Pacemaker at 50?

[Eshirley23]

Anyone had a pacemaker at 50? My husband has had so many cardioversions and ablations I can't count them. Last summer he had a hybrid ablation where they cauterized the entire back of his heart. He was in surgery for over 10 hours and went into shock. He was in ICU for two weeks on a ventilater and tube fed and sedated. Once he recovered he was fib free for 9 months. Now it's started all over again. It seems his choices are to live with it or get a pacemaker, even though the doc thinks he's too young for the pacemaker.

[RogersBuck]

Hi EShirley23,

I was 53 when I had my pacemaker (PM) fitted & I am sure there are much younger people out there that has had one fitted as well.

I had a cardiac arrest June 2016, I didn't know I was poorly in that way, I thought I had a bad stomach ache, I was lucky some friends ( Mick & Jenny) were around they got me an ambulance & the rest is history.

Apparently I died having my cardiac arrest 3/4 minutes, weird I know, but I don't remember a thing.

I would tell your husband to get a PM fitted it has worked for me. Its early days yet & I am on a lot of tablets, not all for my heart there's other issues as well, but I take about 17 in the morning, 2 in afternoon & 6 at night.

I'm not over the line yet & have more tests to go through. But I would rather that, than anything else.

So keep your Chins up & get as much help as Yous can from the hospital.

Yours Steve.....

[bushy2016]

Im 48 and due to have a 3 lead pacemaker

[Mickey16]

I had a pacemaker at 58 and wish I'd had one at 50.

I am a lot better now.

Best wishes.

[Weejenny]

I was 50 last week I’ve had my pacemaker a year now and very happy to live with it. I was diagnosed with 2nd degree heartblock. I didn’t seem to have a choice at the time I was told in three weeks time it would be fitted. My energy levels have gone up I’m gardening and doing all my own digging things I didn’t realise I wasn’t doing anymore. I’m trying to get fitter and lose weight at the moment. Take care a pacemaker is really ok 💕

[wilsond]

My friend has had one since she was 35,does very well now with it xxx

[PattiJay]

Nobody is ever too young or too old for a pacemaker. My EP wanted me to have one when I was 52. I did not want it. But I had to have a CRT-D. Now I'm on my 2nd one and I just turned 60. It's not a big deal once you get it. All those surgeries and every time you go under the knife and under anesthesia and into the ICU or into the hospital is kind of a big deal. The doctor should know that even 30 year old people have pacemakers! That's just not good medicine. Your dearheart needs one badly. Time for a second opinion!

[mountaindreamer]

I’m on my 4th pacemaker, and had my first fitted at 24. Plenty of people younger than that have them fitted. They may sound scary, and something only “old” people have, but if you need one to keep you alive or to improve your quality of life then you soon realise they are really your best friend. (I’m very fond of mine, so they each get their own name! We live together for a long time, after all.) The surgery to fit and replace them is nowhere near as drastic as what it sounds like your poor husband has already been through.

(In case a bit more info helps: Pacemakers are usually fitted under local only. Mine get replaced at typically 7 or 8 year intervals, with the batteries providing every beat of my ventricles 24 hrs a day throughout that time. I see that as pretty good going. Once fitted, the hospital check your programming and battery life regularly just by holding something that looks like a computer mouse over the pacemaker to “talk” to it. I even went to Nepal and climbed 21,000ft mountains with my second pacemaker - though how active you can be will depend on your cardiologist’s advice and how well your heart condition can be corrected by the device.)