Scared of doing anything

I've had my PM since late July. After a lot of small problems, my doctor has set my PM. My problem is I am afraid to allow my heart rate to increase. When it gets over 100, I can feel myself panic. The doctor wants me walking to lose weight but I can't bring myself to do it.I won't even go to a movie or anyplace where there are a lot of people or where I'll have to walk a lot for fear that I'll collapse. I never acted like this before! Has anyone else felt like this? I have this fear that I'll drop dead from a heart attack. I had a 3rd degree block but no heart disease so my doctor says that I won't drop dead but that doesn't seem to ease my mind. I check my bp and pulse constantly as well. Any words of consolation???
Thanks!

7 Comments

Oh dear!

by Pookie - 2008-11-16 09:11:02


Welcome to this wonderful club.

I felt the exact same way when I first got my pacemaker. I constantly took my pulse like every minute or if I thought I felt it beat funny. Bad habit to get into only because it is really tough to stop, but I did. I did the blood pressure monitoring too!!!

However, I liked going out where there were lots of people just in case anything ever happened to me, but again, it takes some time to get over all of this. It's a huge change and/or adjustment in your life and it will all get better with time.

You are not alone in how you feel...for sure. You might want to ask your cardiologist to send you to heart rehab therapy (or whatever name it goes by) where you exercise but are monitored by hospital staff...could be very re-assuring.

P.S. 100 beats per minute is not that fast.

Good luck
Pookie

Me Too

by PeggyR - 2008-11-16 10:11:02

My PM was born 9/5/08 -- so still a real newbie. I've had some of the same feelings you are having. My doc had me use a sling for 2-3 weeks when I was out and about so people might be less apt to bump me (also wore it at night so I wouldn't raise my arm during my sleep). The first few times I went out without my sling I literally felt naked, lol. If anyone came near me I almost backed away, was weird.

I'm not too nervous about doing stuff now, although I am definitely more careful and think twice. I figure that I'm in better shape than people w/o PMs. I'm monitored nightly, in contact with docs, going to have stress tests and Pulmonary Function Tests this week. Figure everything should be fairly well checked out by the time they are through and if they find anything else, other than the 3rd degree blockage, then then can fix that too.

I am trying to look at my PM as my friend. Figure the alternative to not having it was't good (for sure) but difficult to remember that some of the time.

I still shy away from touching the area over the PM, like it can bite my hand if I touch it.

I agree with Pookie, in time it will be more natural and maybe we won't even think about it.

Take care and good luck "Always Blessings, Never Losses".

Peggy

Me Too

by PeggyR - 2008-11-16 10:11:56

My PM was born 9/5/08 -- so still a real newbie. I've had some of the same feelings you are having. My doc had me use a sling for 2-3 weeks when I was out and about so people might be less apt to bump me (also wore it at night so I wouldn't raise my arm during my sleep). The first few times I went out without my sling I literally felt naked, lol. If anyone came near me I almost backed away, was weird.

I'm not too nervous about doing stuff now, although I am definitely more careful and think twice. I figure that I'm in better shape than people w/o PMs. I'm monitored nightly, in contact with docs, going to have stress tests and Pulmonary Function Tests this week. Figure everything should be fairly well checked out by the time they are through and if they find anything else, other than the 3rd degree blockage, then then can fix that too.

I am trying to look at my PM as my friend. Figure the alternative to not having it was't good (for sure) but difficult to remember that some of the time.

I still shy away from touching the area over the PM, like it can bite my hand if I touch it.

I agree with Pookie, in time it will be more natural and maybe we won't even think about it.

Take care and good luck "Always Blessings, Never Losses".

Peggy

100BPM

by ElectricFrank - 2008-11-17 01:11:12

Do know what your upper limit is set for. If it is set even as high as 120 you could be hitting it. I found that after exercising to around 100 that after I stopped my HR would continue up and hit the 120 limit they had me set for right after the implant. The problem is that the pacemaker enforces the limit by making your heart skip beats. When this happens at a time when you have been exercising it doesn't feel good. Then the anxiety it causes can result in SOB. I had to insist they set mine up to 150. Then all was well.

frank

touching not is good

by ibehurtin - 2008-11-17 03:11:55

hi peggy I had to laugh when i read that you are afraid to touch you icd or pacer I have an icd i had a pacer but it didnt do the job so they took it out and put in icd what made me laugh tho was i had what i thought was a tiny bit of skin in the scar and i was trying to take it out til the dr told me to not touch it ,it was a wire,lol i almost put myself back in hosp, being dumb. hey take care and go with God!!!

hey cher

by walkerd - 2008-11-17 09:11:53

I think its normal to be scared, i was and still am sometimes had mine implanted on sept 16th after a quad high risk bypass on aug the 1st of this year, I look at it like i have a little emt with me 24/7, I have a pm/defib as I had a few heart attacks and didnt even know it, when They found it I had damaged half my heart so i really needed the defib unit and my heart isnt pumping like it should really labored so hence the pm. I started slow on my walks went a few hundred feet for a few days and just kept extending it now i walk 3 miles a day weather permitting, not straight thru alot of stopping and smelling the weeds along the way on the country road. lol. Youll be fine cher ask your doc about what frank said he is one of our gurus in here. Just try not to worry as much as you are you will be fine, i know that is easier said than done but if i can do it so can you. Look at it this way you may cause yourself more damage mentally and physcially by not doing anything. Talk to your doctor about your feelings dont keep them inside to yourself. put things on here to it does help to talk to people going thru the same thing you are. It helped me more than anyone on here will know and i can never repay them for their support and knowlege on here, except in my own little way maybe helping someone else get thru this in my own unknowing way. lol
think positve
dave

Thanks for th words of encouragement

by Cherthom - 2008-11-21 09:11:49

I decided that you are all right..I have to accept my PM and just live my life. I was okay until they had to do a revision(my lower lead shifted) and ever since then I have been so scared of dying..scared the PM would fail. I went out of town for the day for my job and just relaxed..didn't think about it and had such a nice day. I do notice that when I'm occupied with work or shopping that I don't focus on my heart rate!
This is such a great club with great people. I have received so much help from so many people.
I have vowed to deal with this like you all have and get on with my life!
Have a great weekend!

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I finished 29th in London in 2 hours 20 minutes 30 seconds which is my fastest with or without a device so clearly it didn’t slow me down ! I had no problems apart from some slight chaffing on my scar - more Vaseline next time.