I had my pacemaker installed on October 9, 2019 and I've responded to you in your previous post just prior to my surgery for the pacemaker installation. It's an Edora 8 HF-T QP. I have a special cell phone with no buttons on my night stand that my pacemaker sends daily collected data to when I sleep, and at 3 am it sends the collected daily data to my heart surgeon's office. It took me 3 rest stops to make it into the hospital for the pacemaker surgery, and I walked all the way to the car without needing a rest the following day. Before the pacemaker, my heart rate had sometimes slowed to as low as 32 bpm and blood oxygen as low as 83%. When I check it now my heart rate is between 70 and 85 bpm and blood oxygen is running 94-96%. My heart no longer is pounding as hard, even when resting, is it had before the pacemaker. I'm 77 and had triple bypass and valve repair surgery in 2000 when I was 58. In 2012 I went back for stents, and again every year or two since then. I now have 6 stents, but the last one 3 years ago failed 2 weeks after installation, so a small portion of my heart muscle is depending on neighboring areas for blood. I have now had 7 heart surgeries total, the most recent being for the pacemaker install. I'm now feeling like I I might just make it a few more years, and I'm back to doing all of my normal activities, including frequent trips up and down stairs to and from the second floor of my home. I hope this gives others some inspiration and comfort in their need for a pacemaker. It sure helped me, and thanks to you for your posts on this. You gave me the confidence that I needed before my pacemaker was installed. Charley
Hi CharleyL, Thanks for commenting and tell us your story. I'm glad to hear that you are feeling better, and getting back to your normal activities once you had your pacemaker implanted. I also have a home monitor that looks like a cell phone, it does help give some peace of mind that the doctor office will be alerted if something is going wrong. Thanks for the kind words, and I wish you the best!
Hi Alfredo, thanks for sharing that your experience. It’s good to know I’m not alone in feeling that way. I hope you are doing well and are feeling better now that you have your device. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I just found your channel. Some really interesting discussion. I've been very active cycling and running all my life, and about 15 years ago in my mid 40's I decided to start bicycle racing, and had some real trouble breathing during hard efforts. Diagnosed as asthma for years, even though asthma meds didn't help me at all. Symptoms continued to get worse including passing out a few times, and some unexplained very serious crashes on the bike. Finally started having some real trouble breathing while trying to sleep at night and saw an EP. Bradycardia, AV block 2nd degree, chrono incompetence. Had the Dual chamber pacemaker implanted and ablation at same time Oct 2021. I've been trying to get settings optimized since then. It's a Biotronik, initially was using CLS, but several months ago they disable CLS as it just was too erratic. Currently I'm 60% atrial paced and 90% ventricle. Exercising still feels weird, like you mentioned almost like breathing doesn't feel right or like I have to cough. I found your comment interesting about how you notice when yours is dual pacing you. I'm seeing my new EP in several weeks (he switched the CLS off) and going to ask him if the problems I'm having is because the upper and lower pacing is out of sync. My cardiac EF has dropped since getting the pacemaker. Hopefully we make some progress. Thanks for the info.
