ICD

[Guest guest]

Hello all:

I am 5 days post implant. It is still very sore and tender. I hope

that it will go away soon and get better over time. Write Back Soon,

Leah

[Guest guest]

Hi Leah:

I found myself in your position about a year and a half ago. I was sent

home with a sling to keep my left arm immobilized at night so I would

not lift my left arm over my head while sleeping. If I recall, I had to

use that sling for about 10-14 days. As I recall, the one thing that

bothered me the most was not being able to lay on my left side for a few

weeks until I healed enough. I sleep on my left side and that was

really the thing that drove me nuts until I could go back to my normal

sleep positions. I was back to work in a week, and I have never looked

back. My unit remains quiet and watchful, so far it has never paced me

nor has it ever fired. Just the way I like it! I am just so grateful

to have been given such a gift as I've heard of two people around my age

who have suddenly dropped dead from sudden heart problems, and this is

what I am at risk for. Having this unit gives me such peace of mind

that I only think about it when I go in for my defibrillator checks

every 3 months. The only thing that bothers me once in a while now is

the itching from my scar. I was told that within a year that should go

away, but sometimes my scar still itches me like crazy. If that is my

only complaint I guess I'm doing pretty good. Yes you are sore now, but

that too will soon resolve. Pretty soon you will be back up and feeling

much better especially with your own portable ER sitting right in your

chest ready to help you anytime you need it. Isn't technology amazing?

Sending You Healing Thoughts,

Jody Champlin

Holden, MA

leah wrote:

>

> Hello all:

> I am 5 days post implant. It is still very sore and tender. I hope

> that it will go away soon and get better over time. Write Back Soon,

> Leah

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello Leah, just wanted to let you know that when I had my implant op,

I was told by my EP/surgeon to keep my left arm as immobile as

possible using a sling for SIX weeks, day and night and not to raise

my arm above my shoulder, and that by doing these two simple things

it would be unlikely that I would have any pain and the tenderness

would be minimal. Regarding sleeping, extra pillows kept me from

rolling over much.For the most part, I just slept sitting up. So

that's what I did, six weeks of wearing a sling (I just cut some old

teeshirts on the left side from the sleeve down so it was easy to put

on and off and I didn't have to raise my arm.). I had no problems at

all, couldn't believe it, I had been so scared. I healed and have

never had any issues, no itching or aching. Perhaps I just lucked out

with the EP I have, it's been 3 years now since the implant, and am so

grateful that I was " gifted " with this marvelous little lifesaver,my

very own paddles. I have named him " Linus " (you know, the Peanuts

little fella who always has his blankee with him for comfort?) as I

always have him for comfort and company. lol

I still go to my EP every six months, no problems yet. I thank God and

my doctors every day for being so well looked after.

I hope that things are getting better for you. It's a wonderful life

we've been given the chance to continue. and Zapper and Zaplife are

right at our fingertips when we need to share!

all the best, Lynda.

> >

> > Hello all:

> > I am 5 days post implant. It is still very sore and tender. I hope

> > that it will go away soon and get better over time. Write Back Soon,

> > Leah

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Bruce, I too have heart failure due to a heart attack but it didn't develop until about 8 years afterwards. So I have not experienced the things you have, thank Goodness. My icd is a combination pacemaker for cardiac resynchronization therapy (which has helped my heart failure some) and icd to try to prevent sudden cardiac death. I am very grateful to have it--after all I might not be as lucky as you to be in the room with a doctor when it happens! Also I am a great deal older than you so mortality issues are more familiar to me anyway, and as one ages such thoughts are more easily death with. When I was your age I certainly didn't have many thoughts of my death, so it's hard for me to imagine what you are going through. I've had my device for about 3 years and I don't recall any fluttery feelings, but we are all so different I'm not surprised we don't have the same feelings.

