I just spoke with my doctors nurse and it shows you can always learn new things and you can also mess things up. Lol.
I hadn’t mentioned much about being a little bit nervous regarding my new pacemaker. The past two days my heart rate has been up. I am set for 80. I have noticed, and I know that my pacemaker could allow a higher if I am busy doing something. My heart rate would go up when I settle down it would settle but yesterday and today it was high for me and I wasn’t doing anything.
I am sharing this in case no one told you either. I knew my AV node had been ablated. That being said, it could no longer put me into tachycardia and the horrible a fib that I was getting. Although I knew it existed, I had ignored anything about the SA node. It wasn’t really mentioned probably because it was being left alone. But that being said what it does is very important so we need to remember it is there. It is the natural pacemaker I had them confused. This means whether it is me being active or stressed thinking too much, it will raise my heart rate to compensate and give me the blood flow. I need it is meant to do that, and it is not dangerous.
I was also told to stop checking my heart rate. Normally, I don’t check it that much usually in the morning or if I am feeling some thing different. Yesterday and today before I got out of bed, it was already high as I am set at 80. Today it was 105. So it made me nervous which makes it worse lol now if I had other symptoms that would be different but I really don’t. It could be simple as having a nightmare before I woke or waking to a loud sound like my dog barking perhaps?
Just in case anyone else here needs this info. I was a short both bye the tech at the clinic and my doctors nurse that what I am feeling, including the ache in my chest are all very normal. I was reminded that I had already been extremely beaten up by a fib before any of this was done and it is going to take a while for my body to adjust because it got used to the a fib. I also have a typical flutter which a pacemaker does not help although it never really bothers me. I’m not sure what I was expecting, although I think I expected to wake up to a miracle as if a film never existed . I will share the blame on that with the tech because I had mentioned how wonderful I felt when my cardioversion worked the first time, and I had heart rate of 82 and it was like a miracle. He said from what he understood that is how I will feel when I am hooked up. the nurse told me the complete opposite and said without realizing what he had told me, only a few people get lucky, and feel great right away. That’s when I told her what he had said, and she said oh no, that’s so not true.
Something amazing is also happening to my body day by day. It must be the circulation getting better because I even have pink toes now. My cousin said I look alive and a friend on the phone said I sound strong and I had not for quite a while according to him. I am still tired etc. but nothing like I was and mentally I feel so good. A friend and I were talking last week and I brought up some thing from the past. She asked me how old I was and could not get over my memory. I think many of us find the further back in time the better we remember though. I am seeing different things almost daily now that are improving.
The things we took for granted
Don’t be afraid if a pacemaker is suggested. Doctors do not take these lightly. It usually is because you’re running out of options and they want you to have quality of life. Day by day things are getting better and new things are coming out. I know because my pacemaker was just approved in October. prior to that there was no pacemaker for me and I would’ve progressed into heart failure and then need a transplant I live in a little town in southeast Texas and this was all available here. Oh sure I could go to Houston and try other things. I am happy with what I got. Perhaps if I were younger, I would’ve gone for something different, but I have improved my quality of life in less than two weeks. If you like, and respect and trust your doctor, you are in good hands. Once I did with mine, I had no doubts. Whatever time I have left, I want to be fun. This is what one me over because I did not feel alive sitting like a lump on my couch constantly in pain if I tried to get up and walk or even breathe. I found the light at the end of the tunnel even though I have more healing to do I am already happy about what I have. PS I am impatient just remember, just like at the hairdresser there is no magic wand lol our bodies undergo trauma, and just like a bruise on any part of your body. It has to heal.
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DawnTX
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goodness! What a journey this has been. So glad things are healing properly and you got some accurate information. Frankly, sounds amazing, so happy for you that it’s working. Thanks for sharing all this info!
