Pacemaker surgery tomorrow

Aw of course you’re scared and uncertain 💗

by Lavender - 2023-01-05 19:31:11

In my case, I was already fainting before the pacemaker was inserted. I knew I had to get it. Prior to having two near death experiences from my heart pausing, I would've been opposed to getting the pacemaker. It's hard to believe you really need it unless you truly trust your doctor. 
 

My AV node stopped unexpectedly. The sinus node was still putting out beats but the electricity shut down. It nearly took my life. When that happens you fall over. You can't put your arms out to stop the fall. You could be driving and wreck. You could fall down the steps and break your neck-as what killed two people I know. 
 

The pacemaker ensures that the beat will go on. You're young. Babies get them. Many people here have had them since they were kids and still lead fun productive lives. Without the pacemaker, you could die young. With it, you have a fighting chance. 
 

I read this online:  Mobitz type II block warrants treatment with a permanent pacemaker, which is a device that continually monitors the individual’s cardiac rhythm and, if it detects a delay, sends an electrical signal into the ventricles, causing them to contract. Since Mobitz II has a high risk of progressing into a 3rd degree AV block, treatment typically involves the insertion of a permanent pacemaker. Complications of Mobitz type II may involve decreased cardiac output leading to syncope, symptomatic bradycardia, and sudden cardiac arrest.

The surgery isn't bad. The recovery takes a bit but is worth it. We will be here to walk alongside you and address your concerns. You're about to join a very elite group of survivors, thrivers, totally alivers! What a blessing that you discovered this and it can get fixed before you have problems. 

🙏🏻

by Lavender - 2023-01-05 21:51:01

May God give you supernatural peace that surpasses all human understanding. May He guide the doctors as they place your lifesaving device. May you heal quickly and may your mind quickly adapt to your pacemaker as you learn to enjoy life with it. 🌸🌺🌼

Mobitz -II

by AgentX86 - 2023-01-05 22:20:54

Your doctor is right.  Mobitz-II can, and eventually will, pregress into a complete heart block, which could be extremely dangerous and would require a pacemaker anyway.  Do it now before you get to that stage.

Don't worry.  It's a simple procedure with no fuss 99% of the time.  Just follow your doctor's instructions and you'll be fine. Do pay attention to your restrictions.  They vary somewhat from person to person (and doctor to doctor).  These restrictions are only temporary and you'll be back to normal, forgetting that you have a pacemaker much sooner than you can now believe.

Pacemaker

by Beanfor - 2023-01-05 23:49:17

Please try not to worry. It all happened so fast with me that I didn’t have time to be scared. It has all gone so fast that next week I will be going for my 6 week follow up. This is a wonderful group. Hang in there. Wishing you all the best

been in your shoes

by Tracey_E - 2023-01-06 11:33:07

I got my first pacer at age 27 in 1994. Unlike you, my doctors wanted to wait. In hindsight, I should have had it in my teens. I deteriorated so gradually I didn't know how bad it was until I felt good again. I spent two years very symptomatic and struggling when I could have been paced and feeling good for those all of that time. That mentality has mostly changed now and doctors are faster to pace when we need it, not wait. I think they used to be afraid of being paced most of our lives, but now there are more and more of us who have been paced for decades and we continue to thrive. It's the right decision to be proactive. 

I'm 56 now and on my 5th pacer. I had two kids while paced, my oldest is now married and we run races together. Our next is a half marathon. My youngest is a park ranger and we do hiking trips together. I love to kayak, do ropes courses, ride roller coasters, lift weights. I'm healthy and active, no one looks at me and sees a heart patient. Most of the time I forget it's there. There's nothing I want to do that I cannot. 

If you have any questions at all about the surgery and recovery, or living long term paced, please do not hesitate to post here or message me privately. Living with a pacer is nowhere near as scary as it sounds. I consider myself fortunate to have a heart condition with a relatively easy fix, one that lets me live a full life. 

Having doubts

by Gotrhythm - 2023-01-06 12:23:47

You will get to the moment when you forget you even have it. For real. And the funny thing is, you won't even know when it happened. Just one day something will happen that reminds you, and you realize that you had completely forgotten it.

For now, having doubts, second thoughts, just shows that you have good sense. You think things over, look at them from several positions. 

