HaPpY bIRtHdAy Walter

Yes happy birthday Walter

by Gemita - 2020-10-12 20:10:49

Hello Confused,

Thank you for your kind wishes to all new pacemaker recipients.  

I am relatively new at nearly 2+ years and I am also grateful for my pacemaker because it has made such a positive difference to my life.  I too was scared to wake from the procedure and to perhaps find myself in a worse place and for a while it was like that until everything settled down.

Now my 💓 heart is quiet at last but steady and strong. I must think of a suitable name for my device just as you have.  It is very special and is working very hard to try to please me.  

Good luck to you too and take good care of Walter.  You need each other

What a Great Post!!!

by Marybird - 2020-10-13 13:49:22

Such a great perspective on that small titanium wonder that has given you your quality of life ( and maybe even your life) back. Happy birthday, Walter, and many more birthdays and a long happy life to your "host", too!

I've had my little titanium friend for 16 months now, and wake up grateful every day for the immense improvement it has brought to my life. I named my pacemaker a year after it was implanted, I figured I would wait till I knew it well enough to be on a first name basis, LOL. I named her "Millie" ( short for Milliwatt, I guess), and I am still learning about how "she" works. 

Recently I've learned firsthand about "Millie's" monitoring functions and interaction with the remote monitoring system. Things have been ok, for the most part, so I kind of figured that "she" paces as needed, sits around otherwise, and that remote monitor on my nightstand is pretty much a decorative dustcatcher. 

But then my tachyarrhythmias reared their ugly heads, the symptoms were subtle, and I wondered if these might be occurring, and if I really was experiencing some shortness of breath/tiredness or was it my imagination and I could wish it away. I dismissed it, figuring that if this was significant the pacer tachycardia alert would pick it up and my doctor would be notified. 

Sure enough, that is just what happened. I got a call from the cardiologist's office informing me that they had gotten an alert from the pacemaker ( via the monitoring company) for "excess mode switching" and instructions from the doctor to increase the dose of the metoprolol I take. Though the lady I spoke to couldn't explain the nature of the alert, when I looked it up (thanks Dr. Google) I saw that it was an automatic pacemaker function in response to atrial tachyarrhythmias, and generally (with other findings) could be considered a surrogate finding for the presence of afib, or other atrial tachycardia. Hence the reason for the increase in the medication that has worked well for me to control this tacky-monkey on my back. And I think it has helped. 

So another reason to thank my little friend "Millie", who works harder than I ever could have imagined. 

So, to Walter, and "Confused", a very happy birthday, and many more.

HB Walter !

by Sisterwash65 - 2020-10-13 14:55:33

Thanks for such a positive and thankful post. And a reminder to all of us.

Happy Birthday

by Nanakandirae - 2020-10-14 03:39:58

Happy Birthday Walter and confused. You post was very encouraging.