I got a pacemaker in July 2019. It's a St. Jude (Abbott) device. I was interested in your observation that you used to feel that you were defective but now you look at it as being completed by the device. I think of it both ways. My heart is definitely defective or I wouldn't need a pacemaker. At the same time, I too have the feeling of gratitude that help is available. All my life I read books or saw movies where some old character "had a bum ticker" and was resigned to a likely early death or stroke or heart attack. Now there's an alternative to just languishing and hoping for the best. Unlike you though, I'm 70 years old so I don't have to make the whole solution work as long as you do. There are a couple of things that I think about that are clear downsides. (1) I'm still not convinced that it's OK to have leads pass through the valves. I asked my cardiologist/electrophysiologist and he pretty much said don't worry about it, but I find it hard to believe it's OK to have flapping valves continually rubbing against foreign wires. If nothing else, I would expect reduced efficiency just as i would expect reduced efficiency in car valves or water valves or gas valves if something were permanently lodged in the workings of those valves. And, since our valves are biological bloodstream type things, I also would expect plaque to build up where the active part of the valves rub against the leads. (2) Ten years seems way off but after 70 years I recognize that 10 years goes by fast. That means you and I will be up against another surgery soon. I won't get as many new pacemakers as you will, but to me it's not a small thing. Plus, I'm not convinced the leads will still be good after 10 years. If they have to be replaced, the surgery will be more complicated than the original installation since the surgeon will have to remove (or abandon) the old leads. Those leads are screwed into the wall of the heart and have "scarred up" a bit. So ... I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but ... there you go. On the other hand, some people with pacemakers have it worse than others. As I understand it, some people have to have the automatic control part of their hearts (the sinoatrial node) surgically disconnected. That means they are fully dependent on the artificial pacemaker. Without the pacemaker, the heart will not beat. In contrast, some people can survive if the pacemaker fails because their automatic biological control is still working, even if imperfectly. So, in all, I think the attitude one develops towards their new paced life might reasonably depend on variables that differ from patient to patient (number of leads, number of paced chambers, reason for needing a pacemaker in the first place, retention (or disabling) of the SA node.). I would be hesitant to reassure anybody that their their life will be worry free or even better with a pacemaker. But of course, there are few (or maybe no) good alternatives to a pacemaker for some medical conditions so here's how I look at it. I'm glad to have my heart working fine right now. Every day is a gift. And if it all goes wrong? I got some extra days. And like you, I'm trying to make those extra days count. Thanks for your running description of your experience. It was helpful to me both before and after I got the pacemaker implanted.
Dan, thanks for sharing. You are correct that everyone has a unique situation with their pacemaker. Some people are more dependent on it than I am. I do feel fortunate that I get to live a pretty normal life while other's may not be as fortunate. My doctor says the leads should be good for 20-30 years, so I might have two pacer replacements with the same leads, but at some point they will probably need to be surgically removed and replaced. I'm not looking forward to that one. I'm glad your heart is working fine now, and I hope it stays that way in the future.
So glad you posted an update. I watched your earlier videos and they helped me. I got my pacemaker 11 weeks ago at 60 years of age for third degree heart block that I didn’t know I had. Lately, I have been very anxious and worried about the future even though I know my pacemaker is doing it’s job (paced 97%]. Emotionally it’s hard, physically I’m doing ok. Well meaning family and friends try to be helpful with their comments, but unless you’ve been through it, it’s hard to understand. I have seen comments from other sites from people who have had pacemakers for 20 plus years, and have had replacement surgery without trouble. Leads have been left in if they’re ok, battery only replaced. Of course some people suffer problems, but they still have received successful subsequent surgeries. Who knows what the future will bring for this technology in the next few years? I try to focus on one day at a time, keep busy, and be thankful for this device. Easier said than done.
Cheryl, I'm glad you found the videos helpful. It is emotionally hard, it takes time to work through all the emotions. I compare it to the stages of grieving. Scared, angry, sad...I've had them all, and a few times each. I think that keeping busy is important. Right after surgery I found myself hyper-focused on what my heart was doing all the time. If I was busy, or had my mind on other things, I forgot to worry about it for a little while. As time goes on, I hope you start feeling emotionally as well as physically better. Thanks for sharing!
Cheryl, we that have pacemakers share a bobbing life raft. As a fellow traveler I wish you calm seas, sunny days, and a long and rewarding life. Peace to you.
I thank you for your videos. In two weeks I am scheduled to have a pacemaker implanted. I was obviously very worried and concerned about what my life would be like post implant. Your videos have really helped me to prepare for the surgery and my life living with a pacemaker. Thank you. Vincent R
Hi Vincent, it is natural to be worried and nervous before surgery. I went through a whole range of emotions. I’m glad you found the video helpful, that’s why I decided to make them. I hope you have a successful surgery and a quick recovery. Thanks for sharing, and please let me know how you are doing after.