Brenta

icd

hi there,firstly thanks for allowing me to join your club,i will tell you my lucky heart story,please feel free to comment,i am 45 years old and i was recently taking part in a clinical trial regarding heart failure and insulin resistance,after doing a exercise test which was regarded normal,the cardiologist with me asked if i was ok,i said yes then seconds later felt this really bad fluttering feeling,the cardiologist asked again if i was ok,i said no,he and a cardiac nurse put me on a bed,where he informed me that as i was hooked up to the ecg machine it is showing that my heart had gone into VT,i was shocked by defib there and then by the cardiologist to try and get rhytm back to normal,this didnt work,i then arrested,when i came to i was in ccu after being shocked again,i was later implanted with icd,this was 8 weeks ago,the rest of my medical history is that i had a heart attack aged 30,a heart bypass aged 30,and a further bypass operation aged 33,the heart attack left me with heart failure and angina,i have also have familial hypercholesterolemi a,so thats my lucky story being in a room with a cardiologist, a cadiac nurse and a defibrillator when i had my cardiac arrest,now i have my own icd defib,how do you all feel about having a machine inside you,what are your thoughts on your outlook in life since you recieved your icd,do you have mortality issues regarding it,if you recieve a lot of fluttering feelings after having icd fitte what should i do,look forward to your replys regards Bruce.

[Guest guest]

Hi Bruce,

I had a heart attack due to the chemotherapy I was receiving for breast cancer. It left me in heart failure, my EF is 20%. It took me quite a while to adjust to having an ICD in my chest. Thanks to time and this wonderful group of people, I am now comfortable with it and very grateful that I have it.

Welcome to the group, you will learn so much here.

Sydney

-- icd

hi there,firstly thanks for allowing me to join your club,i will tell you my lucky heart story,please feel free to comment,i am 45 years old and i was recently taking part in a clinical trial regarding heart failure and insulin resistance,after doing a exercise test which was regarded normal,the cardiologist with me asked if i was ok,i said yes then seconds later felt this really bad fluttering feeling,the cardiologist asked again if i was ok,i said no,he and a cardiac nurse put me on a bed,where he informed me that as i was hooked up to the ecg machine it is showing that my heart had gone into VT,i was shocked by defib there and then by the cardiologist to try and get rhytm back to normal,this didnt work,i then arrested,when i came to i was in ccu after being shocked again,i was later implanted with icd,this was 8 weeks ago,the rest of my medical history is that i had a heart attack aged 30,a heart bypass aged 30,and a further bypass operation aged 33,the heart attack left me with heart failure and angina,i have also have familial hypercholesterolemi a,so thats my lucky story being in a room with a cardiologist, a cadiac nurse and a defibrillator when i had my cardiac arrest,now i have my own icd defib,how do you all feel about having a machine inside you,what are your thoughts on your outlook in life since you recieved your icd,do you have mortality issues regarding it,if you recieve a lot of fluttering feelings after having icd fitte what should i do,look forward to your replys regards Bruce.

[Guest guest]

hi there,thanks Brenta for your reply,its just nice to hear from others with icds and the experiences they have had

From: Brenta <bdavis66@...>Subject: Re: icd Date: Saturday, 22 November, 2008, 9:44 PM

Bruce, I too have heart failure due to a heart attack but it didn't develop until about 8 years afterwards. So I have not experienced the things you have, thank Goodness. My icd is a combination pacemaker for cardiac resynchronization therapy (which has helped my heart failure some) and icd to try to prevent sudden cardiac death. I am very grateful to have it--after all I might not be as lucky as you to be in the room with a doctor when it happens! Also I am a great deal older than you so mortality issues are more familiar to me anyway, and as one ages such thoughts are more easily death with. When I was your age I certainly didn't have many thoughts of my death, so it's hard for me to imagine what you are going through. I've had my device for about 3 years and I don't recall any fluttery feelings, but we are all so different I'm not surprised we don't have the same feelings.

Brenta

icd

hi there,firstly thanks for allowing me to join your club,i will tell you my lucky heart story,please feel free to comment,i am 45 years old and i was recently taking part in a clinical trial regarding heart failure and insulin resistance,after doing a exercise test which was regarded normal,the cardiologist with me asked if i was ok,i said yes then seconds later felt this really bad fluttering feeling,the cardiologist asked again if i was ok,i said no,he and a cardiac nurse put me on a bed,where he informed me that as i was hooked up to the ecg machine it is showing that my heart had gone into VT,i was shocked by defib there and then by the cardiologist to try and get rhytm back to normal,this didnt work,i then arrested,when i came to i was in ccu after being shocked again,i was later implanted with icd,this was 8 weeks ago,the rest of my medical history is that i had a heart attack aged

30,a heart bypass aged 30,and a further bypass operation aged 33,the heart attack left me with heart failure and angina,i have also have familial hypercholesterolemi a,so thats my lucky story being in a room with a cardiologist, a cadiac nurse and a defibrillator when i had my cardiac arrest,now i have my own icd defib,how do you all feel about having a machine inside you,what are your thoughts on your outlook in life since you recieved your icd,do you have mortality issues regarding it,if you recieve a lot of fluttering feelings after having icd fitte what should i do,look forward to your replys regards Bruce.

