need some postive feedback please

Hi Everyone,
I am having a av/pacemaker surgery on May 5th..I am very scared I have already had a 3 1/2 hour failed ablation. I came on this site for support but after reading how everyone seems to be having problems one way or another makes me even more scared. I hope everyone here get their problems take care of so you can go on to live a active life. I am really having second thoughts now.

11 Comments

I had 2nd thoughts too

by Grateful Heart - 2015-04-10 01:04:51

And third...and fourth. Like you, mine was not an emergency. I had more than a month to wait too, so there was too much time to think and worry.

I didn't know about this site when I needed my CRT-D. I didn't know anyone who had a PM and always thought they were for older persons.

I knew I needed to be here for my family so I didn't see it as a choice but yes, I was scared too. Most of us are....who wants surgery....especially when it comes to your heart.

Not everyone has problems after their implant. There are some bumps in the road for some of us but that is part of life anyway. I don't complain to the Doctors about them anymore. You just learn how to deal with it...new normal. I wouldn't be here still if I didn't have my device.

I agree with the others.....a good attitude is so important. Kinda hard to have before the surgery, but afterward when you are feeling better.

Grateful Heart

Forums like this...

by golden_snitch - 2015-04-10 02:04:06

Hi!

Forums, facebook groups etc. for patients are mostly visited by those who have some kind of problem going on. These are the people who seek advice and want to hear other patients' stories. So, that's why you get the impression that everyone here is having issues with their pacemaker, CRT or ICD. But there are thousands and thousand of device patients out there who have no problems at all, and therefore probably do not feel the need to engage in a forum like this.

Also, ask members of the forum, who have had problems with their device, whether they still feel better off with it than without it, and I'm quite sure that most will answer: better off with it! I have really had lots of problems with my pacemaker, eight surgeries in just 15 years, but still without this device, life would be a lot worse.

All the best for your surgery!

Let the games begin

by doublehorn48 - 2015-04-10 02:04:24

I assume that the failed ablation was your first salvo to better health. You had some bad luck with the ablation, and this would be disheartening to anyone. But, that is behind you. I've read were only 1% fail. You have great odds going for you now. Scared, well I'll tell you what I do. You find the best Doctor and hospital you can afford. That improves your success rate greatly. Trust the doctor. The good ones have that look. You will have a few bad days after your procedure. We all have, but those few days will pass. Remember, they can do more with the heart than just about anything. I just came off 10 bad days and I knew it would be not much fun. But, it's over and on May 24 I will sing Happy Birthday the loudest for my grandson.

I was scared too but...

by capecod - 2015-04-10 07:04:37

I am grateful that I had the procedure. all of this was new to me and i was very frightened. i trusted. my doctors, knew I was in good hands and made the decision to have a crt-d procedure. I am one year out with marked improvement. it's ok to be scared, many on this site were, but look ahead to good things! stay optimistic and smile :)
best to you
patty

Decisions, decisions...

by donr - 2015-04-10 09:04:23

Life is full of them. Right now you are facing one & you have to accept that there are many alternatives to choose from.

You came here expecting to find roses & rainbows & unicorns. Golden_Snitch summarized the true situation very straightforward & realistically.

Face it, when you go to the Cardiologist/EP/surgeon's office, the waiting room is just full of people who have problems. Not a single one of them is without a problem of some level of severity!

It never ceases to amaze me - here you are, lying on a gurney in the ER after stopping a Jeep hood ornament w/ your right shoulder strapped to a back board because the EMT's thought you might have a broken neck. What are the first words out of the ER Doc's mouth? "Hi there! How are we doing this afternoon?" Face it, NO ONE there is "Doing just great!"

This site is just like an ER - very few of us are "Doing just great," - that's why we are here.

In every problem we face, there is an unspoken, usually un-realized option - "TO DO NOTHING!"

MOF, this is really the first option available to us. Amazingly, when you write the first note to the PMC Denizens, you have already made a partial decision to to SOMETHING. But then FEAR sets in & we start wondering if we have chosen the proper alternative.

