Pacemaker recipients: Looking for support from others

What a great idea @balubeje. A group for people who have pacemakers. I'm tagging fellow Connect members who have mentioned that they have pacemakers. Please meet @ronbee @jimana @martishka @billmichalski @sotiredofit @ricke62 @catygirl @bevtar98.

@balubeje why don't you kick off the conversation. What is your primary concern? How has living with a pacemaker changed how you live today?

I read a little from each of the posts you mentioned. Not quite sure how to tag on with them or vice verse. Several of these posts go back several years (2012). I'm really not sure exactly what I am expecting to learn just thought there must be others who have/had similar reasons for a pacemaker as mine and wondered if the healing process, the internal sensations run the same for everyone, how to know if something is abnormal. When to be concerned if there is a when would I know it.

Thank you.

That's a great place to start @balubeje. To tag a particular member, simple add their @username (including the @ symbol) in your message. Like I tagged you in this message.
@balubeje what internal sensations from your pacemaker unsettle you?

@ronbee @jimana @martishka @billmichalski How do you know when something is wrong with your pacemaker? What signs have you been told to watch for?

Wonderful question. Mine is only a month old and I am constantly looking for signs that something has changed; even check my pulse occasionally and it's always near 60 except when I'm on the treadmill. Pre-pacer, I could always feel my pulse but with the device it seems to me my heart is not beating as strongly. Wondering if the Metoprolol has reduced the strength of the contractions. At times I can imagine a micro-spark and don't know if my brain is creating things to worry about. Any input on the subject would be welcome.

I'm a new pacemaker recipient. I'm so new to heart disease and pacemaker surgery a support group would be wonderful

I have had a pacemaker for 2 years, as pulse was at 20 while running, then it was changed in April 2015 as it was eroding through my skin, placed from left side of chest to right side, then in September 2015 pulse up to 220 while exercising, had to have a pacemaker-defibrillator implanted. I feel great, no problems except the leads from the pacemaker defibrillator came loose and I can feel it against skin when I touch the area. Went to the doctor who put in all three, and he said it looks as if the sleeves of the suture came loose. Not a concern unless it comes through the skin. I went for a second opinion and the doctor confirmed that information. i feel great, continue to exercise and have no ill effects from any of the implants. I also have AFIB and the only problem and this came on about a month ago, when I feel a flutter from the AFIB, I have a pain in my right upper jaw. Been to the dentist 4 times over it and he assured me everything all right with the teeth and gums. Have to see the cardiologist in two weeks and will find out more. Hope this helps.
Bill Michalski

The middle of June I celebrate one year with my new "normal" life style. Years back I was diagnosed with junctional node rhythm and the way for me to have a NSR was to cough all the time, run all the time-literally so it was just accepted I was not meant to have a NSR. In Feb 2015 for several months I felt like my head was just not in the game-like I was in a fog or not receiving enough blood. Consequently I went through a bunch of tests but in Nov 2014 at my physical they couldn't feel my pulse which started off a series of test-I ended up wearing a monitor for a month which showed I had 6 second pauses in my heart beating. I have a strong heart, no calcifications, excellent system with a very good ejection fraction-I just have no rhythm. I am also on Metoprolol that I can vary. Yet I go through days where I don't even realize I have a PM and maybe weeks then I hit a period where it just feels like there is a battle with my heart so I'm not sure if its the PM working so much and the natural heart beat is resting more. Some days naps are my best friend.

I see I have been tagged in these discussions. However, I don;t have a pacemaker, which was offered to me but I chose to go the ablation route for my A fib and svt (tachycardia) I do have a friend who had one put in when she was 30- she kept fainting. She's a black belt in karate- extremely fit and feels awesome. She is now 63 and has had 2 or 3 more put in over the years and no complaints. Hope that helps. Martishka

Martishka,

Thank you.