i thought this only happened to other people

Hello PM family I am new to this site and wanted to share my experience.....I am 42 yrs old and just had a Medtronic dual lead implanted Sep 3,2014. I had many sycope episodes over the course of 8yrs(always unexplained) was told a bunch of BS from various doctors ex..stay hydrated, eat salty snacks, recognize your signs and symptoms, "you must be athletic" these were all explainations for my heart rate of 44BPM blah blah blah. I had failed a tilt table test only to pass another one 3 months later. Finally after 4 hospital stays, loss of my front teeth from fainting face first on a cement floor and two concussions,and not to mention my brother died at age 34 from sudden cardiac death two years ago......they decided to place a computer under the skin of my chest that records all activity. My first check_up at two weeks the doctor told me that I had 2 complete heart blocks and many pauses they called an ambulance and I was rushed into surgery. VERY SCARY that I was fed all this BS for years. I am 1 month post op and finally feeling better. I felt like I was being electrocuted as the leads must have been very close to a nerve...shooting pains in chest and neck that were paralyzing!!!! this did go away after 3 weeks THANK GOD!!! my PM is highly visible through my skin and am having a hard time excepting this . I am grateful to be alive and glad I found this support group

2 Comments

Hi Kels.................

by Tattoo Man - 2014-10-02 04:10:42


......................everybodys journey towards getting a device is different...sometimes easy..sometimes tough...sometimes just 'who cares'....

The important thing is that you have been properly diagnosed and can now get used to the little blighter and get on with life.

Welcome to the world of PM Club...a fabulous gang of guys who will always be there for you,..regardless of your concern.

Best wishes.

Tattoo Man

Welcome to the Club!

by SaraTB - 2014-10-02 07:10:02

I, too, was 42 when I got my first PM, as an emergency, and can sympathise with how shocked you must be feeling right now. It will get better! What helped me the most was learning as much as possible about my PM, and also educating my family so they stopped treating me as though I was made of glass . . .

I recall that after the initial implant the PM seemed to stick out a lot: this should go down a lot over time, as there is swelling and bruising from making the pocket. Don't presume what you see now is what it will be like in a while.

Anyway, welcome to the Pacemaker Club - it's a great resource for information, sympathy, and advice. Ask any question you think of, if you can't find an answer using the 'Search' function (top right hand corner of the page). We're a friendly lot, and we've all had our questions at the beginning too.

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Member Quotes

A properly implanted and adjusted pacemaker will not even be noticeable after you get over the surgery.