Emergency!

decisions

by Tracey_E - 2016-07-28 12:08:38

How low is your rate and are you symptomatic? Are you able to be active in general? I would assume yes since you aren't already paced. I have the same thing, my rate was in the low 40's, never went up, I never had the stamina to be active and was told from a young age absolutely not to get pregnant before I was paced. That was also 30 years ago and I had a super conservative cardiologist so who knows what the advice would be now. Symptoms got worse, I got the pacer, then had two uneventful pregnancies and perfectly normal deliveries. 

Women have had pacemakers put in during pregnancy, tho they'd probably want to wait until second trimester. Others have done ok and waited until after the baby was born to get it, it just depends how symptomatic you are. I would start by getting the ob and cardiologist on the phone together to get them on the same page. Odds are your ob has never had a patient in the same situation, and your cardiologist probably doesn't get too many pregnant patients. 

Long way of saying, this isn't an ideal situation but you have options so don't let fear of the unknown or your heart in general push you to something you don't want to do.  If you want to chat, I can pm you my email address. 

symptoms

by Shell - 2016-07-28 16:40:14

What/how bad were your symptoms before you got pregnant? I have congential complete heart block. From the time I was about 16 until I got my pacemaker mybheart rate was in the mid 40's, not rising at all. It was the low 40's by the time I got my pacemaker. When I did my youngest was 6. So, that means I had both of my kids before I had a pacemaker. I had no issues at all while prgnant. The only request my cardiologist made was that I get an epidural during labor to put less strain on my heart. (no prob with that) i was never told not to get prgnant but that I would need a pacemaker at point . Growing up I was active, did dance when I was little, played baseball, was a cheerleader. Dont know if being active helped me.I know everyone is different but you may be ok. Or, as Tracey said you be able to have one implanted during prgnanacy. Good luck!

Know this since 2007

by Meri - 2016-07-29 09:47:20

Thank you all for replying. I really need that support. To explain better, my Electrophysiologist found this condition in 2007 but since then he always said that i do not need the pacemaker since i do not have any symptoms. 

I do not have symptoms yet, but he said that there is a risk of not having a pacemaker and that i shoul continue with my pregnancy till there is a problem. But i am confused, what if there is a problem when i will be 6 months? What then? 

He also said no matter i have or not any symptoms pregnancy was the condition when i was supposed to have one. But as i said it was too late because of the anesthesia and the risk of infections during pregnacy.

I am really confused and spend all days crying because i do not know what to do. 

I will terminate the pregnancy, but what if still they think they should not pace me??? That would be a real mistake for me.

But what is something happens to me during the pregnancy?

I am really really confused.

Just to say

by Meri - 2016-07-29 09:57:11

And I forgot to mention my pulse rate is from 28  till 157...according to a holter that i had 6 months ago.

8 yeras ago was 33 during a sleep raising up to 107 during actions.

second opinion

by Tracey_E - 2016-07-29 13:28:32

It sure sounds like you don't want to terminate so please don't. This is not life or death, either you or the baby. It's not ideal, it may be complicated, but there are solutions. The worst that could happen to you during the pregnancy is you end up getting the pacer. It's not ideal to do the surgery while pregnant but it's been done safely before. You wouldn't be the first to have a pregnancy with CHB not paced also. You might be more tired, you might be more dizzy, or you might feel just fine like Shell. If your doctor is telling you  that 1) the pregnancy can't continue and/or 2) they can't give you a pacer while pregnant, it's time to get a second opinion. If anesthesia is a problem, they can do it with a local. But after first trimester when the placenta is complete, I'm pretty sure they can do anesthesia. Ask your ep how many pregnant patients he's had. Betchya the number is low, like, 0. Ask your ob how many pregnant patients have had surgeries safely. Betchya it's more than a few. 

Your lowest rate isn't great but it looks like your rate goes up some which means you aren't in 3rd degree block all the time so that's good. My rate was 44, never went up, never went down,then it gradually fell to the low 20's. 

Sending you a Big Giant HUG. I"m sorry things are complicated and you are confused. 

This is getting really frustrating.

by Meri - 2016-07-29 15:31:40

Here in Macedonia there are not other opinions, since there a few of them working in two clinics. Thats all we have here. I have contacted wit a Dr.from Zurich,Switzerland, and I have sent him copies from my med.documents. He also said that I have to be paced as soon as possible, but right now during pregnancy no. Huh. And now ??? No one said you MUST terminate your pregnancy, just only lets try till you have symptoms. It on your own to decide.

And this is a really hard sentence with double meaning for me. It would be much easier if they told me You HAVE to ...or You do not HAVE to.

wellllll

by Tracey_E - 2016-07-30 09:15:44

They didn't say you had to terminate, so I would take that to mean you do not have to. Other women have successfully had pregnancies with your condition. Of all the women who have passed through this site, I haven't heard of any who had heart related pregnancy complications, paced or not.

I can only speak for myself, but I would proceed with the pregnancy, no question. Had they told me to terminate, I seriously doubt I would do it. I thought about this a lot when I was younger, when I'd been told not to get pregnant before I was paced. I knew what my decision would be if something unexpected happened and I was at peace with it. We each have to make our own decisions, tho, do what we are comfortable with. I have never considered my heart block as life threatening, only an occasional inconvenience. Sometimes it's more inconvenient than others but I have never, ever been afraid for my life so that's why this would be an easy decision for me. 

Is traveling to see the doctor in Zurich a possibility? I wish you were here, I would take you to see my doctors. 

Dr.was here.

by Meri - 2016-07-30 10:00:55

No, the Dr.from Zurich was in Skopje last week and I saw him talked with and he said almost the same. He wouldnt be able to predict the future, since I am a critical patient. I am not sure what that meant but he also said that there is a risk. But no one said what the risks are. That what bothers me.

risk

by Tracey_E - 2016-07-31 08:28:56

This must be so hard! It's frustrating when they won't give you a straight answer. No one can predict the future but I don't know why they'd call you critical given that you are asymptomatic. Unusual and potentially complicated, yes. Critical impies a lot more. Good luck getting answers from them and making a decision. {{{{hugs]}}}