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Is there anyone that likes their ICD? It seems that everyone hates being defibrillated by it. Does it leave you completely stunned? If you got zapped while driving, could you continue to drive? Is it painful as in ouch or as in screaming agony? Do you eventually get used to it? Is the technology improving so that soon the ICDs may not be so uncomfortable?

The closest I have come to regularly submitting to pain is when I got allergy shots twice a week for three years. At least I knew when it was coming. I kind of started liking it after a few years.

I am scheduled for a PM implant in 3 weeks and I hope I have one of the good outcomes described by others on this forum.

3 Comments

great outcomes

by cmathias - 2008-08-30 07:08:17

you will be thankful. regardless. yes, life is a little more difficult, but its just as precious.

courty

Thanks Joy

by BatteryOperated - 2008-08-31 01:08:11

The link was expired but I found what I think is the right site:

http://www.zaplife.org/

It had all the answers to my questions in their FAQ.

I am just learning about stuff on this forum and other places on the web. My questions may seem boring or nonsensical for a while.

PM or ICD?

by joy1 - 2008-08-31 12:08:44

Hi Battery Operated,
You asked about what it's like to have an ICD and then said you are getting a PM put in, so your question is rather confusing. ICDs and PMs are very different fish.

Overall quality of life outcomes tend to be about the same for people who have PMs and ICDs unless the person experiences shocks from being defibrillated. On the other hand how any two people respond to being shocked is different. Go to the Links category tp the left of this page and go to the zappers website if you are interested in finding out more information about how people deal with ICDs.

Good luck with your implant. Let us know how it goes.

joy

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