You have a data point a lot of us do not have - a failed 3 1/2 hr ablation. Any failed procedure procedure, especially on our one & only heart, is very dramatic & weighs heavily on future decisions.

Please keep in mind ALL options available to you as you work your way through the decision tree facing you. The FIRST option is ALWAYS "Do Nothing" That is the base line against which ALL other options must be weighed.

Very carefully determine the potential/probable future you face if you DO NOTHING. THEN make your decision.

Re-read Snitch's comment & see what she has gone through. She has had many tough decisions to make.

Donr


everything is relative

by Tracey_E - 2015-04-10 09:04:59

As Inga pointed out, for every one person coming here for advice after having a problem, there are hundreds if not thousands out there feeling good and getting on with their lives. Sift through the negative posts, there are lots of success stories and happy endings.

Positively positive

by Parrothead57 - 2015-04-10 11:04:18

You can add my name to the long list of positive Pacemaker recipients. I had my pacemaker inserted 5 years ago. The procedure went without a hitch. I healed without any problems. And I've had nothing but good check-ups since then. I'm more than grateful for my pacemaker. Without it I'm sure I wouldn't be here. I rarely even think about having it, its that much a part of me.

I'll echo what AngrySparrow1 said, I strongly believe a positive attitude will do more for you than anything else in this situation.

Best wishes for you!

Scared?

by Zia - 2015-04-10 11:04:23

Of course you are, that's not abnormal. But I would add my name to those who are not having problems. Most people come to a forum like this because they are worried or just perplexed. I came here four years ago with a lot of questions because the idea of needing a jump start for my heart was just too shocking. But after considering all my options, I went ahead and now I'm so glad I did. Most of the time I just forget my little bosom buddy is there helping me to get on with my life. Then I remember to thank her for her help and then forget her again for a while.

The best advice anyone can give is that from the folks above, some who have had it all and some who like me had it fairly easy. Check your options, pick one, and then go for it.

Wishing the best for you however you choose to go.

Forgot I Had One :)

by CyborgMountainHuffer - 2015-04-11 07:04:08

My mom said the other day, "My friend is getting a pacemaker. Can you tell her how bad it is to have yours?" I had to think about it for a second to remember that I have one. I haven't thought about the thing in months. You'll be fine. :)

Don't Worry Bout Pacemaker

by gaman - 2015-04-11 09:04:55

I had my tricuspid heart valve repaired at Cleveland Clinic
in 11/14. About 4 doctors missed the diagnosis but I knew the slight liver enzyme elevations weren't right. I caught it in time out of sheer persistence with Dr's but the right heart dilation and/or surgery developed into aflutter which I successfully had ablated back in January. However, my rhythm turned into complete heart block after the ablation. Just had a pacemaker installed sub pectorally yesterday with minimal pain. Going home in a couple of hours.

The above might seem like a lot but it's nothing compared to what some of the patients I saw had to deal with. I'd prefer to not have a pacemaker with all the associated costs but it is what it is if I want to live a normal lifespan. If a consensus of competent EP's are recommending a pacemaker, do yourself and your health a favor and have it done. My pacemaker procedure was a piece of cake; esp when compared to my tricuspid valve heart surgery!!!!

We have ALL been scared

by rolson - 2015-04-12 11:04:26

I was terrified. I kept reading and asking questions. I wasn't so much afraid of having a pacemaker I was afraid of someone messing around with my heart and poking things in to my veins etc. I was afraid right up until I went under for the surgery. Add to that the fact that I had had thyroid biopsy and tooth pulled and ear nose and throat examines and told I have a restricted spinal column and I was terrified. I was also told by a regular cardiologist that he probably couldn't help me made me break down in the doctors office and they labeled me a emotional person. Sheesh, who wouldn't be terrified at the point you are, and we have all been there. It will get better, you will have the procedure to save your life and help you continue and you will be so very grateful that it is there, helping you along when you need it. Because when you come right down to it, it will save your life, and you want to live. Right?
Robin

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