Chest pain with pacemaker

The name says it all: Mayo Clinic Connect.
And, generally speaking, while I would agree that keeping “on topic” can be important, I found in my over 35 years of private practice as a licensed mental health professional, people process and find pathways to resolve pain in many, many different ways.
Besides the obvious issues such as depression, stress, anxiety, I also counselled patients on perception and management of pain and adjustment to disability and chronic illness. Pain, disability and chronic illness do require an adjustment in oh-so-many ways. As do anxiety and stress. Coping mechanisms are required, both the innate variety and the taught ones. And coping mechanisms come in many different forms.
It was not uncommon for someone to decide not to discuss the reason they were seeking therapy in a session but to, instead, talk about something completely unrelated. Often the subject of children or grandchildren was raised, or a movie they had seen recently or a book they had read. And yes, frequently, a story about a beloved pet would be brought up.
I learned to “go with the flow”, as it were. Because I also learned over the years that these side stories, these “off topic” topics, were an attempt to remind themselves (and me) that their life was not all sorrow or fear or pain or whatever was negative about it. These stories often illustrated humour, and joy. And laughter. They would talk about something funny their grandchild did or said, a laugh-out-loud moment in a movie or something their pet did that lifted their mood. Was it technically part of their therapy? No. But it was therapy, nonetheless. And it reminded my patients – and me - that there still were places of joy and love and humour and, mostly importantly, hope in their lives. Places, that when they found them even if only for a brief moment, they clung to. We all need hope. And they wanted to share that with me.
One of my jobs was providing them a safe place to share and not to be rigid about the process.
I am now retired but still facilitate a support group for grief and loss at a local church. I do this once a week. And in these sessions, the group frequently goes “off topic”, bringing up subjects that the others can often relate to. Some are completely from left field. But there is only one rule besides respect: keep it light. ("Loss" is a complicated subject. Not simply about death of loved one but also about loss of a relationship or a job or any number of other things, including pets. All losses must be treated with respect. That is the abiding rule.) However, after one of these off-topic episodes, participants frequently leave the meeting with a smile or a laugh or two. Not always but often enough. And a feeling of shared community.
These shared experiences build bonds, be they sad or joyful. And it allows the individual who is sharing an opportunity to be heard and for the rest of us to share their happiness or sorrow. Or fear. Or pain.
What Mayo Clinic Connect is fostering is a sense of community. And community promotes a feeling of belonging; ideally a sense of safety. Where we can share our experiences with each other and learn from each other. To connect in a human way, something that is getting to be more and more difficult.
And, if while scrolling through the various posted responses, one comes upon a reply that isn’t “your jam”, as my granddaughter would say, then do as I do and hit delete. Easy.
So, from my perspective, thank you @elizadolittle and @jc76 for sharing. And @jc76, I hope you and your wife find a new best 4 legged friend sometime soon.

Hi everyone. This is a case where everyone is right. Tangents happen and that's okay. The community guidelines encourage us to stay on topic. When tangents happen, please bring the discussion back on topic.

Here's a reminder of the Community Guidelines for review: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines/
The most important guideline is "Respect all members". Be kind. Disagreements are fine. But mutual respect is essential.

If there is anything that needs the attention of a moderator, please report it:
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Here are a couple of discussions some of you might be interested in:
- How our Pets Help in Times of Need https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-our-pets-help-in-times-of-need/
- What Pets Can Do: Health and Healing https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-pets-can-do-health-and-healing/

@colleenyoung
Hello Colleen
It's Sunday. Do you not get a day off? 😉 You are one hard working individual. (I wish we had emojis on this site. I would give you a "thumbs up".)
All joking aside, Mayo Clinic Connect has a great feature in private messaging. I use it quite often to contact other members when I want to chat about something that may not be of interest to others or is somewhat private. It can be accessed by clicking the profile picture of the individual you wish to communicate with. Or, in my case, the generic icon.
That way, one can continue conversing with others without throwing the topic thread off. As I said, it is handy feature.

@cottagecountry
Thank you.
The name of this group is Pacemaker and ICD Support Group. So staying on topic would be information and experience on dealing with having a Pacemaker and ICD. Some of us find a pacemaker really difficult to have. My EP talked about it to me with some feeling it is a splinter. Some in my Pace Clinic report patients coming in with scratches and device being moved.

An ICD is a totally different situation. Unless you have had a ICD and experienced a ICD shocks you do not know the physically and mental anxiety and stress it creates. So of us trying to help prevent or assist stated how we deal with the ICD shocks anxiety and stress. And that was having a pet and how it helped. I do not see any going off topic.

The last two words of the forum is, "Support Group." So you pass on how you have dealt with having a ICD and pacemaker and what you did or had that helped you deal with it. I think a mentor said the forum was Pacemaker and pain. That is not the name of this forum on MCC. It is Pacemaker and ICD SUPPORT Group.

When a poster sends a post and identifies another poster he/she is asking their experience and knowledge of a subject. Again unless you have suffered ICD shocks (I have had 15) you have no idea of the mental and physical stress and anxiety that is present. So bringing up how valuable you found your pet helping you deal with mental and physical discomfort you have experienced and how much having a pet might help is on subject.

I have many many times on many different forums talked about exercise and hobbies helping those on this forum and many others how valuable it is. Did we go off topic if someone asked you about a specific exercise to help them you mentioned? It is directly connected to the topic and finding ways to deal with those who are suffering from mental and physical stress, worry, anxiety and for some of us developing PTSD form multiple shocks (a verified issue my cardiologist say happens).

Having a pet and how it helps with having a pacemaker and ICD and how it helps is on topic. I developed PTSD from my ongoing ICD shocks with moved into Anxiety/Panic Disorder. Is mentioning having PTSD anxiety/disorder from ICD/Pacemaker going off topic. They why would bringing up your experience with how you deal with that PTSD anxiety/panic disorder caused by having an ICD/Pacemaker.

What helped me get out of that was a pet and an exercise routine. I was asked about the pet side but on many other forums exercise and the ones I do I get constant questions about them and I answer them hoping that that information and experience can help others prevent developing those issues I have. And for those of us do have those issues what I did to help deal with them both physically and mentally.

Pacemaker and ICD Support Group. Support means giving your experience and knowledge of the subject.