Guest guest Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 Does everyone fall down (or is it passing out?) when they get a treatment-shock, I know that I always have. And while I am asking questions, does it affect everyone the same way...I mean is it painful to everyone? Always, "Words are the voice of the heart" (Confucius) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 Hi , I usually do not pass out, but if standing, I have always fallen down when shocked. I have had people tell me they don't fall down when shocked, but I do. And i'm 6'4" and weigh 230 lbs. Regards, Dave in Maine Re: Re: questions from Does everyone fall down (or is it passing out?) when they get a treatment-shock, I know that I always have. And while I am asking questions, does it affect everyone the same way...I mean is it painful to everyone?Always, "Words are the voice of the heart"(Confucius) Please visit the Zapper homepage athttp://www.ZapLife.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 My one and only occasion to be shocked (many times on that one occasion, though!) happened on the third day I returned to work, after having my ICD implanted. My daughter was dropping me off on her way to high school. It was very early and I was using my key card to go in a side door of the federal courthouse where I was working. I always got called "the bag lady". This involved carrying several "bags" up a set of steps, plus I was stressed about work and by my daughter fussing at me for taking so long--she was afraid she would be late for school. Anyway, on one of my trips back to the car, sitting in the back seat retrieving yet another bag, I felt really strange--like I was going to pass out or something. I said something to my daughter to the effect that, "I'm sorry--I'm just feeling funny--I don't feel good." She was looking at me as I said this and immediately said, "Mom, your defibrillator just fired. That's what's wrong." She had seen my body "jerk" or whatever it does/did. I really never felt anything like the "kick in the chest" that everyone describes--just the fainting-like sensation. Is that all that unusual that it would happen that way? My daughter was so calm and drove me, still sitting in the back seat, directly to the hospital. I commented to the nurses who were working on me in the ER about how calm she had been, and they said she had "lost it" in the waiting room, once she got me to the hospital. Sorry about writing a book and I'm sure that's more info than anyone needed, but I just wanted to share how a shock felt to me. After that, my EP said no more work. I really think it was a combination of the stress and the carrying fairly heavy things up a flight of steps that caused it to fire. I was a court reporter in federal court at the time and taking down what everyone said no matter how fast they talked or how they mumbled was a bit stressful in and of itself; but on top of that I had attorneys and relatives of defendants calling me wanting to know when their transcript would be finished--so there were many deadlines (On several occasions I even had defendants calling me from prison to my unlisted home number asking the same thing. I could just visualize my private number being written on the wall somewhere there). Then their wives and/or girlfriends (some had both!) would call asking the same thing--not even getting into the attorneys on my back). STRESS! I have LQTS--don't guess that would affect how the shock was delivered, though. My ICD is Medtronic. Just as an aside, I would be interested to know how many of you, if any, have LQTS. I evidently inherited the gene but it was more or less dormant until I took one of the meds that I now know is on the forbidden list for LQTS folks. It definitely became active after that. Sorry to ramble so much. I tend to do that just as a general rule, but I am still getting my energy back after a weeklong family vacation at Disney World. That's a whole other story that I won't get into now. Suffice it to say it was very tiring, even with the scooter I used in the Park. It was stressful because of the crowds there (spring break week, I guess) and having to dodge people. They certainly didn't try to get out of my way! Now I hope I haven't jinxed anything by "bragging" that my device had never fired except on that one occasion...lol! Surely don't want to go through all that again right now. Am interested to hear if anyone had a similar experience of just feeling faint and not even realizing that the ICD had fired, or whether I'm just the "oddball". Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 's first episode was very appropriate. He threw a clot and flat line. Zap! With 8 more to follow. He did not feel well so we went to the ER. All 9 zaps were there. I lost it after the first zap. The second time he got zapped he did not feel well and sat down on the side of someone's boat. I was starting up another boat and did not hear him say he was not feeling well. I saw someone running down the docks and looked over at . He looked confused and lost. All I could do was laugh (but it was not funny - just the look on his face was funny). All of his zaps were appropriate. But for some reason at different rates. Gail Am interested to hear if anyone had a similar experience of just feeling faint and not even realizing that the ICD had fired, or whether I'm just the "oddball". Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 Dave, Good to know that I am not the only one! Misery loves company..or something to that effect!? Actually I am a little surprised at the different ways the "events" differ. When I first got my ICD..the Docs told me that it would feel like a kick from a horse. Well, I grew up riding (even rode in rodeos when I was a munchkin) and it didn't resemble anything like that! Unless the Doc was talking about a Clydesdale!! Always, "Words are the voice of the heart" (Confucius) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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