Getting a Pacemaker

Syncope

by AgentX86 - 2018-09-07 18:02:04

Passing out is very serious stuff.  in the wrong circumstances it will kill you. I don't care what your age,  you need a pacemaker. Do not delay.

Not a hindrance

by Theknotguy - 2018-09-07 22:04:08

Yes, you are young and having to get a pacemaker at your age is a scary thing.  However people who need pacemakers range in age from babies all the way to 90 years old.  So you are on the younger side.  But it isn't uncommon.  

Overall having a pacemaker isn't a hindrance.  You'll probably hear from TracyE and she's lived a full life with multiple pacemakers.  Having a pacemaker doesn't stop you from having a full life, getting married, and having children.  Pacemakers aren't a hindrance, they are a help.  

Are there adjustments to be made because you have a pacemaker.  Yes.  Do they hurt?  No.  You'll read about some people (like myself) who are very sensitive and can feel the higher level voltages but those people are very few and far between.  Most people rapidly adjust to the pacemaker and aside from having checkups go about their normal life rarely thinking about them.  A lot of people don't even know the manufacturer's name of their pacemaker.  

You will want to focus on the positive benefits to your life the pacemaker will provide.  It's a big world out there with a lot of living to do.  Get the pacemaker first, then go enjoy your life.  

don't worry

by Kiwi - 2018-09-07 22:28:50

Hi Lily

This may seem daunting to you,I and I'm sure everyone else in the club understands how you are feeling, but honestly its a no brainer. Im only a couple of weeks in from having my procedure done but the benifits completly outway the alternative.My dizziness has all but  gone and no more fainting.Feeling anxious and uncertain is only human, I'm sure you already know the answer to your question.Let us all know how it goes 

Future

by Claracluck - 2018-09-08 05:24:10

Seriously you have no choice .like me you won’t realise how serious your situation is untill you look back but you wont have that luxury without a pacemaker.get support from your parents family and friends.take someone with you to appointments two sets of ears are better than one. Yes you are young but you have a full life in  front of you.dont be scared the op is no big deal and you will recover quick being a young un!

let us know how you get on.

PTSD....

by BOBTHOM - 2018-09-08 10:00:55

You sound as if you are suffering from a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  You should look to get help for that as well.   Good luck!

Likely to be easier for you than most

by Gotrhythm - 2018-09-08 20:15:20

Most of us here at PC need a pacemaker because our heartbeat is wonky in one way or another, and our heart cannot beat fast enough on it's own. That's not you.

Your heart most likely is completely normal. It speeds up and slows down exactly as it should, except when it gets the wrong signal from your involuntary nervous system. Your fear that you might able to feel the pacemaker working tells me you don't have a clear understanding of how often your pacemaker would pace or for how long.

My friend has a pacemaker for vasovagal syncope. Like you she was fainting and having 16+ second pauses. She has had no problems or complications of any kind. She can't feel it, and most of the time forgets it's there.

It's normal to have doubts and to feel some apprehension. But do be aware that the danger you are facing is not from getting a pacemaker. The danger is cardiac arrest if you don't get one.

Find someone who can help you reason this through. Relatively few people your age have a pacemaker and fewer still have one because of long hard pauses during syncope. But millions of people all over the world live, and live well, with one. Researh exactly what a pacemaker is, how it works, and what you can expect it to do--and not do. 

no problem

by dwelch - 2018-09-10 23:56:32

I was 19 when I got my first pacer.  I am on number 5 30+ years later.  Unlikely I would be here without it.  What was going through my mind at the time though was a couple of years before my cousin was killed in a car wreck, she was 15, I saw what that did to the family and wasnt wanting to put my folks through that.  In hind sight (how I feel today) I should have gotten it sooner we knew about my condition for years and with the doc was keeping an eye on it but I wasnt 100% straight with the doc on my activities and how hard I was pushing things.  My first pacer pre-dates the world wide web, websites like this, or any real information for myself or my folks to make a decision.  So we really had nothing to go on, nobody to talk to and made the right decision.  Another factor was I was just going off to college didnt know how insurance worked, was on my folks insurnace, figured I would not be able to get one for years.  So for those two reasons when the doc said it was time I said okay.

Personaly I did "feel" the pacer when I got it.  My heart had grown to deal with my complete heart block such that I felt every beat and to me that was normal.  The pacer smoothed that out, I felt empty inside, so that took some getting used to.  In every way it was the right thing to do.  In your case from what it sounds like it should just take over in those emergency situations and stay out of the way.  It may very well not be felt.  You can ask your doc if you will "feel" the periods where you would have fainted but now are covered by the pacer?  But I dont see how that is relevant.  Feeling it or not is quite a bit different from falling down, wrecking a car, etc.   

If the doc has a pacer that will work for your condition then this will allow you to lead a normal life.  Drive, have a family (children you can pick up and hold and carry around), have a normal job (very very few exceptions, but a much longer list than someone who is going to faint randomly).

The pacer should take the fear away.  

At the end of the day though, you need to find a doctor you trust...Then trust the doctor.  Doctor says you should do this, it wil help, it will prevent this or allow you to remain concious, etc...Then trust your doc and go with what they say.  If you dont trust the doc, find another, as mentioned in a post above, there might be a professional in the field here and there but most of us are just patients, happy patients with success stories to share.

Thank you

by Lilyp18 - 2018-10-08 16:14:03

Thank you everyone for your messages, they are so kind and reassuring. I am getting my pacemaker put in ASAP :) 

Vasovagal Patient

by viv1972 - 2018-11-09 20:57:33

I’m 45 and until 3 months ago when I got my pacemaker I ran 3 times a week and was very active.  I have been having fainting spells as long as I can remember but they were once o twice a year if that and no doctor ever figured out why it happened.  A little over a year ago I passed out driving.  Thankfully no one was hurt, I just had a concussion.  I have not been behind the wheel since.  An EP suggested an implanted heart monitor.  I had it for 8 months before I passed out again and the monitored showed that I was flatlining or having pauses (nice way to put it right).  I was lucky nothing serious ever happened to me before as a result of my fainting.  Although I did get my head stapled once as I cracked my skull once after passing out.  

My point to you is because the technology wasn’t the same I lived with this a lot longer than I should have and I took a lot of hits on my head and scared my son several times before finding a solution.  

It is scarier to live with the condition than to get the pacemaker.  By the way I started running and working out again. 

Operational Sheduled

by Lilyp18 - 2018-12-03 04:25:56

Hi everyone. Update.

I’m getting one and the operation is sheduled for 19th December so just over 2 weeks away. Thank you everyone for the positive encouragement and advice- it was much needed.