AICD/ Pacemaker/Defibbulator....anybody have one?

[Finally]

This past year I have had a lot of problems with fluid build up.{CHF} It doesn't necessarily go to my ankles but to my right lung. It makes me feel so tired that I don't want to do anything. I have had a dual lead Pacemaker/Defibrillator since 2010, but insurance wouldn't pay for a 3 lead. One of the Nurse Practitioners said I would have been better off getting the 3 lead in 2010. My Cardiologist put in a 3 lead last Wednesday. After the procedure, he told me one of the leads on my 2 leads had not been working. When finally given the chance to ask, he mumbled around about how "well, it was sort of working etc. He said this 3 lead should really make me feel better.

Have any of you had experience with pacemaker/defibrillator's, and what has been your experience? Do you have a friend or family that has one? I got the 3 lead last Wednesday, and I still feel really sore and bad today. Will I ever feel good enough to RV again? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[c_liner]

This item came just at the right time. I have been having a lot of these problems since this spring and your letters help explain some of the problems. I have five more days of wearing the heart moniter and we will have a huddle with with all involved and decide our next steps. You can sure learn a lot on this net. Thanks for all the help & information. Ed Taylor

[Teacher_s_Pet]

Great news .. so glad your results have been good. Always watch the salt and keep those "water pills" close at hand. I can gain 3+ pounds of "water weight" over night by eating someone's "home cooking" or a meal at the wrong place, then it takes 2-3 days to get rid of it. Just remember just because it's on the "Weight Watcher's" menu and low calorie, doesn't mean it's great for the heart patient. Example: Applebee's "Signature Sirloin with Garlic Herb Shrimp" has 2370 mg of sodium and is only 490 calories. My sodium intake is limited to 2000 mg per day. I get tired of reading nutrition statements on food containers, but the result is worth it.

[Finally]

Everyone was so kind to answer my concerns, and I just want to update all of you. After a little over two months with the Medronic 3 Lead Pacemaker defibrillator, I feel like a new person. My appetite is back, and I have had no fluid build up anywhere. All my lab work is good.

I cannot thank all of you enough. I also wanted to post an update, in the event other fellow members may be facing needing a pacemaker or defibrillator. You also can't beat Medtronic's excellent patient services. Life is good! Thanks again!

[Scottiemom]

DH, aka Teacher's Pet, has the wireless Carelink which allows him to send in a reading from anywhere he can get a Verizon signal. When he was undergoing cancer treatment, we sent in a reading daily to his interventional cardiologist. The treatment center had a library where we went right after his radiation treatment because it was so quiet and it took about 5 minutes to set up and send in. It was great, because otherwise, they would have asked us to go over to the main hospital and wait in the cue so they could do it manually. MD Anderson in Houston is a big place. I think it costs us $11.49 a month and is worth it. If anything happens we want his doctor's opinion on, we can send it in. With the 3-lead, however, his life has been good. Prior to his heart attacks in '98, he was an avid and voracious reader. After his heart attacks, he couldn't concentrate enough to read a book and gave it up completely. After the 3-lead changeout, he took up reading again and I bought him a Kindle for Christmas last year which he really likes. The 3-lead makes your heart beat nearly normal, unlike the previous ICD's. Both chambers of the heart are stimulated to beat in an even rhythm. Where before, he could feel when the pacemaker worked, he cannot tell the 3-lead is even working, it is sooooo smooth. He can tell if something is amiss. . . has happened once in 3 years, but the ICD paced out of it and he didn't require a shock.

Life is good. And yes, I do drive the big rig, all the time. Terry parks it, though. He likes that part. We continue to full time even after 8 years!

Dale

[Teacher_s_Pet]

Nope haven't thought about it. Scottiemom has logged about 40,000 miles to my 500 miles driving the Phaeton after several days of ICD activity in November 2009. I do drive the toad and do the parking, though. Since my 3 heart attacks in Jan 98, I one that worked as a salesman in nine states and Canada, have not felt comfortable driving the RV's in cities, construction and mountains. I gave up the Rv's wheel without any prodding. The driving of cars and trucks are not problem, in those situations. She is more than willing to drive and loves it. I had my current 3 lead ICD implanted in the fall of 2010, feel great, but after several years I feel more comfortable as a navigator.

