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Heart failure low ejection fraction, suggestions on defibrillator
Pacemaker & ICDs | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (14)Comment receiving replies
@bbnx2010 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, a forum where you can meet others with similar health issues. It is not a place to get professional medical advice or care. Your statement "Will continue the effort to understand all that I can find regarding my effort to control my heart issues." is exactly the advice we give to people. Knowing as much as possible allows you to understand your doctor's explanations, formulate questions and be a part of your care team. You have a great attitude.
Here is a link to help you in your quest: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/implantable-cardioverter-defibrillators/about/pac-20384692
I have an ICD, Buddy and I became an item after a septal myectomy; I had developed electrical issues resulting in arrythmias. I am paced from the pacemaker function, and I hope I do not ever need the defibrillator function.
Have you been diagnosed with a particular heart "misfunction?" I had HCM (hypertrophic myopathy). It's truly amazing that there are so many issues that can affect hearts. It's important to be aligned with a cardiologist well trained in your personal ailment.
When will your next appointment take place? How will an ICD benefit your particular situation?
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@walkinggirl
When I finally got access to my U.S. hospital's website, I discovered my diagnois was congestive heart failure, ejection fraction 30. Last time I had it checked it was about the same. I thought it would just keep getting lower until I croaked, but after nearly 10 years, I'm still here. Arythmia and bradycardia are constants. Due to the cost here as a non-citizen, I would probably need to return to the U.S. to get a pacemaker, which I don't care to do right now. Cremation is cheap here, and there is a roaster about 300 meters from me. They will take care of my dogs too when their time comes.
So my choice is to limp along with the slow and funky heartbeat. I took a 29km bike ride today. Heart rate avereaged 112 with a high of 124. I think my max is 140 if I did the math right. Garmin's doodads seem to disagree. Treadmill average is higher, around 120, but the high is about the same. Oddly, my heart rate will sometimes abruptly drop to 55-60 in the middle of treadmillling. I get off the machine and do jumping jacks, or whatever they are called now, to get my rate back up over 115 where it will do me some good. Other times it will stay in the 115-120 range witout futher intervention. I nearly always have to do the exercises starting out. I don't understand why it is so hard to elevate my heart rate on the treadmill, yet it is reachable achieveable doing jumping jacks. I asked my doctor here and got the thousand mile stare.
So I get along as I can. If I outlive my dogs, one refugee from the streets and another from a completely wild litter, I'll be happy to check out any time. They are house pets now, living inside in the a/c and eating well, and I want them to have that until their lives are over.