Battery condition.

I had a phone checkup this week and just got my copy of the report in the mail. (I have them trained to mail it to me immediately). All is looking very well other than that the battery life is down to 1-2 years. Time flys. I've had mine for almost 4 yrs so the 5 yr average is catching up.
I have one more phone checkup in Jan and then an office check in April.

The reason for writing all this is to share my plans at the next office visit. I will let them know that I expect to have a replacement scheduled BEFORE the pacer goes into its "Elective Replacement Mode" with fixed pacing rate. I travel a lot and camp in remote places. With my pacing at 100% I don't intend to risk having a problem at an inconvenient time.

Should be interesting!!

frank

6 Comments

replacement

by Tracey_E - 2008-10-14 05:10:40

If they're anything like my dr's office, they will not want you to get anywhere close to that mode! They treat ERM as strictly emergency backup. When I get to the last six months, they usually tell me to go ahead and pick a time when it's convenient. Once, "convenient" was at the very end of those six months, I wanted to make it until school let out if possible. They had me come in every month the last three months to make sure I had enough juice for the next month.

And in my experience, if you are fairly stable in your usage 1-2 yrs means 2 yrs.

Same here!!!

by Rewiredaussiegirl - 2008-10-14 06:10:25

Hi Frank,guess what...I had my checkup 2 weeks ago and my battery life is the same as yours..1-2 years.!!
I have got a really good cardiologist and he said there is no way he will let it go to "Elective Replacement Mode."
Hope you go in first so I can get your expert description of how it all goes!!

Regards Kay

ERM is no fun

by 1of4kids - 2008-10-14 07:10:31

Frank,
I hope you never have to be in the Elective Replacement Mode, I have been in this Mode since 8/30/08 and I can tell you it sucks. Since 8/30, I have been having trouble sleeping because this wired heart beat keeps me awake as I sleep on my side and a light sleeper, little movement or noise will wake me up and I can't go back to sleep so I get really tired the next day at work.
I saw the EP doc this morning and he is going to take the pacer out on 11/18 and see how I do without it since the option of waiting for the battery to die out will take at least another 3 months

Hi Frank,

by Gellia2 - 2008-10-14 09:10:02

That's interesting. Please let me know if you can get your replacement before ERM. I was told that I have to be in ERM for Medicare to pay for my replacement. Last replacement I was in ERM for about three weeks and it made me very SOB.
Thanks and best of luck, Frank. You have given me some really super advice in the past and I really thank you for it.
Gellia

Medicare

by Tracey_E - 2008-10-14 12:10:42

Gellia, I had not heard that! I'm not on Medicare so I don't know much about it but I know that the diagnosis that was turned in to BC/BS simply said "end of life".

Thanks for the input

by ElectricFrank - 2008-10-15 02:10:29

I am on Medicare which is why I expect a fight. I have one fall back approach I have kept in mind for years. Go to emergency and either in the waiting room or while walking into the treatment area "pass out". They have no way to know whether it is real or not. This should give them the symptoms they need to get an approval from Medicare.

Hopefully, this won't be necessary, but by now most you know me well enough to know I would do it!

I appreciate knowing your experiences. It is encouraging that they haven't wanted to wait for ERM.

One thought that just struck me. If my pacer gets real close to going into ERM, they could simply program it to double chamber pacing and full voltage. From what I have read in the Medronics technical manual this will likely trigger ERM. Then set it back t normal and reset ERM. Now they have the "evidence" to justify it. I like that better than "passing out".

cheers,

frank

You know you're wired when...

Friends call you the bionic man.

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