I've just been back to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital yesterday after having my ICD implanted on 19th August for an initial check to see that everything is OK and to be given my home monitor, which on the box declares itself to be a communicator, hence the title of this post.
All went well, the nurses in the clinic downloaded data from my device, and confirmed that it hadn't paced me in the 7 weeks I've had it (it's just me imaging that it had)! and that everything was working normally and the wound was healing well.
Seems that the Boston Scientific device doesn't have a range of noises like the Metronic, only likely to hear it beep when the battery is down to 6 months left.
For anyone expecting to get a communicator in the near future, setting them up once you get home is simple. The hospital plugged the wifi dongle in, all you need to do is plug the box into the mains, the light on mine went yellow initially as it was downloading the latest software release, once it had done that the status light goes to green and the heart starts flashing, press the heart, and the communicator first downloads information from you device, then it transmits it to the clinic, when it finished it lights up as per photo for 2 mins, then just display the green status light.
I'll get a letter next April asking me to do a download, and assuming that nothing happens in the meantime, I'll go over to LHCH for a review next October.
My devise is quite high and to the left, not bothering me but curious as to why it was so far over, nurse said that because I was slim the consultant had put it further to the left to be less prominent. Came away chuffed, no one has said I'm slim in over 30 years! 😊
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SpiritoftheFloyd
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I had an initial review with the cardiologist after my HA in April where it was suggested it would be a good insurance policy to have an ICD fitted. I asked could I have a discussion with someone and was called back to see the consultant that performed the procedure on 1st May, where I agreed to having an ICD, I was booked in on the day to have it fitted on 19th August, so just over 15 weeks from agreeing to the procedure.
Definitely worth having done, as it's reassuring to know that if I develop an arrhythmia the ICD will stop me going into cardiac arrest.
I had HA August 18 had a ultra sound on my heart in March 19 then had my appointment with cardiologist end of August19 who has referred me to the ICD department still waiting for my appointment when I rung them the other day the earliest date for initial appointment would be January
Oh that's quite a wait. When I was there having mine done in August - the area that does it - Holly Ward, the nurse said they opened at 7am till 8pm and were putting in pacemakers and ICDs 7 days a week. So they're basically working around the clock.
I was lucky, rang 999 at 1.30 am - got 2 paramedics and an ambulance turning up in 6 minutes - I live in Greasby, so like you not too far away from Arrowe Park. Got taken to Arrow Park and stabilised then blue light to Liverpool Heart and Chest. Scary scary night!
That looks a very neat machine, Kevin's "communicator" looks very large in comparison, can't post photo as I've no idea how to! 😂 Does it stay illuminated like that or does it dim down? Kevin's has a light on it that does kinda light up the bedroom but it is handy for midnight visits to the bathroom!!
No it dims down to just the little green status light at the bottom. The picture is the display when it has successfully sent a download to the hospital.
They've told me that it will communicate with my ICD every night between 1-3 am. If there's nothing to report it doesn't send anything and goes back to sleep and repeats the process every night.
If it finds something to report ( to follow the Star Trek theme) a Klingon Bird of Prey will de-cloak on my front lawn and whisk me off to Liverpool Heart and Chest😊 , OR it will send a download to the hospital, and if it is anything will ring me the next day.
As a default it will reagrdless send a download on 2nd April 2020, and then I'll go in for them to interrogate the devise next October.
All very high tech stuff. Kevins downloads every day at 10 am, but it downloads even when there's nothing to report. When we're at the hospital for an interrogation (such a strange way to describe it) there is usually reams of computer paperwork they wade through, I do wonder if it's the same with a remote download.
Very comforting to know you're being monitored 24/7. I have heard kevins icd whirling in the middle of the night before now, which was a bit weird but all must have been ok as no one sent any birds, not even a pigeon let alone a Klingon bird of prey! 🐦
I can forsee a future generation monitoring you even more like, for instance, "you have exceeded your daily calorie allowance by 307" or "you need to do 1071 more steps today"! 1984 coming 35 years late! ☹️
First, I love your sense of humor, it's contagious and so good for your health!
Second, I say "Beam me up, Scotty!" as I have the same communicator. Aren't they awesome? Beats having to go to clinic once a month as in the past.
Lastly, I obviously have a Boston Scientific ICD as well, it only beeps when the battery is low, or near depletion due to a malfunction, which happened to me.
That's what I like about this forum, there's a huge amount of information, quite a few posts which are literally heart breaking, but quite a lot that bring a smile to my face. Life shouldn't be too serious
I'm getting used to my personal paramedic, and it's certainly reassuring to have it.
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