@@CyborgVlog Hi Cyborg, Thank you for your support and I will definitely let you know how my surgery goes and will keep you updated. Thanks Again, Vincent Roberts
I just got my pacemaker October 15, 2021 and recovery is going well. You’re videos truly helped after I was diagnosed with complete heart block upon my physical exam needed for entrance to my nursing program (I’m 29 years old). During the 2 week heart monitor, I experienced 88 pauses with 4.2 seconds being the longest. My heart rate averaged at 46 bpm but was 21 bpm during sleep. It was definitely scary knowing that my heart wasn’t functioning efficiently as I had no symptoms of CHB. Watching your videos assured me that it isn’t something that is completely uncommon and that there is a silver lining essentially. Thank you for the videos and inspiring others like myself.
Hi Kristina, glad to hear your recovery is going well. It is quite a surprise to here you need a pacemaker at a young age, and people naturally seek out information. I did the same thing and didn’t find too many videos, that’s why I decided to make some. I’m glad you found them helpful. Thank you for sharing your experience. I wish you the best as you continue to recover.
Hey man. I got a question for you. I got my pacemaker like a year ago... and it's been a very long and heavy process to be where I'm at right now. Meaning that my body seems to adapt... at least a bit... but at a pretty low pace. However, what I wanted to ask you is, do you use any kind of headphones (over your head or in-ear)... do you recommend any of them. I dropped those with wires in favor of Bluetooth one, but I think they interfere with the pacemaker frequency. Each time I'm trying to listen to something over the phones, my pacemaker site is becoming sore and I start to get dizzy. Do you have any advice regarding this issue?
Hi warphalak, I just use the standard wired in-ear headphones that come with my phone. I do use bluetooth quite a bit to connect my phone in the car, and to speakers, and haven't had any problems. I found a link to the American heart association that says bluetooth is not dangerous to pacemakers. It does say to keep the phone or headphones six inches from your device. www.heart.org/en/health-topics/arrhythmia/prevention--treatment-of-arrhythmia/devices-that-may-interfere-with-icds-and-pacemakers I know I used to really freak myself out about magnets, and thought they were causing me problems, but I found out later that I was around some electromagnets and didn't even know it. I didn't have symptoms then, so I figured I was just focusing too much on the device, and every little pain or twitch, I thought something bad was happening. I found that if I put my mind on something else, it helped me worry less. Even after a year I had sensitivity around the device, but it gets less and less noticeable as time goes on. I would suggest you talk to your doctor about you symptoms, there could be tuning that needs to be done on your device to get it working the best for your situation. I hope that helps, and I wish you the best in the future.
@@CyborgVlog Thanks a lot man for your quick answer. Yeah, well... The fear of magnets or that an issue will make the pacemaker stop working it is and will always be there... After the first intervention, one of the leads got loose and I lived for 6 months with just one lead into the pacemaker... meaning that I was stable, or at least that's what the doctor told me, but the pulse couldn't get over 60 bpm resulting in me getting out of breath after 5m walking. I had a fair amount of issues with it and with the doctor. I'm after a year from the first intervention. I needed the pacemaker due to some issues that started in 2015 when I was diagnosed with pericarditis... which resulted from an irradiation treatment that happened 18 years ago. I don't know man, everybody says that I shouldn't have any issues with any kind of headphones, yet I can't use them :( ...maybe there are more issues here that I haven't discovered yet. Anyways, thank again good sir. LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!
@@warphalak, you have been through a lot. Finding out that you had a loose lead for 6 months would have been rough, but I'm glad you got that corrected. Thanks for the conversation, Live long and prosper!
@@dorcaspowellpowell5971, I would give you some advice, but loosing weight is different for everyone. I will say that making small goals at first helped me, the find out what works best for you and stick with it. Good luck!
I had my pacemaker installed on October 9, 2019 and I've responded to you in your previous post just prior to my surgery for the pacemaker installation. It's an Edora 8 HF-T QP. I have a special cell phone with no buttons on my night stand that my pacemaker sends daily collected data to when I sleep, and at 3 am it sends the collected daily data to my heart surgeon's office. It took me 3 rest stops to make it into the hospital for the pacemaker surgery, and I walked all the way to the car without needing a rest the following day. Before the pacemaker, my heart rate had sometimes slowed to as low as 32 bpm and blood oxygen as low as 83%. When I check it now my heart rate is between 70 and 85 bpm and blood oxygen is running 94-96%. My heart no longer is pounding as hard, even when resting, is it had before the pacemaker.
