coping

Hi everyone I received my Medtronic pacemaker 2 months ago.I was ready for a colonoscopy but my pulse was too low at 42.So after all that prep they couldn't do the colonoscopy. My diagnosis was complete heart block. I was very surprised as I thought I was healthy.I was experiencing a little dizziness sometimes and shortness of breath when walking up big hills or stairs. I couldn't believe I needed a pacemaker! But after the cardiologist put in my pacemaker I felt so much better. I am 97% dependant.Now I walk or bike every day and feel great. It all just happened so fast! What I want to know is, are there any of you out there like me? I enjoy reading the posts on this site!Thank you. Kate 3

4 Comments

me, too

by knb123 - 2015-07-04 07:07:55

Hi Kate3, and welcome to our club! Like you, I was surprised to learn I had complete heart block and needed a PM. I'd been tracking my blood pressure in the drugstore for more than a year because my doc and I were trying to see if we could control it with diet and exercise and avoid putting me on antihypertensives (I have a family history of hypertension).

Like you, I had occasional dizziness and breathlessness but pretty much ignored it until one day I ran up a flight of stairs at home and had to sit down. Took my BP and it was sky-high. Saw the doctor the very next business day and she pinpointed my electrical problem (my pulse was 37). Sent me to the ER and they did the implant the same day.

This was March 2015. Since then we learned that I did indeed have hypertension and I would have to be medicated. Oh well! I went 66 years without needing any prescription medication except for occasional antibiotics, so I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I feel relieved to have the PM and the comprehensive checkup that accompanied my recent medical adventure.

Keep exercising and looking forward to life.

Good for you!

by Jkm736 - 2015-07-04 09:07:46

Glad to hear the pacemaker has made such a difference for you, that's great! Like you, I did the prep the night before for not only a colonoscopy but an endoscopy as well. During the endoscopy (which they were doing first), my heart completely stopped, and of course, they had to stop the procedure and give me an injection to reverse the sedative and do a couple other things to get my heart started again. I think after I woke up and they explained what happened, I was the most bummed about the fact that I would have to come back at some point and do everything over again lol! I think I even asked in my somewhat still drugged up state if they were sure they couldn't just go ahead and do everything :) Of course, the next day I was kind of freaking out about it all, and even more freaked after a tilt table test when again my heart stopped for over 30 seconds and the Dr said I needed a pacemaker. Glad to hear you are so active after 2 months, I am 3 weeks post op and hoping to be back to my active life soon! How long did it take until you started biking again? I have wondered lately if I could do that yet... Janet

coping

by Kate3 - 2015-07-04 09:07:53

Hi Janet I waited 6 weeks to ride my bike. then I went on short neighborhood rides. I have to admit I was afraid of falling, which I never was before. now though I ride just like before! My husband and I rode 22 miles yesterday! It was a lovely day for biking. Ihave to see the doctor in September about doing the colonoscopy again, which is scary, but I know itsnecessary. Nice tohear from you! Kate3

coping

by Tracey_E - 2015-07-04 12:07:10

I have complete heart block also, but mine is congenital so I've been paced for a long time. I feel great and there's nothing I want to do that I cannot.

Our bodies are pretty good at coping and sometimes we lose our energy so slowly that we don't realize how bad we felt until we're paced and suddenly have a normal heart rate. If you don't have enough obvious symptoms to warrant a cardiac work up, heart block can go undiagnosed for a long time, or sometimes it can come on suddenly for no apparent reason. It's an electrical short circuit in an otherwise healthy heart. Nothing we did caused it, nothing we could have done differently would have prevented it. You are not the first healthy, active person to come here shocked to learn they have heart block. We have dozens of members just like you.

I pace 100%, which is very common with heart block. Our atria are working normally but the signal no longer gets to the ventricles, so we pace nearly every beat with the ventricular lead. However, imo, we aren't actually dependent. Too many drs throw that word around and it can mess with our heads! If the pm were to be turned off, our hearts would keep on beating just like it did before. Slowly, and we may not feel well, but we would be ok. Nearly everyone has an intrinsic beat that would kick in.

Janet, you could do a stationary bike now, as long as your dr cleared you for exercise and you feel up to it. Wait a few more weeks to get on the road. Riding isn't the problem, but the bouncing/vibration may make you sore, and a fall could be bad. 4-6 weeks is generally the limit on restrictions, after that go for it.

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