I get my pacemaker on Friday

I'm a 59 year old man who has had a slow heart rate for many years.  I've been mostly asymptomatic until November, when I developed periods of lightheadedness and dizziness.  I began to associate these with a low heart rate.  After a 30 day monitor it shows my heart rate is generally slow and won't increase very well.

I am hopeful this helps me, as my symptoms are getting more severe and frequent.  I've not lost conciousness yet, but I've certainly considered it a possibility.

Thanks in advance for your help with questions I'm sure to have after the procedure.

3 Comments

Hi there👋🏼

by Lavender - 2023-03-26 22:53:30

Sorry you're joining the club...but glad to hear you're getting some help soon with your heart so that you can enjoy a long life. 

I got my pacemaker two years ago after wearing a 30 day monitor. On day ten, I passed out and had a 33 second pause. Ventricular standstill can be deadly but thankfully I was revived by a swift punch from my boyfriend, who thought I was choking and punched my back. 

It was a Saturday, so I knew that on Monday, I would be getting a pacemaker. I couldn't wait! I was more worried that I would die before they could wire me up to my life saver. 
 

It is not something we want-it's something we NEED.  Then we have a ticket to ride. It will be ok, Danno. It just will. You will recover quickly and get busy and forget you have a pacemaker. 
 

Be well! Welcome aboard. You're among an elite friendly understanding bunch! Thanks for introducing yourself!☮️

Sick Sinus Syndrome

by AgentX86 - 2023-03-26 23:01:13

Welcome to the group!  We've had a lot of new people here lately. I hope there isn't something in the water.😆

It's good that you're taking this seriously.  Syncope is very, very, dangerous.  If you pass out on stairs, you could kill yourself.  If it's while driving, someone else. You're doing the right thing. Big benefit for a tiny risk.

Basically, your sinus node is shot.  That's the bad news.  The good news is that you have a lot of company here and  this the easiest thing in the world that a pacemaker can fix. This is what pacemakers were originally invented to do.

A complication is that your heart rate won't increase with exercise (chronotropic incompetence). This means that your pacemaker will need to take this function over too. It's not that big of a deal but there are more settings that need to be dialed in for optimum performance.  Depending on your activity level, more tweaking may be needed.  Be sure to tell your cardiologist/surgeon what activities you are involved with.  It matters.

Agent has this right - choice of PM brand can be really important

by crustyg - 2023-03-27 04:46:28

There are quite a few unhappy PM folk here who are keen road cyclists - and whose PMs don't do a good job of raising their HR when cycling uphill.

Running is easy for all PMs, swimming is a challenge for nearly PMs, some vendors' PMs work well for road cycling (off-road/MTB is often easier, much more upper body movement).

Dancing tends to need special settings (need very rapid reponse to movement).

SCUBA is possible with a PM but only a few PMs are suitable for 30m or more - they are hermetically sealed so are exposed to full pressure.

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It made a HUGE difference in my life. Once I got it, I was finally able to run, and ride my bike long distances.