Sometimes I write a novel I know, but I want to show how easy it is to not have all the information. I am blessed that my doctor and nurse are able to really explain things and calm me down. I could’ve gone and had my pacemaker checked on Friday and I also have the option to see my cardiologist as my EP is out of town at the moment. The nurse had everything ready to go if I had chosen any of these. Because she is so good I did not need to do those because I understand now. The nurse had pointed out that even a nightmare or thinking about paying bills or whatever while we are sleeping, can be enough to raise the heart rate. I usually check mine before I get up and found it to be 105 which is why I was concerned getting the pacemaker is a little overwhelming still, but I have already grown used to it being in my body. If you end up going that way, just remember it is the light at the end of the tunnel for you to get quality of life again
if you end up on this journey, at least you can see it is not a dead end, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Each one of us has a different adventure with good and bad. I still have aching in the center of my chest and maybe getting an ultrasound to see if I once again have pericarditis. We all have some type of weakness and for me it has been getting that following procedures. I already have the Meds just one pill a day for 30 days usually works and it’s not a steroid. Here in the states we are very lucky to have options and not have to wait. My heart often aches for my friends in the UK and Canada because no one should have to suffer for any length of time it’s just wrong.
Oh, I know. Hate to hear of friends who have to wait forever for procedures. Have family in the UK and I know,their healthcare has suffered as a result of some major oversights. Our US healthcare can be great for those of us with good insurance, but my heart also aches for others here who don’t have good coverage. I’m on a very pricey med for rheumatoid arthritis. Even with good health insurance, my copays would be impossible for so many.
"Something amazing is happening to my body day by day. ". Hold onto that thought Dawn. You've had a tough time. May all continue well as you and your body adjust.
Thank you I am doing that and appreciating every little difference. In the past day or two I have discovered pink toes lol. It sounds silly but until my circulation started back I have almost been see-through. My cousin said I look alive lol.
😊ty. I don’t tell everyone what’s going on to brag, and I am far from 100% yet but I am better and I feel it not just physically but I now have hope again. I am sharing because I am praying everyone gets the same chance.
Thank you, hon. I am very blessed to have a medical team, teaching me to live with the change and educating me about it so as not to be afraid. I not only have my doctor and his people, but also a technical clinic in the hospital to answer questions, etc. fear can really cause problems with our health. I even learned nightmares can cause me to wake up with a high heart rate.
One thing I was told was to keep that little thing off my finger lol. Stop checking my heart rate. It makes perfect sense because my original doctor when I was diagnosed with type two diabetes said the same thing about testing my sugar. There are so many variables. You will drive yourself. Crazy. I see people now with the new test that you keep on your arm. They are constantly waving their phone across it. When you are a diabetic, most of us know the signs if our numbers change. I notice many people with Kardia I am more involved with medical than my doctor is LOL you really can drive yourself crazy. I’m going to let him take the reins. For those who are not aware, your EP is constantly updating his education to take care of us. A doctor that does not do that well quickly lose his usefulness, because there is so much going on in the field. Just like my new pacemaker. If your doctor doesn’t keep up, how are they going to make us better? The pacemaker I have was not available before October 2022 the other types would not have helped me.
My prayer for everyone is that you all get the opportunity to have a doctor that will help you with the the best technique to give you quality of life sooner than later. Trust me, that’s what we need. 😊 I share my information because we all need to know there is light at the end of the tunnel.❤️
You are so right, technology moves very fast and I hope that we all get the benefit of it, wherever we are. You are right too about forever monitoring heart rates - I have an applewatch and am guilty of checking, though I try not to, though it’s hard. I’m very fortunate in that I haven’t had an episode for a few months now, but aware it’s always lurking, waiting to ‘pounce’ and that’s the problem 😬
Thank you same to you. It becomes very addictive checking on it. I will still look at it if it feels unusual but the other day I drove myself crazy it was very silly. Keep in touch. I hope that you continue with few events.
Steve, I am hoping this is true. Getting information to take the fright part away is so important. I am very blessed to have a medical team who not only has answers, but knows how to talk to us. I was also offered options to ease my mind. I do not need them because now I know what is normal and I was expecting too much too fast. Thank you for your support Steve you are awesome.
Steve it’s so easy to care about each other and help each other through life. Lol trust me there is another side to me if needed but I had a friend from Thailand ones tell me “if you sing a beautiful song, you get a beautiful echo back “. We don’t know what others are going through just taking a deep breath before you respond to some thing may make all the difference in the world to another person. I have phone, beautiful echos
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P-Afib from cancer treatment causes different part of heart to misfire.
To ablate or not to ablate 
Very confused about ablation
