Most Recent Messages in Coping

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Going through the stages

Well, I'm about 12 hours away from 2 weeks post PM implant. Due to being a bit of a genetic freak, my incision site finished healing nearly a week ago and with the tweak to my PM last Tuesday, I no longer feel any pain or discomfort from my PM. Physically, I feel nearly normal aside from the bump in my chest now from the PM. I am still working on accepting the PM as a part of me now, not really much closer there. I am bi-polar also, so am really watching the depression trying to keep it from...

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travel info

Hi Everyone, I have two questions one is I will be getting on a plane latter today and have not gone through security or flown since I got my pacemaker. All I need is my card (that says I have a PM) that I carry in my wallet, correct?
The second question I have, is does anyone know why we shouldn’t run a chain saw. Is it due to the vibration or is it something else?

Ron

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newbie here

Hello All,
I am two weeks into being a PM recipient, and have been reading the posts here since shortly after getting out of the hospital. Figured it was time I introduced myself.

I'm 45, female, married, and an over-the-road truckdriver from Las Vegas, NV.

I started reading this board hoping to learn more about what has and is happening to me. My doctors don't seem to be volunteering information, and I don't have a clue what to ask them. All I know is that back in...

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Trying to Cope

Hi Everyone - I just joined because reading all these messages has made me feel a little better. My pm was installed 3 weeks ago today, and I'm doing okay physically, but really fighting depression, which is so unlike me. I basically felt fine, had no symptoms, until I passed out twice and then, in the hospital, my heart stopped for 8 seconds. So now I have a back up battery.

It's all a little too science-fictiony for me. I had no prior warning that anything was wrong. I am 60, walk,...

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SRANGE VERY LTTLE DROPPING SENSATION AFTER TOUGH EXERCISE

Hi
Allan(42 edinburgh dual lead pacemaker) here wonder if anyone can help I have has pacemaker for nearly 2 years now and been feeling ok .But I have been training really hard with a personal trainer and after we do our gymn stuff he
likes me to do approx twenty minutes vigourus boxing which is basically me hitting his pads as hard as I can .But he really makles me loose my breath doing this and now after i have finished exercises and when i relax I am getting anoying little dr...

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Still trying

How long does it take to get past the idea of having a PM installed? I had my PM installed on 3/30/09 so it is still pretty new, but I am no closer to accepting it. They are saying now that my pacer was set too sensitive because even if I laugh to hard, my pacer doesn't detect the heartbeat and creates another one causing me to be in arrhythmia almost all the time. Does it get easier to accept when it is set right?

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Back to real life

Okay - it has been four months since I received my PM which I am told is working at 100%. I had complete blockage when I had it implanted. I had not realized how bad I felt until after I received it and than felt so good that it didn't bother me at all. Now ever little ache or pain or strange sensation in my body makes me worry that something isn't right and I start expecting to drop over dead. I am sitting here crying because I stood up and felt light headed. Is this normal?

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Social Event

My wife & I are planning to attend a Heartbeat International fundraiser on Saturday, September 26, 2009 in Tampa, Flordia. I was thinking other members and possibilly their spouses may want to join us.

There has been much talk about a social event for members and I thought Flordia would be a good location. I was thinking we could have a wine/cheese reception on Friday evening, visit Bush Gardens on Saturday and then attend the Heartbeat "Dancing with the Stars" dinne...

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In honor of Peter Nash, dinner

Good day everyone,
I wanted to remind those of you who are going to enjoy dinner to honor Peter Nash that tomorrow is his day. The day will begin with our Aussie friends and work it's way around the world... as the day goes on the dinners will be continue around the world!.... becoming connected with memories, tears and laughter in honor of the friend we so recently lost.

I for one will take a minute to honor Debbie as well, a sweet and funny lady who I am sure Peter is enjoyin...

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Due Date

Okay just to keep everyone posted my due date is now halloween. Which is cool with me! lol But they will hafta take the baby one to two weeks early for the safty of us both. Ive been feeling pretty good. I always feel sick to my stomach but thats normal....right! lol Just one thing. I have been having slight chest pressure, and i dont like that feeling. I mean it hasnt been anything to bad and I havent really been worried about it just wanted to lay it out there! haha So keep me and baby in ur t...

