Peacemaker life

normal life!

by Tracey_E - 2024-09-06 13:59:12

I am 57 now, was 27 when I got my first pacemaker. I am on my 5th device now, still healthy and active. My children are a bit older than you at 26 and 27. 

Those statistics do not apply to us!! The average person getting a pacemaker is decades older than you, so their life expectancy will never be what yours is. Those are the people used to make those statistics. I have been told by every doctor I have ever had that this will not affect my life expectancy. The pacemaker fixes our problem, and life goes on. 

I think we even have an advantage. We are well monitored, better than our peers. We are more aware of our health. I am diligent about eating right and exercising because I am conscious of my heart. 

Hi there🌻

by Lavender - 2024-09-06 15:26:44

I too was told that my pacemaker would not affect life expectancy other than extending my life😉. I am old enough to be your mom...too old to die young but still young at heart. 💜 

Live your best life

by Amyelynn - 2024-09-06 18:48:47

Hi

i got my pacemaker when I was twelve years old due to complete heart block (I passed out watching a high school football game)

I am now 38 years old and about to be on my  I believe 5th pacemaker.

you can live a full normal lifespan as long as you live a healthy life! 
 

my pacemaker hasn't really slowed me down much (except for my dreams of becoming a professional wrestler when I was younger 🤣)

however I now own my own dog walking business and am very active!

the only helpful advice I have is go to your regular check ups with your EP and keep on track with your pacemaker remote transmissions.... oh and listen to your body! If something feels off or not write check in with your doctor. 
 

take care,

Amy 

8-20 years?  Those statistics often do not apply to older folks either

by Gemita - 2024-09-07 05:13:08

Alina,

Firstly I never read about life expectancy.  Who can possibly know or predict what might happen to any of us from the time we are born to the time we die?

As an older member I can confirm that there is life after a pacemaker, a more comfortable and safer life than living without it.  Furthermore, from my own personal experience I believe the pacemaker has and will continue to prolong my life by keeping my heart rate reliably higher so that all my organs can be adequately supplied with oxygen rich blood.  This has improved many of my symptoms associated with a slow heart beat.  I feel so much better with a pacemaker.

There are members who ask about getting a pacemaker when they are aged 80 or 90.  Clearly they help the older generation too, to live a more comfortable, safer life, otherwise why implant one?   Purchasing, implanting, monitoring of the patient with a pacemaker is expensive and our health condition and health authority has to justify the cost of placing one.

Putting your life expectancy aside, how do you “feel” with your pacemaker.  Are you feeling better?  I hope so.  

20 years

by piglet22 - 2024-09-07 06:17:06

I've made it through to more senior years - - another one today - and  without my device, I dread to think what I would be like by now.

All your device is doing is filling in the bits your heart has stopped doing.

Put it like this. It is what it is, but conditions like heart block are very fixable Bridge over troubled waters comes to mind.

The only difference now is to remember to think before you do something. Please don't start taking your consumer unit apart without turning the power off.

Other than that, enjoy life, there's lots to do.

Control what you can

by Tex61 - 2024-09-07 07:58:01

Eat healthy.  

Exercise.   Your heart has more protection now.    
 

Live your life.  

Get right with God.   
 

not necessarily in that order!

Thanks

by Alinafabi - 2024-09-07 10:43:22

Thanks for all the messages! I'm fine now, and I was fine before.. until in one day I lost consciousness. Never happend to me before. I go to a doctor and he monitored me for two days. In this 2 days, my heart rate was very low. I was suspected for Lyme, but the test was negative . after that, I took a test and the results were sent to America. When the results come,mutations were observed on two genes. So, i was borned with this problem but i was asymptomatic for 22 years.. then the doctor say i have a BAV grade 3 congential.. 

forever

by dwelch - 2024-09-09 00:36:58

I have leads older than you.  37 years with pacemakers, device number five.  Doctor is still talking about "saving the other side for the future"  Im 57 now.  Not everyone has the same condition, myself and one or more others you heard from have CCHB complete congenital heart block, I dont know what you have.  For us the pacer simply fixes an electrical problem for lack of a longer description. and as a result makes us normal, and as a result we can live a normal life.   

Some folks here have 40+ years, one person over 50 or maybe it was 60 years.   Wtihin my lifetime they have been putting them into babies and children. some of the folks that are here or have been here started at single digit age and have 10 or more devices. 

I am using one of my original leads, 37 years old and a 30 year old lead...Tracey_E and I and another one or two are just STARTING to have conversations with our docs about replacing the leads.

You will pretty much always be the youngest patient for your doctor, and that is fine, that is actually good.  You will be an old pro at this like those of us with several devices under our belts.

Tons of knowledge on the site, work on talking to your doc, understanding your condition, what the device is doing for you

Bottom line the device is there to extend life and/or completely fix the problem you have, so it is more of OMG I am happy I have a device than any other kinds of thoughts.

Unlikely I would have lived to be your age without this technology, CCHB used to have a teenage life expectancy, now they have to turn our last device off after we are gone (for some other reason than our condition), the pacers outlive us.

You have found the right place!  Welcome to the club you didnt volunteer to join, lots of good people here, you are in good hands.

normal life

by judyk - 2024-09-14 15:02:49

I"m 81 years old and have had a pacemaker for 31 tears.  Getting ready for  my 4th repacement in a couple months.  Live life to it's fullest my friend!  My doctor told me he wasn't giving me a pacemaker to stop me but to keep me going.  Did maintenance work ( including electrical ) for 23 years before  I retired!  Let normal life continue!