Long off the club but…..I’m Back!

Hey, y'all! I am back after long hiatus from the club. Not many will remember me but that's what happens. 
Had first pacemaker installed 2013. All was well for many years but the pacemaker was getting low on juice, a bit early since I am 100% paced, so got a new generator installed  March 2021 rated for 13 years this go round! 
In the the meantime, started having chest pains, thought it was reflux, but endoscope said no. Had already planned it with cardiology if endo said no reflux, check for blockage... Turned out to be 95% blockage of LAD, the widow maker. Got a stent March 2021:not long after new pacemaker. Rocking an rolling now! My doctors listened, followed through, and it worked out great.

3 Comments

Welcome back

by Gemita - 2023-11-14 03:04:49

PJinSC, Wow, you were lucky that the almost total blockage in the LAD (left anterior descending artery) was caught before it was too late.  Your comments, “rocking an rolling now! My doctors listened, followed through, and it worked out great” is so reassuring to hear.  We love success stories so please keep in touch and visit us more often.

My husband had to have two stents placed in his LAD artery in 2017.  The LAD artery apparently provides about half of the arterial blood supply to the left ventricle and is considered the most important vessel supplying the heart.  Blockage of this artery is often called the widow-maker infarction since if abruptly blocked it will cause a massive heart attack that will likely lead to sudden death.

How do you find the second pacemaker?   Do you have any new exciting programs running that you know about?  I see it should give longer battery life, so that will be a bonus.  

I am still on my first pacemaker (2018) and although they all tell me a generator change is absolutely nothing to worry about, I am not exactly looking forward to it although an upgrade of my present system will be helpful.

I hope you continue to do well

Welcome back!

by Good Dog - 2023-11-14 05:57:54

Nothing I love more than good news in the morning! It is great to have you back. Hopefully you will stick around a little longer this time. You have gained plenty of experience and knowledge that can help-out so many others here. Your story is a positive one...........

This is a great way to start my day since I am taking my wife in about an hour from now for a stent in her aorta to shore up an aneurysm we discovered just in the nick of time.

Sincerely,

Dave

Thanks for the kind welcome

by PJinSC - 2023-11-16 20:55:16

Thanks for the kind welcome. 

For all who are experiencing their first pacemaker, I can unequivocally say that if you don't give up, work and stay active, it is not a huge change to your lifestyle. All the hype about what you cannot do or be around is just that...hype. If you look at my old posts you will see that I seriously challenged my device repeatedly and never had an issue. Do what you want, but if something causes feedback like a skipped beat or that funny feeling in your chest,  instead or running away, figure out what it was, and if it was real, don't do it again or find another way.

The current pacemakers are far advanced than earlier models. my number two device is a Boston Scientific "Visionist CRT-P"’ 3 lead with a 13 year battery. It is adaptive to my activity and respiration, etc, and with the new cell phone monitor reports to my local lab and Boston Scientific daily reports. My CPAP reports my sleeping activity to Resmed, so I can't get away with anything!

So what am saying is a pacemaker is a new lease on life, make the best of it. Hiding under your bed feeling sorry for yourself will just make your life miserable. Get out and enjoy what you have been given!

 

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