I'm 77 and had triple bypass and valve repair surgery in 2000 when I was 58. In 2012 I went back for stents, and again every year or two since then. I now have 6 stents, but the last one 3 years ago failed 2 weeks after installation, so a small portion of my heart muscle is depending on neighboring areas for blood. I have now had 7 heart surgeries total, the most recent being for the pacemaker install. I'm now feeling like I I might just make it a few more years, and I'm back to doing all of my normal activities, including frequent trips up and down stairs to and from the second floor of my home.
I hope this gives others some inspiration and comfort in their need for a pacemaker. It sure helped me, and thanks to you for your posts on this. You gave me the confidence that I needed before my pacemaker was installed.
Charley
Hi CharleyL, Thanks for commenting and tell us your story. I'm glad to hear that you are feeling better, and getting back to your normal activities once you had your pacemaker implanted. I also have a home monitor that looks like a cell phone, it does help give some peace of mind that the doctor office will be alerted if something is going wrong. Thanks for the kind words, and I wish you the best!
i can relate to you because i also had the same feeling after my pacemaker implant june19 ,2021.
Hi Alfredo, thanks for sharing that your experience. It’s good to know I’m not alone in feeling that way. I hope you are doing well and are feeling better now that you have your device. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I just found your channel. Some really interesting discussion. I've been very active cycling and running all my life, and about 15 years ago in my mid 40's I decided to start bicycle racing, and had some real trouble breathing during hard efforts. Diagnosed as asthma for years, even though asthma meds didn't help me at all. Symptoms continued to get worse including passing out a few times, and some unexplained very serious crashes on the bike. Finally started having some real trouble breathing while trying to sleep at night and saw an EP. Bradycardia, AV block 2nd degree, chrono incompetence. Had the Dual chamber pacemaker implanted and ablation at same time Oct 2021. I've been trying to get settings optimized since then. It's a Biotronik, initially was using CLS, but several months ago they disable CLS as it just was too erratic. Currently I'm 60% atrial paced and 90% ventricle. Exercising still feels weird, like you mentioned almost like breathing doesn't feel right or like I have to cough. I found your comment interesting about how you notice when yours is dual pacing you. I'm seeing my new EP in several weeks (he switched the CLS off) and going to ask him if the problems I'm having is because the upper and lower pacing is out of sync. My cardiac EF has dropped since getting the pacemaker. Hopefully we make some progress. Thanks for the info.
I got a pacemaker in July 2019. It's a St. Jude (Abbott) device. I was interested in your observation that you used to feel that you were defective but now you look at it as being completed by the device. I think of it both ways. My heart is definitely defective or I wouldn't need a pacemaker. At the same time, I too have the feeling of gratitude that help is available. All my life I read books or saw movies where some old character "had a bum ticker" and was resigned to a likely early death or stroke or heart attack. Now there's an alternative to just languishing and hoping for the best. Unlike you though, I'm 70 years old so I don't have to make the whole solution work as long as you do. There are a couple of things that I think about that are clear downsides. (1) I'm still not convinced that it's OK to have leads pass through the valves. I asked my cardiologist/electrophysiologist and he pretty much said don't worry about it, but I find it hard to believe it's OK to have flapping valves continually rubbing against foreign wires. If nothing else, I would expect reduced efficiency just as i would expect reduced efficiency in car valves or water valves or gas valves if something were permanently lodged in the workings of those valves. And, since our valves are biological bloodstream type things, I also would expect plaque to build up where the active part of the valves rub against the leads. (2) Ten years seems way off but after 70 years I recognize that 10 years goes by fast. That means you and I will be up against another surgery soon. I won't get as many new pacemakers as you will, but to me it's not a small thing. Plus, I'm not convinced the leads will still be good after 10 years. If they have to be replaced, the surgery will be more complicated than the original installation since the surgeon will have to remove (or abandon) the old leads. Those leads are screwed into the wall of the heart and have "scarred up" a bit. So ... I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but ... there you go. On the other hand, some people with pacemakers have it worse than others. As I understand it, some people have to have the automatic control part of their hearts (the sinoatrial node) surgically disconnected. That means they are fully dependent on the artificial pacemaker. Without the pacemaker, the heart will not beat. In contrast, some people can survive if the pacemaker fails because their automatic biological control is still working, even if imperfectly. So, in all, I think the attitude one develops towards their new paced life might reasonably depend on variables that differ from patient to patient (number of leads, number of paced chambers, reason for needing a pacemaker in the first place, retention (or disabling) of the SA node.). I would be hesitant to reassure anybody that their their life will be worry free or even better with a pacemaker. But of course, there are few (or maybe no) good alternatives to a pacemaker for some medical conditions so here's how I look at it. I'm glad to have my heart working fine right now. Every day is a gift. And if it all goes wrong? I got some extra days. And like you, I'm trying to make those extra days count. Thanks for your running description of your experience. It was helpful to me both before and after I got the pacemaker implanted.
