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Low blood pressure?

Ok, recently I have been very dizzy, and it used to only happen after I made sudden movements. My mom thought it was low blood pressure, but now I feel lightheaded, tired, and can't think straight. Anyone know what's up? I am scared to death of stairs, because I am always afraid I will fall. I don't think Mom is taking this very seriously, but if things get worse, she is going to have to belive me.

Hope all is well with everyone else, Sydney

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Sample Pacemaker?

Does anyone know where I can find a sample pacemaker like this one: http://www.sockmachines.com/pm002.jpg

I'd like to be able to show people what I just had installed in me. Thanks.

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Failing pacemaker wire

My pacemaker is a St Judes dual chamber that was put in 5 and 1/2 years ago. About 18 months ago during a routine check I was told that there is a breach in the insulation in the pacerwire in my right ventricle causing it to be impaired. Since that time I have continued to have increasing impairment in the wire and it is being watched closely. The hope, since I pace minimally in my ventricle and most of the time I am approx 90% paced in my atrium, is that they can wait and change my wire when m...

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lifting my arm

Hi all! I hope that you're all well, I haven't posted for a while. Have been doing fine, I am now at my 6 weeks since my pm was fitted(was actually wednesday) I have returned to work too, not full time yet but I will soon have to as our finances will not cope.
I am not due to see my cardio doctor til the 23rd June which will be the 1st time since my op. I was wondering do I have to wait until I have seen him to start raising my arm or can I start doing it gradually myself? Obviously I dont...

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adjusting

I'm not normally a joiner, but I am a little desperate (okay, maybe more than a little) - I got my pacemaker on April 15th and was told the battery life is 10 - 12 years - I went to my first check on May 8th and the readout says - 4.50-6.25 years - I find this disconcerting at best - how can I conserve on the battery? I am 47 years old and freaked out by the quick drain of the battery - I am worried what it's going to say in a couple of weeks when I return to the doctor - any advice will be appr...

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PFO

I was wondering if anyone here has a PFO? (patent foramen ovale). I recently found out that I have one and my doctor wants to do surgery to seal it. He said it increases my risk of stroke/heart attack. This is scary! Does anyone else have this or have had it corrected?

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well good news I hope!!!!!!

Well this has been a day!!!!! Mom calls me this afternoon to let me know they are GOING TO PUT IN DADS NEW PACEMAKER, well folks let me tell you, its about TIME! Earlier today mom calls me from hospital and said that dad had lung infection, well I thought great 1 step forward 2 steps back it seems . All I could think about is daddy getting really tired , losing weight more and more and I was reallly scared that he was just going to give up. It seem when things began to look-up something els...

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Does anybody else....

have any other heart problems since their pacemaker?
I had my first pacer at 10 and since then I seem to have a new problem evertime I go to my doctor. I was intially diagnosed with complete heart block, now I have atrial tach and possibly fibrillations. I just recently found out I have a PFO also.
It makes me anxious everytime I go to see my doc because I worry what he will find next.
Has anyone been "cured" since they got their pacemaker or do you still have ongoing issues?

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Can't Make Technology Work!

Attention of gentlben4u

Have tried to send a Private Message in connection with the c***-up in the chat room, but can't even manage that! Hope you're well. Wannabe

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Stress test

I would like to say first that I have had a pacemaker for 3 years and that I am going in for a stress test June 6. what I would like to know is.If I do this first stress test since they installed my pacemaker, and if something should go wrong, can they revive me being that I have a pacemaker?, please give your in put on this situaion..
Thanks.
Harry"O"

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Thank You!!!

I was overwhelmed and overjoyed at the wealth of responses to my first posted message! Everyone made me feel so welcomed and it made me feel 10 times better. So I just wanted to give a huge thanks to everyone who eased my fears and sadness..I truly was blessed to find this site and all you wonderful people=)

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Heparin

My 22 month old son is having his leads and generator replaced next week. The atrial lead is fractured and the ventrical lead is getting perilously short due to growth. We recently received notice that the CT surgeon is participating in a study evaluating the use of the blood thinning drug Heparin. I am reluctant to allow my son to be part of the study and receive this drug - largely due to the rash of deaths from complications induced by this drug (now known to be from a contaminated batch),...

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Update!

First I wanted to welcome all the people who have just recently joined. I hope you enjoy this club as much as I have.

I know I have been lacking my participation on the club lately and I thought it was high time for me to give y'all a good update. I have gradually been regaining my strength after they turned off the ventricle pacing I have felt much better. I still have some problems but it's all managable.
I am in the process of getting ready to move back to Chicago area....

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it's me again

Just a bit of good news I heard....a search and rescue dog received a pacemaker, and she is doing very good after her surgery!! I hope to locate a picture of her. Hers is for heart block. Aren't these "little friends" just wonderful? My pacemaker is my best friend.

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pacemaker brand

Hi! Everyone!!!
I am new to this group! Is there anyone else out there with a pacemaker by ela? Mine is a Rhapsody DR 2530.

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target heart rates?

I will be able to go back to swimming next month, and I would like to know if anyone's target heart rate during exercise is the same as it was before their pacemaker implant?
No matter what I do now, my heart rate never goes above 65!
Thanks

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Gym Cardio Machines

Hi Everyone,

There’s been a bit of discussion on this forum about the heart rate monitors on the cardio machines (treadmill etc) for those of us that visit the gym. One problem we mention is that they sometimes fluctuate (80 jumps to 140 drops to 90 etc etc) and I always assumed that it was simply the gym machine getting confused by the pacemaker, but I ran the idea past my EP a few weeks ago and he sent me to the PM technicians to investigate.

Just got back, and it turns...

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Anyone work at walmart?

Hi Im 24 years old and work part time as an emt on the ambulance and part time as a cashier at walmart. I was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at the age of 23 and suffered severe SVT and after an ablation of nearly destroying the whole sinus node of the heart and I had a pacemaker implanted 3 months ago. I wanted to ask if anyone knows about pacemakers and the electical devices at walmart. Standing over the security demagnitzer as well as funtioning a wireless scanner all day I cant h...

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Heart Rate Monitor

I had seen where someone had mentioned the Polar heart rate monitor and want to ask if anyone knows of any problems the "uncoded" monitors would have with pacemakers. I have looked on the Polar site but found no mention of pacers.
Thanks,
Pete

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abbrevations in the PM world

I am new to the PM site, just 12 days since install.
I read a post this morning that had so many abbrevations that I couldn't understand it.

For example:
EP
AF
PVC, which I don't think is poly vinyl chloride
INR
TACHY
BRADY
POTS
SVT'
CIVU
NCS
EF, just to name a few

Would it be possible to get an abbreviation list/definitions maybe in the 'Information" section under FAQs or maybe its seperate tab?

...

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You know you're wired when...

The meaning of personal computer is taken a step further.

Member Quotes

I just want to share about the quality of life after my pacemaker, and hopefully increase awareness that lifestyles do not have to be drastically modified just because we are pacemaker recipients.