Pacemaker

Amazing and inspiring

by Pacemaker_Sally - 2020-01-03 11:57:42

I received my pacemaker the same day as you did. We can celebrate our PM birthdays together!

I had some complications during the surgery and am currently in "wait and see" mode. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed that they might have to redo one of the leads. 

i only need my PM "on demand" and reading your story, I am so impressed by your courage and tenacity!

Newbie

by AgentX86 - 2020-01-03 14:16:26

Lots going on there.  I don't need a BiPap but our pacemakers are similar, if by "fused off the top of my heart" means an that you had an "AV ablation" (disconnected the ventricles from the atria).  Anyway, welcome to the group, Joe.

A reply

by Joe Newbie - 2020-01-04 04:26:12

Hi AgentX86, yes that's the correct term for what you said, "AV ablation". YIKES that still gets me that he disconnected the ventricles from the atria. But I was in very bad shape and now I'm new again. Thanks for the welcome  AgentX86

Celebrate for sure

by Joe Newbie - 2020-01-04 04:32:04

Pacemaker_Sally, that sounds like a good deal to me on the PM Birthdays. 

I am sorry things did not go good, really I am. I want everyone to have things go good so they can enjoy the PM life.

PM on demand? So your heart beats n all 4 chambers and the PM only kicks in as needed? Like an electronic watchdog?

Thank you for the nice comment about how I am dealing with the new life. I swear I feel 20 again.

PM on demand

by AgentX86 - 2020-01-04 11:32:35

Yes, that's the normal mode for a PM.  The PM only sets the floor for the heart rate.  If the heart goes too slowly (Bradycardia) or pauses, the pacemaker takes over.  This happens when the SI, or "Sinus Node" (the heart's natural pacemaker) is failing (AKA "sick sinus syndrome").  Really only a single lead (in the right atrium) is needed for this problem but usually a two lead pacemaker is used (RA and RV).  Another cause of low heart rate can be a heart block (the AV node gone wonky).  The PM then replaces the AV node, sensing the pulse in the RA and transmitting it to the RV.  If the SI node is always slower than what the pacemaker is set for, the patient may be paced 100% of the time but if the PM went away, the SI would take over at the lower rate, with pauses and all though.

In our case, the heart block is intentional and no pacemaker bypass is used.  The point is to keep the arrhytmia in the atrium from being  transmitted to the ventricles. The ventricles are then paced separately and asynchronously from the atria.  The atria do nothing and are now rather like your apendix. ;-)  We're considered "pacemaker dependent" because without the pacemaker the heart won't beat at all or too slowly to maintain consiousness.

Hello!

by Deborahlbnc - 2020-01-12 13:18:50

Hi, my name is Deborah, and I had my pacemaker put in on December 31, 2019.

It was a really sudden, I couldn't breath to you need a pacemaker to here I am.

I hadn't really dealt with it until today, it was like holy crap this thing saved my life!

It's somewhat scary, to know that this little device is what keeps me going now. I still have pain at the insertion site but seems to be healing nicely. I see my doc next Tues. to see 

if everything is working ok. It seems to be, but I am having trouble with swelling in the legs

Does anyone else have trouble with that? 

Does anyone else constantly think about their heart and how many bpm?

I am 67, retired so I have a lot of time to think about this.

Thanks, and I ordered myself an ID bracelet that states I am a Pacemaker

recipient. Thought about a tattoo after the site heals up but then I read that

some inks have something in them that can contradict the pacemaker's abilities.

Deborah