Dan, thanks for sharing. You are correct that everyone has a unique situation with their pacemaker. Some people are more dependent on it than I am. I do feel fortunate that I get to live a pretty normal life while other's may not be as fortunate. My doctor says the leads should be good for 20-30 years, so I might have two pacer replacements with the same leads, but at some point they will probably need to be surgically removed and replaced. I'm not looking forward to that one. I'm glad your heart is working fine now, and I hope it stays that way in the future.
So glad you posted an update. I watched your earlier videos and they helped me. I got my pacemaker 11 weeks ago at 60 years of age for third degree heart block that I didn’t know I had. Lately, I have been very anxious and worried about the future even though I know my pacemaker is doing it’s job (paced 97%]. Emotionally it’s hard, physically I’m doing ok. Well meaning family and friends try to be helpful with their comments, but unless you’ve been through it, it’s hard to understand. I have seen comments from other sites from people who have had pacemakers for 20 plus years, and have had replacement surgery without trouble. Leads have been left in if they’re ok, battery only replaced. Of course some people suffer problems, but they still have received successful subsequent surgeries. Who knows what the future will bring for this technology in the next few years? I try to focus on one day at a time, keep busy, and be thankful for this device. Easier said than done.
Cheryl, I'm glad you found the videos helpful. It is emotionally hard, it takes time to work through all the emotions. I compare it to the stages of grieving. Scared, angry, sad...I've had them all, and a few times each. I think that keeping busy is important. Right after surgery I found myself hyper-focused on what my heart was doing all the time. If I was busy, or had my mind on other things, I forgot to worry about it for a little while. As time goes on, I hope you start feeling emotionally as well as physically better. Thanks for sharing!
Cheryl, we that have pacemakers share a bobbing life raft. As a fellow traveler I wish you calm seas, sunny days, and a long and rewarding life. Peace to you.
I thank you for your videos. In two weeks I am scheduled to have a pacemaker implanted. I was obviously very worried and concerned
about what my life would be like post implant. Your videos have really helped me to prepare for the surgery and my life living with a pacemaker.
Thank you. Vincent R
Hi Vincent, it is natural to be worried and nervous before surgery. I went through a whole range of emotions. I’m glad you found the video helpful, that’s why I decided to make them. I hope you have a successful surgery and a quick recovery. Thanks for sharing, and please let me know how you are doing after.
@@CyborgVlog Hi Cyborg, Thank you for your support and I will definitely let you know how my surgery goes
and will keep you updated. Thanks Again, Vincent Roberts
Best wishes!
You have a terrific attitude about your pacemaker! I am 100% dependent on mine. I am glad I have it given the alternative
We are lucky to live at a time when medical science can help us with a pacemaker.
I just got my pacemaker October 15, 2021 and recovery is going well. You’re videos truly helped after I was diagnosed with complete heart block upon my physical exam needed for entrance to my nursing program (I’m 29 years old). During the 2 week heart monitor, I experienced 88 pauses with 4.2 seconds being the longest. My heart rate averaged at 46 bpm but was 21 bpm during sleep. It was definitely scary knowing that my heart wasn’t functioning efficiently as I had no symptoms of CHB. Watching your videos assured me that it isn’t something that is completely uncommon and that there is a silver lining essentially. Thank you for the videos and inspiring others like myself.