[Guest guest]

Hello Bruce,

I had very strong misgivings about having the implant at first. It took me a long period of adjustment to come to terms with it and to understand how lucky I was to have it.

Give it some time and keep in stay involved with this group because it really helps.

Sydney

-- icd

hi there,firstly thanks for allowing me to join your club,i will tell you my lucky heart story,please feel free to comment,i am 45 years old and i was recently taking part in a clinical trial regarding heart failure and insulin resistance,after doing a exercise test which was regarded normal,the cardiologist with me asked if i was ok,i said yes then seconds later felt this really bad fluttering feeling,the cardiologist asked again if i was ok,i said no,he and a cardiac nurse put me on a bed,where he informed me that as i was hooked up to the ecg machine it is showing that my heart had gone into VT,i was shocked by defib there and then by the cardiologist to try and get rhytm back to normal,this didnt work,i then arrested,when i came to i was in ccu after being shocked again,i was later implanted with icd,this was 8 weeks ago,the rest of my medical history is that i had a heart attack aged 30,a heart bypass aged 30,and a further bypass operation aged 33,the heart attack left me with heart failure and angina,i have also have familial hypercholesterolemi a,so thats my lucky story being in a room with a cardiologist, a cadiac nurse and a defibrillator when i had my cardiac arrest,now i have my own icd defib,how do you all feel about having a machine inside you,what are your thoughts on your outlook in life since you recieved your icd,do you have mortality issues regarding it,if you recieve a lot of fluttering feelings after having icd fitte what should i do,look forward to your replys regards Bruce.

[Guest guest]

I have had an ICD more than 9 years. I was 41 when I was first

implanted. At first I was denial that I needed it, then I was in

depression a bit because I didn't want to live with very little

stamina. I then went to Cardiac Rehab and felt better physically and in

turn felt better emotionally. Within a few months I was in total

acceptance of my ICD and I have a back up watching over my heart so I

don;t have to. I have never been shocked, but my unit did charge once!

I hope you can come to terms with your ICD in a short time and see it as

a positive not a negative thing. It is there to protect you so that you

can LIVE life - the alternative is death. Something non os us want to

experience not for ourselves or our family.

Hang in there - glad you found us.

~guin

bruce37821 wrote:

>

> hi there,firstly thanks for allowing me to join your club,i will tell

> you my lucky heart story,please feel free to comment,i am 45 years

> old and i was recently taking part in a clinical trial regarding

> heart

> failure and insulin resistance,after doing a exercise test which was

> regarded normal,the cardiologist with me asked if i was ok,i said yes

> then seconds later felt this really bad fluttering feeling,the

> cardiologist asked again if i was ok,i said no,he and a cardiac nurse

> put me on a bed,where he informed me that as i was hooked up to the

> ecg

> machine it is showing that my heart had gone into VT,i was shocked by

> defib there and then by the cardiologist to try and get rhytm back to

> normal,this didnt work,i then arrested,when i came to i was in ccu

> after being shocked again,i was later implanted with icd,this was 8

> weeks ago,the rest of my medical history is that i had a heart attack

> aged 30,a heart bypass aged 30,and a further bypass operation aged

> 33,the heart attack left me with heart failure and angina,i have also

> have familial hypercholesterolemi a,so thats my lucky story being in

> a

> room with a cardiologist, a cadiac nurse and a defibrillator when i

> had

> my cardiac arrest,now i have my own icd defib,how do you all feel

> about

> having a machine inside you,what are your thoughts on your outlook in

> life since you recieved your icd,do you have mortality issues

> regarding

> it,if you recieve a lot of fluttering feelings after having icd fitte

> what should i do,look forward to your replys regards Bruce.