One of the reasons you might be having doubts is that you feel fine. You know you're healthy. How could you have a healthy heart and yet need a pacemaker? That's a hurdle for a lot of us and something that's often discussed here. If you want to know more, just post a question.

For now, you can safely believe that you are healthy, and you willl continue to be after you get a pacemaker.

how did it go?

by Tracey_E - 2023-01-09 09:40:13

Wondering how you are! I hope it went smoothly. 

How are you ?

by crystalarch07 - 2023-01-09 09:47:44

Hello, I hope everything is fine for you. I would be very happy if you let me know about your experiences. I am also 30 years old and have 3rd degree AV block. I've never had any symptoms in my life. There are doctors who say I can wait, there are doctors who say I need a battery inserted. But I'm having a hard time making this decision when I'm not having any problems. Thanks in advance for the information.

update

by Mao - 2023-01-10 08:21:23

Hello everyvody.

I am so sorry I am posting so late.

Thank you all very very much for taking the time to answer to my message. All of your messages encouraged me and I got my pacemaker on the 6th of january.

I feel great. I do have chest pain after the surgery but other than that everything is fine. After the surgery I realized that I did have symptoms, I just had gotten used to them.

I have read and watched a lot of youtube videos about living with a pacemaker and it has helped me see that it is not as big of a deal as I thpught it was.

I am glad that a community like this exists. I hope I cqn contribute here too.

@crystalarch07 I was having the same doubts as you are righr now. My problem was that I did have symptoms, I just atrributed rhem to other things. I would often get dizzy but thought that it migjt had been something I ate or that I gotbout of bed too fast. Now that I don't feel that I realized it was my heart rate.

3rd degree bolck can cause sudden death, I think it is bettwr to have a pacemaker fitted instead of living with the risk of dying. I am not a doctor thougj, so I would listen to the specialist which is the electrophisician as far as I know.

If you have any questions let me know.

Aw thanks for responding

by Lavender - 2023-01-10 11:10:32

Geez you're only days into your new device! You sound upbeat and positive! Remember not to be discouraged with twinges of pain here and there as your body heals. Your neck or shoulder might feel sore. Stop wearing a sling if they gave you one. Just remember to keep your elbow on the pacemaker side lower than your shoulder! Drink more water than usual! Rest when tired! 
 

Thank you, God, for helping MAO through!🌸🌺🌼💗

hi

by Tracey_E - 2023-01-11 12:45:20

Mao, thanks so much for the update! Glad you are doing well. Many of us find we aren't quite as asymptomatic as we think we are. 

crystalarch07, many of us have the same experience as Mao, that we do feel better paced even if we thought we didn't have symptoms before. I got my first at 27, I'm 56 now. Read my other comments above for more, but the mentality has changed a lot. They used to want us to wait as long as possible but now they realize that the long term risks/complications of being paced for a lifetime are very minimal, and the benefits of being paced sooner than later are high. It's hard on the body when our rate isn't as high as it should be. When we are younger, the body can compensate and we feel fine, but it takes a toll on our organs because they aren't getting the oxygen they need. Don't be afraid of it when your doctor recommends it. Take your time doing your homework and being comfortable with the decision, there is no rush, but do give it serious thought. 

Mao and Tracey_E

by crystalarch07 - 2023-01-12 06:04:25

First of all, thank you for your suggestions and informations.

Actually, my brain is aware that I need to wear a pacemaker, it's just emotionally so going through this process scares me. Topics such as surgery and the healing process. But I got a lot of information on this website and most of it was motivational information. I think I will say that I want to have an operation in my next doctor's control without waiting any longer and start this process. I feel like the longer I procrastinate, the more my brain will be busy with this issue. The sooner I have surgery, the sooner this process ends and maybe I start to forget that there is a battery there. But no matter how positive I try to think, psychologically, fear does not leave me completely.

Icd no problems 😊

by Luckyman2021 - 2023-01-17 13:55:07

Hi there you will be ok trust me i hade a cardiac arrest in 21 at home my daughter saved my life with cpr was in icu on ventilation for 2 weeks then got my icd fitted . The recovery is hard but you will get there . I feel absolutely fantastic now just mind that wee box will save your life all the best 💔😊