Hi Kristina, glad to hear your recovery is going well. It is quite a surprise to here you need a pacemaker at a young age, and people naturally seek out information. I did the same thing and didn’t find too many videos, that’s why I decided to make some. I’m glad you found them helpful. Thank you for sharing your experience. I wish you the best as you continue to recover.
Continue making these kind of vids pls
That is my plan. Thanks for the support!
Hey man. I got a question for you. I got my pacemaker like a year ago... and it's been a very long and heavy process to be where I'm at right now. Meaning that my body seems to adapt... at least a bit... but at a pretty low pace. However, what I wanted to ask you is, do you use any kind of headphones (over your head or in-ear)... do you recommend any of them. I dropped those with wires in favor of Bluetooth one, but I think they interfere with the pacemaker frequency. Each time I'm trying to listen to something over the phones, my pacemaker site is becoming sore and I start to get dizzy. Do you have any advice regarding this issue?
Hi warphalak, I just use the standard wired in-ear headphones that come with my phone. I do use bluetooth quite a bit to connect my phone in the car, and to speakers, and haven't had any problems. I found a link to the American heart association that says bluetooth is not dangerous to pacemakers. It does say to keep the phone or headphones six inches from your device. www.heart.org/en/health-topics/arrhythmia/prevention--treatment-of-arrhythmia/devices-that-may-interfere-with-icds-and-pacemakers
I know I used to really freak myself out about magnets, and thought they were causing me problems, but I found out later that I was around some electromagnets and didn't even know it. I didn't have symptoms then, so I figured I was just focusing too much on the device, and every little pain or twitch, I thought something bad was happening. I found that if I put my mind on something else, it helped me worry less. Even after a year I had sensitivity around the device, but it gets less and less noticeable as time goes on. I would suggest you talk to your doctor about you symptoms, there could be tuning that needs to be done on your device to get it working the best for your situation. I hope that helps, and I wish you the best in the future.
@@CyborgVlog Thanks a lot man for your quick answer. Yeah, well... The fear of magnets or that an issue will make the pacemaker stop working it is and will always be there... After the first intervention, one of the leads got loose and I lived for 6 months with just one lead into the pacemaker... meaning that I was stable, or at least that's what the doctor told me, but the pulse couldn't get over 60 bpm resulting in me getting out of breath after 5m walking. I had a fair amount of issues with it and with the doctor. I'm after a year from the first intervention. I needed the pacemaker due to some issues that started in 2015 when I was diagnosed with pericarditis... which resulted from an irradiation treatment that happened 18 years ago. I don't know man, everybody says that I shouldn't have any issues with any kind of headphones, yet I can't use them :( ...maybe there are more issues here that I haven't discovered yet. Anyways, thank again good sir. LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!
@@warphalak, you have been through a lot. Finding out that you had a loose lead for 6 months would have been rough, but I'm glad you got that corrected. Thanks for the conversation, Live long and prosper!
Do you it pace sometimes??
yes, mostly late at night when I am sleeping.
@@CyborgVlog same. Can you describe the feeling? Mine is pacing also 11 %
Sometimes like a thump to the chest, makes me feel like I have to cough. Other times I don’t even notice, depends on what I’m doing I guess.
Hi, just want to know... are you talking any medicines regularly for your pacemaker?
Hi, I don't take any medication because of the pacemaker. I only had to take antibiotics right after the implant.
@@CyborgVlog Thanks for the reply. :)
Good for you! And god bless waiting for mine
Thanks for watching and sharing. I hope everything goes smoothly for you. Please update us after your surgery.
Getting cath tomorrow then after that I believe the pacemaker 😖
Best of luck tomorrow.
Looks like you lost some weight. 👍
I've been trying to eat better and exercise. Some weeks I do better than others.
@@CyborgVlog my cardiologist informed me that I need to lose about 50 pounds...you video inspired me to get it get going.
@@dorcaspowellpowell5971, I would give you some advice, but loosing weight is different for everyone. I will say that making small goals at first helped me, the find out what works best for you and stick with it. Good luck!