Improved after ICD Implant
Due to heart rate being increased (to 60-88 + beats per minute), and with about the same blood pressure as before implant, I have noticed the following improvements in my body since implant of an ICD on 28 Oct 2011:
---toes are now not so cold (blood circulating better);
---peripheral neuropathy in toes /feet has decreased, less tingling feeling;
---urinate more frequently and void larger volume, decreasing fluid retention (total blood volume is passing through kidneys more times per day);
---urine less concentrated (lighter in color);
---lightheadedness gone;
---more color to skin;
---no more bad shortness of breath;
---more steady on feet;
---sleep longer hours before wakening;
---complications from weak heart decreased, and feel better.
So, thus far the improvements have been greater than expected. In fact, it is amazing to go from about dying one day (heart stopping) to doing better than I've been in years. Now I just hope it lasts a while.
The heart clinic people at the local hospital said there is no way to tell how long I would have survived with the third degree heart block. It all depends on if the heart restarts after stopping, and life could cease in one day or a month or more.
Information posted to possibly help and inform others.
Adrian R. Lawler, Ph.D., (C) 2011 --
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Things That Guided Saving my Life
Things That Guided Saving my Life
On 27 October 2011 I was admitted to a local hospital with third degree heart block. There were several things that came together to save my life.
If any of the below had not happened, and various medical personnel had not done their jobs plus done extra effort, I would not be here today. I thank all the people involved:
1. I was doing a report for a law institute and the added stress taxed me a lot more, enabling me to be in distress on the one day of every six months I was at the Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Clinic for my appointment where I was checked on their machines. It was the day after the final report was submitted and I was still stressed out.
2. The CHF Clinic nurse recognized a problem when she hooked me up to the machine showing my vital readings and called my heart doctors.
3. My heart doctor and Nurse Practioner (both highly qualified women) were at the hospital making morning visits and diagnosed the problem and got me admitted immediately into the hospital, directed my care throughout, and answered my questions, etc.
4. A night nurse assigned to my room watched me closely, and kept me awake overnight so my heart would not stop anymore, and got me moved to SICU (Surgery Intensive Care Unit). (My heart would slow way down, less than 20 beats/minute, or stop as I was trying to doze off.)
5. The nurses at SICU watched me closely until I was scheduled for my implant operation.
6. The nurses in the operating room assisted the doctor in the final act that saved my life, installing a pacemaker/ICD.
7. The doctor performed the operation of installing a pacemaker/ICD under trying and heart-stopping (my heart stopped several times) conditions in the final act to literally save my life. Thank you, Doctor!!!
8. Justin from St. Jude Medical for supplying the ICD device that keeps my heart beating right, and for making sure all was going ok after the implant of the ICD. Thanks to him for also explaining a bunch to me and making me feel more at ease. Thanks!!!
ALL are to be commended for a job well done and thanked forever for helping me. They bought me whatever time I now have left ......... Thank you.
Adrian R. Lawler, (C) 2011 --
On 27 October 2011 I was admitted to a local hospital with third degree heart block. There were several things that came together to save my life.
If any of the below had not happened, and various medical personnel had not done their jobs plus done extra effort, I would not be here today. I thank all the people involved:
1. I was doing a report for a law institute and the added stress taxed me a lot more, enabling me to be in distress on the one day of every six months I was at the Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Clinic for my appointment where I was checked on their machines. It was the day after the final report was submitted and I was still stressed out.
2. The CHF Clinic nurse recognized a problem when she hooked me up to the machine showing my vital readings and called my heart doctors.
3. My heart doctor and Nurse Practioner (both highly qualified women) were at the hospital making morning visits and diagnosed the problem and got me admitted immediately into the hospital, directed my care throughout, and answered my questions, etc.
4. A night nurse assigned to my room watched me closely, and kept me awake overnight so my heart would not stop anymore, and got me moved to SICU (Surgery Intensive Care Unit). (My heart would slow way down, less than 20 beats/minute, or stop as I was trying to doze off.)
5. The nurses at SICU watched me closely until I was scheduled for my implant operation.
6. The nurses in the operating room assisted the doctor in the final act that saved my life, installing a pacemaker/ICD.
7. The doctor performed the operation of installing a pacemaker/ICD under trying and heart-stopping (my heart stopped several times) conditions in the final act to literally save my life. Thank you, Doctor!!!
8. Justin from St. Jude Medical for supplying the ICD device that keeps my heart beating right, and for making sure all was going ok after the implant of the ICD. Thanks to him for also explaining a bunch to me and making me feel more at ease. Thanks!!!
