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Tedc
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15-07-2021, 09:46 PM
1

Are You On A Pacemaker?

I had a Pacemaker installed in the year 2011.

Simple job, really, done at Harefield Hospital.

Since then the heart rate has been well under control and the annual trips, to the hospital, for the pacemaker check have been without much impact.

This year, the battery is nearly empty, so I'm expecting to have a new battery stuffed in when I can get an appointment.

Was on Warfarin monthly blood tests, until recently, but covid made that impractical & I was moved onto Apixaban, at 5mg twice a day.

That means no blood tests but is much more expensive, so they said.

I am posting this to see how many others have pacemakers (not the running kind!), maybe we should compare notes?



Note:- Quite enjoyed the initial "Ablation" tests where you can watch, on a big screen, their efforts to link up the electric bits, of the heart, to get the beat back to 72. (Fascinating for a Techie!)

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15-07-2021, 09:55 PM
2

Re: Are You On A Pacemaker?

Originally Posted by Tedc ->
I had a Pacemaker installed in the year 2011.

Simple job, really, done at Harefield Hospital.

Since then the heart rate has been well under control and the annual trips, to the hospital, for the pacemaker check have been without much impact.

This year, the battery is nearly empty, so I'm expecting to have a new battery stuffed in when I can get an appointment.

Was on Warfarin monthly blood tests, until recently, but covid made that impractical & I was moved onto Apixaban, at 5mg twice a day.

That means no blood tests but is much more expensive, so they said.

I am posting this to see how many others have pacemakers (not the running kind!), maybe we should compare notes?


I don’t have a pacemaker, but I do know that blood thinners come with the risk of bleeding in the brain....
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Tedc
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15-07-2021, 09:58 PM
3

Re: Are You On A Pacemaker?

Originally Posted by pauline3 ->
I don’t have a pacemaker, but I do know that blood thinners come with the risk of bleeding in the brain....
Oh! Thanks for that, Pauline!



Luckily, I keep getting told that I have no bleeding brain!
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15-07-2021, 10:04 PM
4

Re: Are You On A Pacemaker?

Originally Posted by Tedc ->
Oh! Thanks for that, Pauline!



Luckily, I keep getting told that I have no bleeding brain!

It is a fact Ted, I’m on the same as you, but I don’t have a pacemaker, do they operate on you to have one fitted?

I guess they kick in if your heart rate drops to a dangerous level?

Is that right?.
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15-07-2021, 10:10 PM
5

Re: Are You On A Pacemaker?

I'm going to have trouble doing marathons with this on my back....




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15-07-2021, 10:10 PM
6

Re: Are You On A Pacemaker?

Originally Posted by Tedc ->
I had a Pacemaker installed in the year 2011.

Simple job, really, done at Harefield Hospital.

Since then the heart rate has been well under control and the annual trips, to the hospital, for the pacemaker check have been without much impact.

This year, the battery is nearly empty, so I'm expecting to have a new battery stuffed in when I can get an appointment.

Was on Warfarin monthly blood tests, until recently, but covid made that impractical & I was moved onto Apixaban, at 5mg twice a day.

That means no blood tests but is much more expensive, so they said.

I am posting this to see how many others have pacemakers (not the running kind!), maybe we should compare notes?

Thanks. I found that interesting as I'm aware that it is quite possible that I shall find myself needing a pacemaker too. It's a bit worrying too, as even now I keep feeling a little light-headed. I try to reassure myself that if I do faint again I shall (hopefully) recover when I am lying down, allowing blood to get to my brain.

Naturally, I've been reading up about them. From what I've heard, the batteries last for 6 to 10 years and, of course, yours has lasted for ten years now. Hopefully, they won't hang about changing yours.
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Tedc
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15-07-2021, 10:14 PM
7

Re: Are You On A Pacemaker?

Originally Posted by pauline3 ->
It is a fact Ted, I’m on the same as you, but I don’t have a pacemaker, do they operate on you to have one fitted?

I guess they kick in if your heart rate drops to a dangerous level?

Is that right?.
Yes, they put it in your chest, close to your heart & it wires into the ventricles.

Once it's in, you are stitched up and tested every year, or so. They test you via a big magnet, laid on your chest & connected to their PCs.

(They always laughingly tell me that they can tell the dates when I got excited during the year.!)

It keeps your heart beat at 72 (in my case).

Some people are tachy/brachy (apologies for any spelling), which means low beat but with spikes.

The spikes get controlled by medication as the pacemaker seems only able to speed us up.
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15-07-2021, 10:20 PM
8

Re: Are You On A Pacemaker?

I know a runner who had a small defibrillator fitted in his chest, and if his heart went out of the range it would shock his heart back into rhythm. He tried running with it and it shocked him so hard it almost knocked him over so he doesn't try to run anymore.... Don't want one of those....
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Tedc
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15-07-2021, 10:23 PM
9

Re: Are You On A Pacemaker?

Originally Posted by JBR ->
Thanks. I found that interesting as I'm aware that it is quite possible that I shall find myself needing a pacemaker too. It's a bit worrying too, as even now I keep feeling a little light-headed. I try to reassure myself that if I do faint again I shall (hopefully) recover when I am lying down, allowing blood to get to my brain.

Naturally, I've been reading up about them. From what I've heard, the batteries last for 6 to 10 years and, of course, yours has lasted for ten years now. Hopefully, they won't hang about changing yours.

Thanks, JBR,

I should add that no part of the op was, in any way, distressing.

Others have agreed that they, like myself had welcomed back the energy I didn't know was missing, if you see what I mean.

The only hazard seems to be that you have to be careful not to place your mobile phone in a pocket close to your heart - as I found to my cost!



Wish you well with your journey through some, or all, of this.
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15-07-2021, 10:26 PM
10

Re: Are You On A Pacemaker?

Originally Posted by Tedc ->
Thanks, JBR,

I should add that no part of the op was, in any way, distressing.

Others have agreed that they, like myself had welcomed back the energy I didn't know was missing, if you see what I mean.

The only hazard seems to be that you have to be careful not to place your mobile phone in a pocket close to your heart - as I found to my cost!



Wish you well with your journey through some, or all, of this.
I've been very tired for quite some time Ted, do you think a pacemaker will stop that?
 
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