments

You are an inspiration

by Grateful Heart - 2014-04-01 04:04:56

BOTH of you!

Grateful Heart

20 years

by Pacemum - 2014-04-01 05:04:36

It is lovely to hear from you. My daughter is 14 and she has had a pacemaker from being a few months old so we are a few years behind.

Using the "I have a heart condition"does come in handy to get out of doing that full school cross country run.

Good luck with that marathon.

welcome!

by Tracey_E - 2014-04-01 10:04:34

Glad you found us! Sounds like you are thriving. Your comment about getting out of things made me laugh, I totally did that when I was in school, also. I figured every time I used my heart to get out of something I didn't want to do made up for one of the times there was something I wanted to do but could not.

I never truly appreciated what my parents must have dealt with until I was a parent myself. They were always positive and supportive, never once let on to me how scared they must have been.

Wow, Dizzy

by NiceNiecey - 2014-04-01 10:04:59

Thank you for sharing your story with us. What a complicated mess you went through but please don't beat yourself up too badly for your daughter's current behavior/situation. It sounds like a choice she has made.

Have you tried helping her "apartment hunt" so she gets the message that she's not welcome to come with you to your new digs? I hope it helps.

Niecey

Thats Cool

by LTaukiri - 2014-04-02 12:04:52

Haha getting out of things, I know the feeling, I've had my pacemaker for 22 years (since I was 10 weeks old) and the stories I could tell of getting out of things, I tell ya, it certainly was worth it with some things. It's nice to know that there are people who are just like me having their pms since they were babies, it makes me feel like i'm not the only one. :)

Thanks for your response

by gladtobealive - 2014-04-03 01:04:09

I thank, you and the others that I have received responses from. After finding this forum, I do belirve your last statement is very correct. Dr's are more aware of this condition, know the sympton's, and how to deal with it. Hopefully, all of us 'old-timers' helped this happen. Me and my Dr don't know how I got along without any PM until I was 59 yrs old. And then it was only suggested that I get one as a CYA. I worked as a lineman for the phone company for 35 yrs without the PM, with no problems. To be honest, I don't think I ever used my condition to get out of things. For what ever the reason, I never even thought about doing it, and never felt I was incapable of doing what every one else was doing(what a dummy, I could have gotten out of a lot of things). I don't think I felt any less or better then the next guy. I guess for me I was lucky I didn't get my PM until after I retired. I don't think the 'company' would have looked at me favorably. Again, thank you

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A pacemaker suddenly quitting is no more likely to happen than you are to be struck by lightening.