Anyone have/know someone pacemaker?

[Jete&Tino42]

My dad for about the past 3-4 years has these "episodes" when he does anything exerting energy. It usually always happens outside doing relativley simple tasks like weed zapping, doing the lawn etc. In the past 2-3 years it's happened about 6-7 times. What happens is out of nowhere he'll just pass out with no warning or anything. He's completley out of it for 2-3 minutes and we have to keep slapping his face and yelling his name to get him out of it. He usually gasps for air for a couple seconds and then he's fine again. Once he's up he's completley normal and thinks nothing has happend. It's incredibly scary to witness. He's been to every doctor and had every test run on him, and finally his cardiologist yesterday said he thinks he needs a pacemaker because his heart beat is a little too slow and when he does exercise like this it makes him pass out. I know very little about pacemakers, and suprisingly I haven't find much information on-line. So if anyone has one, or knows someone who does I was wondering if you could give me some information. i.e. Any complications, how long it takes to install, was it an actual surgery or just done locally, is there recovery time? etc. First hand experience is always better to learn from. So any help would be greatly appreciated!

[boo_427]

My grandfather has one.

What you seem to be describing in non-medical terms are called "mini-strokes". My grandfather experienced the exact same thing.

Once they put in the pacemaker, the "spells" went away. Basically from an irregular heartbeat due to some of the medications he was taking and his age.

The only things he was to avoid are metal detectors and x-ray machines. The proceedure was very quick and painfree. No real lengthy recovery time, just normal activity. Hope this helps.

[Chesbro41]

My grandfather just had one put in a couple months ago. If I remember correctly, he was out of the hospital the next day. He was in the hospital before he had it, but that's because his heart wasn't beating correctly. He said he doesn't feel any different than he did before (he was feeling fine up until the week of the procedure). He did develop an infection after, but that is a risk with any procedure.
No more x-rays, MRI's or anything like that...but not a big deal I guess

[krystl]

Ditto on the suggestion of mini strokes or TIA (trans ischemic attack). My mother suffered from these and it was very scary the first few times we saw them happen, not knowing what they were.

Here's something to read about them (risk factors for TIA are similar to those for heart dsease):
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/trans...article_em.htm

[Jete&Tino42]

Thank you very much for the responses. It makes me feel much better to know that the procedure seems pretty simple. Hopefully this will make his passing out spells go away. Thanks for the info!

[Dave Visbeck]

My dad for about the past 3-4 years has these "episodes" when he does anything exerting energy. It usually always happens outside doing relativley simple tasks like weed zapping, doing the lawn etc. In the past 2-3 years it's happened about 6-7 times. What happens is out of nowhere he'll just pass out with no warning or anything. He's completley out of it for 2-3 minutes and we have to keep slapping his face and yelling his name to get him out of it. He usually gasps for air for a couple seconds and then he's fine again. Once he's up he's completley normal and thinks nothing has happend. It's incredibly scary to witness. He's been to every doctor and had every test run on him, and finally his cardiologist yesterday said he thinks he needs a pacemaker because his heart beat is a little too slow and when he does exercise like this it makes him pass out. I know very little about pacemakers, and suprisingly I haven't find much information on-line. So if anyone has one, or knows someone who does I was wondering if you could give me some information. i.e. Any complications, how long it takes to install, was it an actual surgery or just done locally, is there recovery time? etc. First hand experience is always better to learn from. So any help would be greatly appreciated!

My old friend Steve that lived back in Livermore had one and did very well with it. I haven't seen him for a long time now so I'm not sure how they've changed - maybe have gotten smaller. He had one back in the 70's that didn't slow him down a bit. It was under the skin near the chest-shoulder area and was about 2 inches square. He played golf on the high school golf team with it - actually started playing better as I remember it -- after getting it!

[Bub]

My mother had the exact same experience. The older you get, the more your heart is vulnerable to miss a beat because the electrical signals are only there 99.9% of the time. She's worn a pacemaker for about 4 years and has been fine since they put it in.

[NYYFAN]

Tell him even Elton John has a pacemaker...

PS: I assist putting them in, it's really not a big deal...

[ritaylnil]

My 77 year old mother had one put in Sept 2004 (when she was 75). She was already in the hospital due to a fainting type episode in which she had the feeling she was dying. She was only in the hospital a few days. I wouldn't say it was pain-free. Also, she was severely bruised by the procedure which apparently is normal. All in all, she's done well with it.

[Jete&Tino42]

Thank you all for the responses. You've rally calmed my nerves down...I was talking to my friend's mom about it today and she said they stop your heart when they put it in? I've never heard that before. Is this true? That caused some concern. But thanks again. I always get nervous about anything medical like this.

[Casey at the Bat]

My uncle recenlty got one after a few TIAs and was always fatigued. After the pacemaker, he had tons more energy, and even stopped walking with a cane. The difference was like night and day. No complications at all for him.

[krystl]

My mother had several TIA's over the years that her doctor knew about apparently and he never recommended a pacemaker. Is this a common thing that one is associated to the other?

[Casey at the Bat]

My mother had several TIA's over the years that her doctor knew about apparently and he never recommended a pacemaker. Is this a common thing that one is associated to the other?

TIAs could be caused by other things, not just an abnormal heartbeat. Same things that can cause heart-attacks and strokes can cause TIAs. As a matter of fact, people who have had TIAs are more likely to have a full blown heart attack or stroke (at least that is what we were told in school).

[PalmerGA]

Thank you all for the responses. You've rally calmed my nerves down...I was talking to my friend's mom about it today and she said they stop your heart when they put it in? I've never heard that before. Is this true? That caused some concern. But thanks again. I always get nervous about anything medical like this.

Here's one more similar response...
My mom had a pacemaker "installed" about two years ago. She's 85 now and doing great. She had been having dizzy/occaisional fainting spells and just had no energy at all. Now she walks her dog around the neighborhood every day, tends her flower/vegetable gardens, and pretty much does whatever she wants.

The only problems she had when they put it in was that it took them a while before they got her bloodpressure meds adjusted. The pacemaker changed everything.... eventually for the better.

The surgery is minor for the most part. They kept her in the hospital for two nights because of her age, just for observation.