>

>

[Guest guest]

hi bruce i'm late gettign in answergn btu as always with this group you have had great respones from people i'm stacie i have had my icd since very very young and have had minny minny shocks both from it and from doctor i am very greatful to have my icd i dotn have mobillites of the icd itself but i know it's there to help me and for the past 15 years its saved my life time and time and time again ! i wouldnt want to live a dayw ithout my lifeline i was born with heart disease and minny minny othr health issuses i take every day of life for s specail as it is and hope that i see tommorow and i knwo the chance of seeing tommorow is improved greatly with my icd so i do see it and life positive for one i have never knwn diffrent and for to i dont have any choice but t

make the best of haveing a icd did i want the icd at firsted no but i knew i needed it when the doctors told me i needed a icd i had already been digonised with soem arthyimia and they knew other where not foudn yet ihave cardiomypathy and a ef 18 % still is ! so each day is a gift ! what put me into gettign a icd i was in vt for 11 1/2 hours yes you read right i did not kw at the time i was in vt i thought eing so young that it was just my astma ating up well we went to er finaliy and found that i was in vtach at 440 beats per mintur my doctor walks in and asked why i have not pasted out yet talking about scared !!!!!!!!! but i have only pasted out a few times ! i live with a recalled wire ect but after beng shocked back into rythmia and going right back out minny diffrent times but specaily on this firsted time my doctor said i needed a icd i think is scared me more knowing what at the time respesented

my only prevention to death ! was a mehine i was worried would the icd save my life i didnot have to wait long to find out ! the firsted time i as shocked i was shocked 13 times and that was the start ! life is what you make of it icd are apart of life yes it bothers me that i get shocked not the shock itself it's the thought of what would happen if the icd wasnt there or didnot shocked me back death scares me more but death will come when time but i hope my icd will let me live i will never life normal never anff i dont think i would want to weird huh well by haveing the icd and the health issuses it's giveing me insight into things i dont think peopel see or realize intill soemthing happens like heart attacks i learned from day one life was goign to be a fight and from day one i wanred to fight for life and do everything to live ! i was born having aheart attack ! we are all delaing with diffrent helath issuse but icd's should

not stop of from living but help us life better lifes sorry for goign on and on and i' truley sorry you needed a icd but i'm glad you survived and i'm glad you hoise to liv life evern if it is accpoanyed but a miracle marker icd !

8stacie and sean collie (aug-26-2001--may-20-2008) always and forever service dog and hero and NOW kira srvice dog and hero !

From: bruce grant <bsgrant@...> Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 2:19:29 PMSubject: Re: icd

hi Guin,thanks for your reply,what you say makes a lot of sense,good to hear you have not been shocked in 9 years,its good to know that,its good to hear from others like yourself,i will keep in touch

regards Bruce>> hi there,firstly thanks for allowing me to join your club,i will tell> you my lucky heart

story,please feel free to comment,i am 45 years> old and i was recently taking part in a clinical trial regarding> heart> failure and insulin resistance,after doing a exercise test which was> regarded normal,the cardiologist with me asked if i was ok,i said yes> then seconds later felt this really bad fluttering feeling,the> cardiologist asked again if i was ok,i said no,he and a cardiac nurse> put me on a bed,where he informed me that as i was hooked up to the> ecg> machine it is showing that my heart had gone into VT,i was shocked by> defib there and then by the cardiologist to try and get rhytm back to> normal,this didnt work,i then arrested,when i came to i was in ccu> after being shocked again,i was later implanted with icd,this was 8> weeks ago,the rest of my medical history is that i had a heart attack> aged 30,a heart bypass aged 30,and a further

bypass operation aged> 33,the heart attack left me with heart failure and angina,i have also> have familial hypercholesterolemi a,so thats my lucky story being in> a> room with a cardiologist, a cadiac nurse and a defibrillator when i> had> my cardiac arrest,now i have my own icd defib,how do you all feel> about> having a machine inside you,what are your thoughts on your outlook in> life since you recieved your icd,do you have mortality issues> regarding> it,if you recieve a lot of fluttering feelings after having icd fitte> what should i do,look forward to your replys regards Bruce.>>