ALL are to be commended for a job well done and thanked forever for helping me. They bought me whatever time I now have left ......... Thank you.
Adrian R. Lawler, (C) 2011 --
Diagnosed .... to ICD Implant
Diagnosed .... to ICD Implant
I was already diagnosed with a weak heart and was in the hospital in March 2010 for my first episode of congestive heart failure (CHF). I was taking lasix, coreg, lisinopril, and aspirin. I had not had another episode of CHF since 2010 because I stayed on a low sodium diet, regulated my fluid intake, and watched my weight closely.
On 24 Sept 11 after waking up and doing some exercise I went into an electrical shock type seizure for a little while, but thought I recovered. I thought it was low blood sugar and felt better after eating some sweets. I was writing a report and pushed myself hard.
For the next month I had periodic dizzy spells when standing up, hot flushes in the head, and episodes of being short of breath. I did not fall, faint, or get sick. I continued on doing my report, but dizzy spells and flushes got more frequent. I thought it was due to the stress of a deadline on a big report. I noticed my pulse dropped from about 70 to about 52 but thought nothing about it. I took a sweet after each spell and felt better.
I went to my regular check-up at the CHF clinic appointment at 8 am on 27 Oct 11, where I was diagnosed as being in the final stages of third degree heart block, with a pulse then going down to about 25. I felt essentially ok and had driven myself to the clinic. I was described as asymptomatic.
My heart doctors put me into the hospital, awaiting a pacemaker/ICD operation. During the early hours of 28 October 2011 my heart stopped beating, my body temperature fell to 95.7 F, and I was moved to Surgical ICU. About 1 pm I went into surgery for a pacemaker/ICD implant. They could not get the third lead put in for the unit I wanted because my heart kept stopping on the operating table so they worked fast to put a lesser pacemaker in me to bring me back. My heart stopped several times on the 28th...... for at least 15 seconds one time.
For some people third degree heart block kills them on the spot without any warning. I had over a month's warning and still did not feel very bad. My good physical condition probably saved my life and sustained my body better than would have happened for most people. I suggest to others this is another good reason to exercise and stay physically fit.
Adrian R. Lawler, (C) 2011 --
See the following website for more information:
http://health.sjm.com/arrhythmia-answers/your-condition/causes-and-symptoms-and-your-diagnosis/slow-heartbeat.aspx
I was already diagnosed with a weak heart and was in the hospital in March 2010 for my first episode of congestive heart failure (CHF). I was taking lasix, coreg, lisinopril, and aspirin. I had not had another episode of CHF since 2010 because I stayed on a low sodium diet, regulated my fluid intake, and watched my weight closely.
On 24 Sept 11 after waking up and doing some exercise I went into an electrical shock type seizure for a little while, but thought I recovered. I thought it was low blood sugar and felt better after eating some sweets. I was writing a report and pushed myself hard.
For the next month I had periodic dizzy spells when standing up, hot flushes in the head, and episodes of being short of breath. I did not fall, faint, or get sick. I continued on doing my report, but dizzy spells and flushes got more frequent. I thought it was due to the stress of a deadline on a big report. I noticed my pulse dropped from about 70 to about 52 but thought nothing about it. I took a sweet after each spell and felt better.
I went to my regular check-up at the CHF clinic appointment at 8 am on 27 Oct 11, where I was diagnosed as being in the final stages of third degree heart block, with a pulse then going down to about 25. I felt essentially ok and had driven myself to the clinic. I was described as asymptomatic.
My heart doctors put me into the hospital, awaiting a pacemaker/ICD operation. During the early hours of 28 October 2011 my heart stopped beating, my body temperature fell to 95.7 F, and I was moved to Surgical ICU. About 1 pm I went into surgery for a pacemaker/ICD implant. They could not get the third lead put in for the unit I wanted because my heart kept stopping on the operating table so they worked fast to put a lesser pacemaker in me to bring me back. My heart stopped several times on the 28th...... for at least 15 seconds one time.
For some people third degree heart block kills them on the spot without any warning. I had over a month's warning and still did not feel very bad. My good physical condition probably saved my life and sustained my body better than would have happened for most people. I suggest to others this is another good reason to exercise and stay physically fit.
Adrian R. Lawler, (C) 2011 --
See the following website for more information:
http://health.sjm.com/arrhythmia-answers/your-condition/causes-and-symptoms-and-your-diagnosis/slow-heartbeat.aspx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)