A help line that works! Wow what a surprise.

[BobD]

Some of you will know that last September I had a pacemaker installed. At the time of my six week checkup the centre told me that I would have a bedside monitor box that would read my PM and relay any problems to the clinic but that they were out of stock. When I was chatting to my EP recently I mentioned I still hadn't received it so he asked me to ring the clinic and chase.

Of course BobD sorry about that you slipped through the cracks. I'll send it out tonight.

Well it arrived on Friday (left in my porch with several other parcels) but with family down over the weekend it was yesterday evening before I opened the box and looked at it. Well honestly there was a lot of paperwork, several books of instructions and a "quick start" guide but I suspect they were written in Sanscrit for all it meant to me. What I could read was an 0800 help line number so this smorning I rang it. " Your call is important to use but all our operators are busy right now, please leave a message and we will call you back. Right. I didn't. Ten minutes later my mobile rang with an unknown number and fully expecting a spam call I answered brusquely only to find it was the help centre calling me back.

Full marks for an operator that spoke English and double for a kind young lady (am I allowed to say that?) who stayed on the line and spent the next twenty minutes calming talking me through the system as it tried to find a digital network to link to ( us country bumpkins you know), finally found a signal, "please hold the machine in your lap now" while it verified that I do have a heart unlike the Tin Man) and after lots of flashing lights, bleeps and such like from my machine she triumphantly told me yes you do have a heart and its still working. After reassurances that I can unplug it now and move it from the window without loosing all the hard won data to plug it in next to my bed I thanked her profusely and we parted. What an amazing experience. Well done St Jude Healthcare/ Merlin Monitoring. You have refreshed my belief in people.

[mjames1]

BobD said:

Full marks for an operator that spoke English and double for a kind young lady (am I allowed to say that?)

---------------------

According to a recent guide of wokeness in New York Magazine, you are not allowed to say that. Not very PC. I don't subscribe, so I have only read tidbits of their list of do's and don'ts, but from what I've seen so far, best not to say anything to anyone these days.

Glad customer service found your heart. Had me worried for a minute.

Jim

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to mjames1]

That sounds like a nasty person Jim and an unusual one too. Here in the UK we hold the door open for both male and females. You'd hardly let it swing back in their face, would you! I would have appreciated you opening a door for me and thanked you.

BobD yes, I guess you can say 'young lady', what you must not do is wolf whistle at one as that's being considered right now to become against the law. I'm quite disappointed, as a roofer I've known for years would always whistle at me and I would secretly feel quite pleased that anyone would bother.

What a strange time we're going through right now.

Jean

[mjames1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks Jean. I edited my remark after you responded, but for anyone following, Jean is referring to a story where I opened a door for a woman, but by her reaction, apparently that is not PC these days.

Jim

[Gumbie_Cat in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I always hold doors open too - though I’m sometimes the mug who is standing there while others continue to walk through like it’s held open by magic!

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Gumbie_Cat]

Oh Gumbie, you've made me laugh picturing you standing there, thank you.

[mrgwair567 in reply to Gumbie_Cat]

😂😂!

[Hidden in reply to Gumbie_Cat]

Thats me too....holding the door not walking through with the crowd incase your wondering 🤣

[Afibflipper in reply to Gumbie_Cat]

😂

[ling]

Sounds all too familiar 😁

[jeanjeannie50]

Glad to hear that you got some help with your monitor Bob. Quite amazing for them to have called you back and been so helpful. I can understand why your faith in people has been restored.

Hope all works fine for you now.

Jean

[bantam12]

Think I’ll stick with getting mine checked at the hospital, sounds a lot easier for this techno dimwit 🥴

[Lbeat796]

I am glad you are sorted Bob. It makes such a difference if English is first language as sometimes call centre worker can speak perfect English but accent can be hard to pick up especially when something as important as pacemaker. Good luck. Linda

[meadfoot]

Lovely jubbly. ❣️

[Bagrat]

Great news. I requested a call back last week from some company and was amazed when I got one, and no, I was not attempting to spend money with them.

[Suesouth]

I have my 6 week check up tomorrow, luckily I was given my monitor the day my pacemaker was fitted, still getting fluttering, palpitations or whatever, so hopefully they can tell me what’s going on tomorrow!

[Frances123]

Glad you are all sorted Bob and with a competent young lady who actually called you back. A rarity these days. Would have hated for you soldier on blindly and all that happened was you had hotwired yourself into the home service. lol.