[Finally]

We travel about 225 miles a day. Dw doesn't feel confident driving and towing. When traveling close to cities, we try to get up and started very early, to avoid as mu c h traffic as possible. Do many of you think of giving up rving because of the defibrillator? We haven't, but before getting this new 3 lead PM/def, I have much more energy, and feel like I going.

[Bouvie_dogs]

I am on my 2nd defibrillator.
The first being replaced after 6 years because the battery was near the end of its life and one of the lead wires was recalled.
The new defibrillator is so much better than the first. I feel so much better now.
It just takes time to recover.. Some days are better than other days, and that can be depressing and scary.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
I wish you the best of luck.
Warm regards,
Rod
Ps - I felt so tired and had cloudy thinking after the first defibrillator was implanted that I complained constantly to my Doctor. The difference between before the defibrillator and after it was implanted was like a light switch had been flipped. I felt horrible after the first device was implanted. After getting tired of my complaining my doctor told me " that's just the way it is."
I accepted what he told me as true.
Only after getting my latest defibrillator did I realize that he was wrong!
I feel so much better. Something was wrong, and had been from the start with the first defibrillator. I have greater energy and no longer have cloudy thinking with my latest defibrillator.

[Chock_Full_o__N]

DH has a 3-lead pacemaker. They put the first one in about 8 years ago and he felt better almost immediately. Of course, he was nearly dead when they put it in(no exaggeration! He was gray and lethargic, with a pulse of 23 :E) He came out of surgery pink and hungry, LOL. DH just had the pacemaker replaced in Dec, since the battery was going down and he was having a lot of fatigue and illness. He didn't bounce back quite as dramatically this time, but it seems to be going well. He says the site was sore for a couple weeks, but now he doesn't have any trouble with it.

DH has stage 4 lung/heart disease, so he naturally has a lot of trouble with fatigue and loss of stamina. He uses oxygen at night and sometimes during the day, if it's a bad day. Still, he always wants to go camping. It helps a lot that I can do everything from towing to set up to take down. When he's having a bad time of it, sometimes he just sits out under the trees with his book. He still says a bad day camping beats a good day stuck at home!

[NoRoomService]

I'm on my 4th defib. The last 2 have been 3 leads. I felt much better when I got the 3 lead version. It takes longer to get ready to go, but given time I can make it. My biggest problem is my wife wants to drive ( she just rides ) 8 - 10 hours a day, and I just can't do it for more than 1 day 😞

[Finally]

Thank you so much for the information and encouragement. I already feel better, and it's only been a week.

I called Medtronic today and it is possible to buy their cellular service for $10.99 a month. He said that many are going to cellular because they don't have land lines anymore. I think it's well worth $10.99 a month for peace of mind. Medtronic has great customer service.

Again, thanks to all of you for the information.

[rwj146]

I have a three lead Medtronic Pacemaker. I got it in April and have felt much better since. Prior to getting this thing I was losing stamina and strength, since I had it put in I feel much better and stamina is returning. As others mentioned, I take a Lasik and haven't had any fluid issues since the implant.

Best of luck to you...

On edit. I had a truck camper when my heart issues started, I gave it to my daughter as I had a tough time setting up and taking down. I have a Rialta now and have been out several times since the implant with no issues. My Dr. and Pacemaker Tech. told me that my strength would increase weekly and Pacemaker would be adjusted as time went on. All this was true. I''l bet you feel better soon and return to RVing soon.

Best wishes...Bob J.

[retired4fun2002]

Defib installed in Nov '07, and haven't had a problem since then. Prior to that, I had had numerous heart attacks. I visit the Defib Clinic once a year, and quarterly I do a remote download via a machine provided me thru the phone lines to the hospital. I hear your Dr saying one wire wasn't working....they could have downloaded it and I would think that would show it was having a problem. I take the Lasik pill twice a day for fluid - and sometimes have to take a third - if I feel the swelling in my feet/ankles is not normal. Hope you get everything resolved - the technology is super. Safe travels.