Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group

I'm a 63 yo male. I starting having palpitations last April and took myself to urgent care where they diagnosed me being in VT. They rushed me a to a local hospital in Baltimore where they stabilized me. The next day I had a heart cath which revealed 90% blockages and the next day I underwent quadruple bypass. Sadly, the bypass did not fully resolve the VT and I had an ICD put in. My EP scheduled me for Ventricular Ablation and as part of that preparation took me off Amiodarone 8 weeks prior to the ablation appt. Amiodarone is the main drug that controls my VT and one should not stay on it long term. The EP claimed that I needed to be off it so that during the ablation he could see where the VT was occurring. When pressed, he called it a calculated risk. I lost the bet and 2 weeks into being off the drug, I experienced a VT storm and my ICD went off while I was driving. Fortunately, I was able to control the car. I wound up in the hospital for 2 days getting reloaded on the Amio. I changed EPs who scheduled me for an ablation without taking me off the Amio and sadly, he could not get my heart to go into VT while under anesthesia. So no ablation was done. Ironically, upon coming out of anesthesia, my PVCs started right back up again. My doctor is now telling me that although my heart structure is very good and performing well, I will just have to manage the VT with medicine. I've read that lifestyle changes are important too. No caffeine, very little if any alcohol, etc. I have always been active and exercised and I drive a lot for my work. So it's all very worrying and disappointing that even one of the best VT specialists in the country could not find where to ablate. The CT and MRIs did not show any scar tissue. So it's likely an irritated nerve ending, I am told. I'm trying to get used to the idea of living with this the rest of my life.

Dear hello I cannot figure out this text handle brat stuff,

I am still here, tomorrow is not clear. Today is near. We will persevere.

Dear "isabelk,"

It is not my place to give medical advice. But I can give life advice. Make sure you are feeling heard by your doctor. If that is not true? You don't have a doctor. Your doctor's care should be all on YOU, not on the bottom line or on how your treatment may be profitable. Unfortunately, we are headed into a time of mistrust. It is essential you get your personal needs met. I do not know your case. But I care about you.

Hello. Thank you for sharing. I will put in my two cents: if the pacemaker is a definite cure, and in view of the pauses andthe procedure being simple and minimally invasive and relatively safe, I would definitely consider it.

Hi there Elizabeth. I hope you are feeling better. So good to have you willing to share your knowledge and expertise. I am a woman in my 80s and after a week long holtar test, my cardiologist urged a pacemaker. Why? Because my heart had "paused" for 2.7 and 2.8 seconds at night when I was asleep and also had raced at 145 for a few seconds. He would like to give me more beta blocker but is afraid that such a treatment could lower/stop my heart. So he is urging a pace maker. I am rather reluctant to go that route. Another cardiologist suggested medications and a pace maker as a last resort. My GP thought I should go for the pacemaker as it is a certain fall back. In short, I am anxious about the pacemaker. Any thoughts?

Thank you, @gloaming.
I don't know how to use this forum either, so apologies for glitches or any faux pas entry on my part. I cannot practice pediatric cardiology anymore due to illness, so I have been writing a memoir. Creative nonfiction narrative was my college major. I find that being present, acknowledging differences from "normal" experiences but not letting them lead to freak-outs, can be very helpful. Just: there. That happened. OK. I'll tell this doctor that.

But, on my own time, because right now, I'm not feeling that great, and can that be okay for just right now? I feel such a duty to "follow through" for the Mayo surgeons and docs and pacemaker docs who saved my life, and I exercise too much and get too thin as a result. Then grief, and my body nearly fully succumbs. Sounds dumb, right? A doctor should know better, right? Add in life-changing medical scares, and you have a very confused doctor-patient-mother-daughter-sister-more and things do not at all go the way you would think they would for a "doctor" with all the junk that goes with that title. We are all human. I hope my experience of all of this cardiac caper that may end me can help others. I love Mayo. They have saved my medical life. Now I have to get on with the rest of it, when I didn't think there would be that.

That is a daunting realization. And a welcome one. Blessings on you. Thx. E

Speaking only for myself, I'm grateful for your presence and kind offerings. Please visit often and contribute what, and when, you can.

Hello, my name is Elizabeth. I am a weird breed of formerly-practicing pediatric cardiologist with pacemaker expertise, public health epidemiology and policy expert on implanted devices, and a congenital heart kid myself. First pacer/defib was in 2001 when training for my second Boston marathon nearly ended me. I have answers, and I have questions--as perhaps we all do. I am not an expert here in this forum. Please, allow me to be your peer, to feel these scary feelings even if I know too much (which is nearly never a good thing). I have a lot to share, much to give, and I look forward to learning from you all. Thank you.

Hello. Sorry to hear about your predicament. I would follow through with your present cardiologist and EP. Once they give you their opinions based on whatever tests they order, you will know what your options are and if you want to have anything done. I would think the worst would be doing nothing about it. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Almost forgot, prayer works.

I am also forcing myself to drink water sine day one of this year. I have a problem swallowing which makes it harder. I am doing lately 5 glasses, 40 oz. I am working on upping the amount, but it is helping my health.

No don't bee bop down the street because I mentioned walking. I hope your foot injury and balance gets better.