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not being able to do as much

Dear chfers, This week my husband of almost three years turns sixty and he is a twin my sis in law and I had abig b-day party but I was so pooped at the end of the day . Doyou ever get up and want to go right back to bed ? And when in bed do you listen for every heart flutter? I want tofunction like I used to be able to I took my health for granted and I regret it now I have been jucing and eating more fruit and vegs so we shall see what happens.

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Off Topic

This has been a sad week for pacemakerclub members in regard to losing members. I also experienced an unexpected loss when my husband of 44 years collapsed and suddenly died today. There are no words to describe the pain of this. I was the one with the heart problems...not him. I guess we never know what lies ahead for us.

Please hug those close to you and express your love for them. And don't take anything for granted!!!

Love you,
Suze

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In Peter's honor, my story

After allowing myself some time to get over the devastating shock of loosing such a friend, I feel the need to express my feelings.

Peter Nash and I were very good friends. We met here at the Pacemaker Club after I had my PM implanted in Feb. of 2005. He and I began to chat here and it didn’t take long to see we had a lot in common. We soon became great friends.
Peter invited my husband and I to come to England for a visit in May of 2007. Oh my! the planning of the trip!! We ha...

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Tiredness

My PM was implanted 5-24-2007 and have had little or no problems other than learning to cope with the PM. The last few days I have been experiencing tiredness and one or two times a quick dizziness. I had an appointment with my EP and mentioned this to him and he assured me the PM was doing great and the settings were fine. I have extreme anxiety and panic that I have had for many years. He stated that the above were due to the anxiety. Should I contact my Technician and see if maybe I nee...

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Week 2 post implant - napping

Hi everyone,

It's now 12 days post PM implant for my Dad (68) and I just wonder if anyone has advice on this.

Late evening (between 9 and 11 pm) when TV is on, a wave of tiredness will hit him and he has to put down his newspaper and nap for 5/10 mins. (His symptoms pre PM were episodes of fainting/collapsing). It's normal sleeping but it seems to hit him quite quickly.

Is this because the PM is having to kick in and he's only functioning at his resting HR (60)....

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Newbie daughter - what lies ahead

Hi everyone,

My Dad (68) collapsed one morning in January for about 30 seconds. He was taken into hospital for 2 days of tests but nothing was found.

Last Tuesday he had 4 'episodes' throughout the day; first a weakness, then about 10 seconds of unconsciousness (with his eyes open - I thought it was a stroke), then a collapse for about 30 seconds at which point we called his GP. We were going to wait to go to the ER until the next morning but he lost consciousness (not nor...

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Depressed

I've been pretty depressed today, I'm not sure why. It's been a beautiful day and I spent most of it on the seafront with my friends and their month-old baby daughter. But my heart has continued to skip and the PM doesn't seem to kick in as often as it should. While I was watching TV about an hour ago it skipped several times and I felt quite dizzy. My life since July last year has been pretty hellish, with the uncertainty surrounding my heart condition, as it's only recently been properly diagn...

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arvd at age 35

Hello, im struggling to change my life...I had an Icd placed on 2/17/09, 2 weeks after it was placed I received my first shocked then a second 1 the same day while I was at the hospital, the Dr changed my meds to hopefully stop my heart from beating so fast...well im now scared to do anything, my heart is only functioning 30%, I went up and down stairs today and I felt something almost like pulsing sensations on my heart from my icd...I already have an appt tomorrow morning with the dr...how do...

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? 1st Disney trip since pm..what..

Okay, I'm 6 wks post pm and going to have fun for the first time in a while and going to Disneyland tomorrow.
What rides should I avoid. I have pm for long pauses that came on while sleeping.

Actually went to ER fri night because I got nauseas again and funny feeling in my head while laying down.

What do you guys think about Dland??
Thanks in advance!!

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New member

Hi all, I am a 32 yr year old female with a new pacemaker. i died on January 2nd, coded three times and recived a brand new security blanket in the form of a dual lead pacemaker. I used to be incredibly active and am a type A personality, but i'm really having a hard time coming to the realization that i'm not superwoman. How do I change my whole life? Even now, my dr says slow down, slow down, slow down, and i really don't want to! I had a life! Now i have stress from worrying about wheth...

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You know you're wired when...

You participate in the Pacer Olympics.

Member Quotes

The experience of having a couple of lengths of wire fed into your heart muscle and an electronic 'box' tucked under the skin is not an insignificant event, but you will survive.