New pacemaker at 48
I am hoping I am not alone... I just recently had to have a pacemaker for third degree heart block. I'm 48 and it has just thrown me for a loop. I was walking over 2 miles a day in 100+ heat here in FW, TX, eating very healthy, drinking the water, etc., etc. Now I have to go for a ton of tests to find out what caused this and not only am I scared to death I am also still in a state of shock. Any help/advice/info would be GREATLY appreciated.
Tammy
6 Comments
Good Company
by pacergirl - 2008-10-01 05:10:42
You are in good company with the ladies listed above. Welcome.... will post more soon... must board the plane!
Pacergirl
I am 39 with Pacer for 7 weeks
by malston01 - 2008-10-01 06:10:24
I felt like you did until I got to this forum. Initially I felt like I was the only guy 39 with a Pacemaker. Depression soon followed. Then I found this forum and it has given me support and assurance that life will be OK. We are not alone and there are plenty of young people living long happy lives with their devices.
What I can tell you is that I feel better today than I did prior to my implant. I had been walking around for years dizzy and feeling faint due to a slow heart rate, but ignored the symptoms until I passed out 7 weeks ago.
Technology is amazing and we are lucky to be living in the age of such amazing advances.
Third degree what?
by ElectricFrank - 2008-10-02 01:10:09
First off don't let the term Heart Block throw you. In fact don't even use it. The real condition is third degree AV block which means that the electrical signal is not getting from your atrium to ventricles. The most common cause is a bacterial or viral infection, which is not influenced by your good physical condition.
The reason I say forget the Heart Block label is that it sounds ominous. This is just what the medical community likes because it scares you into anything they want. The word block conjures up images of blocked arteries and opens the door to taking meds for that. Bluntly put it is a marketing term. By the way all those tests will likely come back inconclusive, and are only run if you have good insurance. In my case I decided against them 4 years ago and am doing great.
The good news is that AV Block is one of the easiest conditions for a pacemaker to deal with. The pacer simply senses the contraction of the atrium, which is still being paced by your own natural pacemaker, and then times a small voltage pulse to the ventricles causing them to contract. Wala, you have normal rhythm again.
I have the same condition. 4 years ago my HR suddenly dropped to 40 and I felt lousy. By the time I got the pacer my HR was down to 26. I was also in good physical condition and could still get up and walk around. Once I got the pacer and managed to get the settings properly programmed I back to a normal life. I spent time in the Colorado Rocky;'s last summer at 13,000' and hiked around just fine. By the way I'm 78.
One suggestion that I give anyone new with a pacer is to ask for a copy of the pre and post programming sessions at each checkup. These will tell how your heart is responding to the current settings and document what changes have been made. You will likely at some point experience feeling uncomfortable after a check up and it is handy to know what the changes were. There are several of us here who can help interpret the printouts.
By the way I live in the Mojave Desert of California and know what it is like to exercise in 100deg heat. We have the advantage of lower humidity than you do in Dallas. Typically we are in the 5-10% range.
welcome to the forum,
frank
Hello & Welcome
by chip - 2008-10-02 03:10:12
No you are certainly not alone!
Im in my late 40s and have been blessed with a pacemaker.
I was very surprised to find that there are so many others much younger than us with pacers.
I was always very healthy then one day experienced syncope while driving totaled my SUV but no one was hurt. Many, many tests and procedures to determine the cause; finally they found an arrhythmia hence the pacer.
Dont get discouraged your doctors will get to the root of your situation but it does take time.
My pacemaker has really improved my quality of life no more passing out!
Live Well & God Bless
In time
by Coachd - 2008-10-15 01:10:19
Tammy,
I have the same condition, however I am 45 in great shape and loving life. It took me for a loop and first. I have had my PM for about 2 weeks now and I feel great. Stay focused and connected.
Coach D
You know you're wired when...
Airport security gives you free massages.
Member Quotes
I feel so incredibly thankful that I can continue to live my life.
You're not alone
by Tracey_E - 2008-10-01 04:10:01
I'm 42 and have had a pm for 3rd degree block since 1993, I was born with my block. Please don't be shy if you have questions. I've been through the gamut by now and am happy to answer questions or be a sounding board or whatever you need. Feel free to post here or email me privately.
The time to be scared to death was before you got it, now you can rest easy knowing your pm will kick in when your heart doesn't do its job. You should be feeling a lot more energetic soon, if not already.
Keep up the eating right and exercise! A block can pretty much be fixed with these amazing chunks of titanium we carry around. We can't control that but we can take control of how we feel by staying in shape and making sure we don't do our hearts additional damage with poor lifestyle choices. Best of luck for a rapid recovery!