New to this... All advice welcomed.

Hello everyone. My name is Bonzwa and I recently had my heart zapper implanted. When the ambulance finally got me to the er, my pulse was 208bpm and I was in full v tac. As a child I had Rheumatic Feverand then contracted it again in my late teens. I've had a heart murmur for as long as I've been alive but other than that, my overall health is good. Low cholesterol, no diabetes, nothing worth mentioning except mild hypertension. What worries me the most is that the cardiologist told my family that I have a 15% ejection rate? Is that what it's called? Is it possible to increase my percentage? It really sucks because other than my spell last weekend, I've never had any issues and I'm an athletic guy. I guess I've noticed that my wind has been a little shorter lately but I thought it was just because I needed to focus more on my conditioning. So that's my story and I plan to make any necessary changes in order to live a healthy life. I just don't want to be limited because of this. Thanks guys for any advice.

2 Comments

Left Ventricle Ejection Fraction

by AgentX86 - 2019-05-15 20:58:19

Hi Bonzwa,

Sorry that you had to join this exclusive club but here we are.

Yes, depending on why your LVEF is low, it is possible to increase it.  That's the purpose of the CRT pacemaker.  It helps by synchronizing both sides of the heart so they work together rather than against each other.  However, if the cause is a bad valve or inelastic heart muscle, they aren't going to do much.  A bad valve has to be repaired or replaced, of course. So, again, it's possible in many circumstances but not all.

Thank you.

by IamBonzwa - 2019-05-15 22:25:52

Thanks Agent X. My valves are good and I have no blockages. They told me that my heart is weakened. Hopefully I can get it stronger.

You know you're wired when...

You fondly named your implanted buddy.

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