WARNING: long post, no cliffs. No spellcheck either.
With the permanent pacer, it kicks in when my HR drops below 60BPM. The temp was a life saver, the permanent is a life continuer, so to speak. When it kicks in, it just feels like my heart flutters a bit, because my body hasn't crashed yet. Kinda like a bad taco. I haven't had an epsode with the new one, I only know the feeling after my poor nurse learned the hard way that my particular pacer resets, runs a diagnostic, and sends an impulse every day at 1am.
And since I'm sure it'll be asked at some point: recovery. Obviously pain management, education, etc... The usual surgery stuff. The really big risk right now though is actually infection, due to the number of IVs, especially the ones near the heart, and all the shots. I was on Heparin, a blood thinner, meaning I needed to have blood drawn every 6hrs during the past week to make sure it was working. I have to Purell my hands after being out in public, as does anyone coming into my home. Just ask Runnah. Beyond that, I can't lift my left arm over my head or lift anything over 5lbs for a month, until my body has secured the pacer in place. I also have to take an asprin a day for the rest of my life, to thin my blood a bit to relieve a bit of strain on my heart.
Another piece of recovery that I have chosen for myself is a couple therapy sessions with a shrink. The grim reality is that I did almost die, and it woulf be good for me to have someone help me understand and work through these feelings. Another thing that bothers me is with this being heretitary. I know have to worry anout this with my daughters. Plus, the closest relative they could trace with something like this is a maternal great-aunt who died before I was born. She got a pacer in her early 30's too, from what sounds like something very close to what I have. She died in her early 40's. I know technology has vastly improved in the past 30-40yrs or so since her days, and I'm not even entirely sure what she died of, but it still weighs heavy on the heart and mind, as does the rest.
Anyway, feel free to keep asking questions. I certainly don't mind, and getting it out is another good form of therapy.
Actually, I've been home since yesterday, discharged less than 18hrs after the op. Pooped definitely sums it up, I can't do much without feeling drained.
Suprisingly little. There is pain with any surgical procedure, and it feels much like that. The permanent pacer is in my left side, the temp was in the right. I felt like I got punched in the right shoulder/chest area for about 2days after the temp went in, and it's fine right now. The temp just runs wires through a central IV to the heart though, nothing installed in me, but it's a lot rougher on the body because it's an emergency procedure. The permanent pacer is obviously much more invasive but still gentler, so the pain is generally the same thus far. This pain is going to last longer though, because my body now has to heal around the pacer. Like I said, I feel like I got nailed a few times in the left shoulder/chest area. Other than that, many needle pokes and well over 100 telemetry leads being ripped off my sasquatch-esque body.
None at all. Without the pacer, I simply blacked out. VERY weird, vivid dreams though. With the temp pacer, which kicked in if my heart rate dropped below 30BPM, I wouldn't black out, but it's very hard to put into words. It felt like I lost touch with my entire body, but my mind expanded in ways I've never known. Again, very vivid and odd thoughts and feelings, but completely calming at the same time. I guess the best way I could describe it would be an out of body experience, even though I knew where I was, wasn't looking at myself from above or anything like that.
With the permanent pacer, it kicks in when my HR drops below 60BPM. The temp was a life saver, the permanent is a life continuer, so to speak. When it kicks in, it just feels like my heart flutters a bit, because my body hasn't crashed yet. Kinda like a bad taco. I haven't had an epsode with the new one, I only know the feeling after my poor nurse learned the hard way that my particular pacer resets, runs a diagnostic, and sends an impulse every day at 1am.
I'd say I have the VDC system of pacemakers. When my heart is working on it's own, which it still does, it just monitors. Like I said, it only pulses when I need it. The pulse itself is no different than your regular heart electrical pulses. No big shock like a defibrillator, even though there are pacers that do that. The really cool thing is, I have to see my cardiologist once a year for a checkup. During the checkup, they place a sensor over the pacer which pulls it's history. The monitoring, how many pulses and when, any problems, everything is stored in the device.
Negative. Like I said, it's no different than your natural impulse, just forced.
It's not large like the old ones, but I wouldn't call something foreign inside me small. I haven't had a chance to feel it up yet, but the doc grabbed my Blackberry Pearl and said it was roughly about 1/3 the size of it, and it sits just below my collarbone, not the armpit.
There are no batteries anymore per se, the entire unit gets replaced roughly every 10yrs, depending on battery life. The leads into my heart can last 20-30yrs.
Yes, and cell phones, and just about anything else, provided I'm not holding them right against my chest. I need to avoid heavy duty electromagnetic fields though. MRIs, substations, power plants, mig welders, alternators, etc... Might cause a bit of problems considering I work for a construction company, but I'm not too worried.
And since I'm sure it'll be asked at some point: recovery. Obviously pain management, education, etc... The usual surgery stuff. The really big risk right now though is actually infection, due to the number of IVs, especially the ones near the heart, and all the shots. I was on Heparin, a blood thinner, meaning I needed to have blood drawn every 6hrs during the past week to make sure it was working. I have to Purell my hands after being out in public, as does anyone coming into my home. Just ask Runnah. Beyond that, I can't lift my left arm over my head or lift anything over 5lbs for a month, until my body has secured the pacer in place. I also have to take an asprin a day for the rest of my life, to thin my blood a bit to relieve a bit of strain on my heart.
Another piece of recovery that I have chosen for myself is a couple therapy sessions with a shrink. The grim reality is that I did almost die, and it woulf be good for me to have someone help me understand and work through these feelings. Another thing that bothers me is with this being heretitary. I know have to worry anout this with my daughters. Plus, the closest relative they could trace with something like this is a maternal great-aunt who died before I was born. She got a pacer in her early 30's too, from what sounds like something very close to what I have. She died in her early 40's. I know technology has vastly improved in the past 30-40yrs or so since her days, and I'm not even entirely sure what she died of, but it still weighs heavy on the heart and mind, as does the rest.
Anyway, feel free to keep asking questions. I certainly don't mind, and getting it out is another good form of therapy.
