Leaving Work
- by Chowchowma
- 2019-07-27 00:21:11
- ICDs
- 1308 views
- 4 comments
My primary care physician said that I work too hard and might consider disability.
I have had my device for 4 months today. I returned to my job 2 months after implant and ablation. I am working full-time but by Friday I am exhausted. I spend Saturday in bed giving my body the rest it seems to crave. Episodes of PTSD still exist but lessened. Though I am acutely aware of my heart beat. Because my issue appears to be genetic it's not going away, prompting me to dance between "safe activities" and going out in a blaze of glory.
It scares me to think of not working at the usual place of 12+ hours per week, but it is taking a toll. I am entering my 40th year of working and though I know working isn't supposed to define me, it does. The question becomes do I want to spend whatever time typing on a computer in a cubicle farm?
Has anyone else faced this type of decision?
4 Comments
Leaving Work
by Chowchowma - 2019-07-28 02:13:05
I now have a bit of insomnia as well. I fall asleep but wake up often. Other than fatigue, work is fine. I love working but I need fewer hours. We"ll see how it goes.
insomnia
by AgentX86 - 2019-07-28 16:28:11
My problem wasn't insomnia, per se, rather highly symptomatic Aflutter, caused by a Maze gone bad. It felt like my heart was doing somersaults all night, every night. My EP discussed AV ablation +PM several times but I didn't want to go that extreme. Instead, I tried drugs, then ablations. The drugs caused SSS and asystoles and the ablations failed, so AV ablation and pacemaker was the only answer. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have jumped at even the possibility of a pacemaker and saved a year or two out of my life.
To all of you facing the possibility of pacemaker implant surgery. there is a LOT worse that can happen to you (and may have already).
Insomnia
by Chowchowma - 2019-07-31 19:52:12
I consider myself VERY lucky. I wouldn't have chosen the pacemaker/ICD but after being informed and nearly dying 3 times, yeah I am glad to have the implant. I was also fortunate that so far my ablation has been successful..its only been 2 months but I was experiencing daily ventricular tachycardia attacks which have stopped since the ablation.
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Working too hard?
by AgentX86 - 2019-07-27 23:15:28
I don't know what a pacemaker has to do with working too hard but two years ago I was facing a similar decision. The symptoms from my Aflutter had gotten so bad that I couldn't sleep so didn't see how I could continue to work. I'm an electronics design engineer so have to be able to concentrate. Lack of sleep was making it so I was worthless at work. It took almost a year and a pacemaker to make things more or less right again (still get very sleepy at times). I'll proably retire at the end of next year but I'm doing OK now.