[Hidden]

I'm like you, Bob, I get very amazed when I actually get to speak to a live customer service person and they actually give good customer service...that you can understand too! It's like Christmas!

[bassets]

Good to hear that there are people some out there who are professional and kind - and that your heart is still there

[Goosebumps]

Like you, I bristle now when a call comes in on my mobile from an unknown or withheld number, I don’t get many calls anyway so every fake one is really annoying. Two times recently it’s been the cardiac rehab centre, so I’m having to learn to answer politely

[Singwell]

Heartening story. Amused however that the post's related tags including 'fungal infection' 😀. Is there something you're keeping to yourself?

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Singwell]

How weird. Didn't notice that. I did learn what a dongle is though and it isn't rude.

[Dollcollector in reply to BobD]

My dongle didn't work. I haven't a mobile signal in my area. I haven't a landlines now as b.t. cut the copper wire off while replacing it with fast full fibre. Apparently my monitor won't transmit by WiFi. The firm that made my pacemaker found faults in some of them , so everyone who has that type of pacemaker has been given a monitor to transmit daily recordings.The hospitals solution to that , is that l get my pacemaker checked at the hospital every 3 months instead of once a year. Not very satisfactory considering that my heart was pausing for 10 seconds at a time and l was having blackouts before l had the pacemaker. The only other thing l can do is have my pacemaker changed for another firms that connects with WiFi.

[JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to BobD]

Hi

Got a new really nice friend whose interested in me @ 74 and well he is 76. We both have heart issues.He wears a hearing aid and has showed me his pacemaker.

Continuing on his way to the South Island (already planned) he finally rung but I could not hear him but only background of someone asking "are you with AA".

Days later I got an explanation.

Drove to the Detour at Waipu.

His mate hadn't lined up ford Ranger and 24' caravan.

Scrapped new caravan and damaged the end of caravan.

2 floods inside the caravan as tap knocked off

4 days of no smart phone...sorry.

Well, interesting.

Are there situations to watch out for when phoningan android 4G simple

phone?

I texted "Are you on telephone mode with your h/aid?"

Turn up your volume of your Smart phone?

He is down South Island now and ironically a mill pond crossing!

Lots of flooding, slips, closed roads etc.

NZ is waiting for another cyclone north island and my area of northland.

By the way new man, asks if I say a prayer before eating, listens, opens doors, showing caring and kindness.

I'm enjoying this new fellow.

Valentines Day and his birthday (mine just passed in January) is upon us.

We will see what happens. He's still working and this is his holiday.

cheri JOY. 74. (NZ)

Yes he has AF but a slow heart hence the pacemaker. Whereas I have a rapid persistent H/R now under control with Diltiazem AM and Bisoprolol PM.

[Slidingdoors99]

Well that was a bit of a saga but so pleased that you managed to speak to some helpful people and sort things out!

I didn’t realise that you had to sleep next to a box if you have a pacemaker!

[heartmatters1]

You could call me a kind young lady any day BobD. At my age I’d take any complement given 😅. Glad you’ve been helped.

Best wishes Ally

[baba]

Bob does your bedside gadget monitor your heart/pacemaker continually, do you switch it off during the day? Just interested.

I got one during lockdown(Medtronic), it had clear instructions, easy to set up etc. It included instructions to set up at bedside if I had a "reveal device" fitted, I don't. So I get an appointment from the pacemaker clinic 6 monthly to do a download from my pacemaker. I duly comply, it takes a few minutes. Then I pack it away till next appointment.

[Afibflipper]

Well done BobD - unlike the continuous heart monitor box I used to have - just had to plug it into a telephone socket. Think I would have panicked and been beside my self (nothing would that achieve I know) but when I knew they were out of stock of the pacemaker boxes I’d be thinking it’s bound to go wrong now with the luck I have!

[DawnTX]

BobD how are you feeling since the install? I have part one being done on Monday. Thankfully, I will not have to play with the box like you do because my doctor will be able to check mine remotely. I did go through that with my recorder and then found out later. It was so much simpler than the stupid instructions. I’m so glad you had help. Please let me know how you were doing with the pacemaker.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to DawnTX]

Not much difference Dawn as it is a safety net set at 60 and my HR is seldom below 75 and usually ten higher or more. In the past if it dropped below 60 I started getting gaps which caused pre syncope. That used to happen maybe twice a year but twice too often.