left bundle 3 wire pacemaker

Yep

by sgmfish - 2022-03-05 15:56:25

If I were 85, I'd make the same decision. Congrats on having the courage to do so!

Your life. Your decision

by Gotrhythm - 2022-03-05 16:20:59

Whether your decision to refuse the ICD is correct is something only you can say. I don't have one myself so I can't speak from any personal experience about what it's like to have one.

I belive at the heart of your post is a question about the quality of life you might have with an ICD. Will the fear of the ICD administering a shock destroy your peace of mind and make whatever life-saving gift the ICD brings worthless to you?

Everybody dies, but people have very different attitudes and philosophies around that simple fact. Do not assume your doctor knows how you feel. Tell her/him what you fear the ICD would do. Tell him/her the quality of life and death you would like to have.

Ask if your fears are reasonable and what could be done to remove them. Someone who knows more than I could tell you if the number of shocks the device will give at one time can be modified.

I do know this. The decision to get an ICD doesn't have to be all or nothing. If you get one, and then decide for any reason that you no longer want what it can do, the device doesn't have to be removed. The ICD component is separate from the pacemaker function. You can have the ICD turned off. It's simple, easy and painless. You can also include instructions re: ICD in your Living Will directives.

You ask if you are "correct." I can tell you this. You are correct to be thinking about all the ramifications of an ICD and making a truly conscious choice about the quality of life you want.

Complicated quetion

by AgentX86 - 2022-03-05 16:26:18

I f you asked me, I'd take the recommendation.  The bottom line is that it's a personal decision and would (for me) be based on a lot more than age. I'd consider general condidion, activity level, outlook on life, and the probability of a potentially fatal arrhythmia. I certainly wouldn't be worried about being "kicked to death".  That's not the way it works.

My brother (79) is probably in worse shape overall (several heart attacks, strokes...)  and has had an ICD for several years.  He's been "kicked" several dozen times.  He certainly doesn't look forward to it but he's not ready to die either. If you are, as I said, it's a personal decision and no one should tell you that you're wrong.