My Medical Adventure

Every now and then, life throws you a curveball.  At the risk of TMI, here is my saga.  This past February, I found out that I had a heart rhythm problem called atrial fibrilation, or a-fib, with an AV block.  Here is how I understand it.  Many cells in the right atrium send signals to contract, rather than the normal boss, the SA node, which is over-run.  Luckily the AV node blocks most of those signals, but what does come through causes an irregular heartbeat.  What baffles me is that I felt pretty good inspite of all this, but I have noticed the past year that it takes a minute of two to "ramp up" when I start vigorous exercise, which left me a little woozy and short of breath until my body got used to the idea.  Then, I would do fine, biking and hiking quite well for my age.  I have also had a low pulse for many years plus occasional dizziness when standing up from a seated position, so I'm not sure how long I have had this condition.

My "former" physician joked about my low pulse rate (in the 30's) and said, "Oh, you might need a pacemaker someday."  He did not suggest any tests. After a couple days I started wondering if I should see a cardiologist, as my blood pressure was kind of bouncing all over the place.  The cardiology clinic immediately saw that I had a heart flutter, which if untreated, can lead to a greater chance of stroke.  So in a nutshell, this is how it began.  The plan was for me to take warfarin, a strong blood thinner, for two months, and have heart ablation in an attempt to restore normal heart rythym.  If that wasn't enough, I would need a pacemaker put in at the same time

 

A preliminary test was to wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours.  It showed that my pulse was in the 20's while sleeping - a little too slow for comfort.  Sometimes, while lying in bed at night, Gail would get anxious waiting for my next heartbeat!

Here I am shortly after the procedure.  The "procedure" involved being anesthetized for 4 1/2 hours while catheters were run from my groin, through a large vein, and into my heart, so areas of cells could be studied and zapped.  As I came to, I immediately felt my chest and found the dressing covering the pacemaker (sigh). Notice my pulse, though, a steady 60!  I soon felt elated to be alive and back in the game.  It was very comforting to have Gail by my side, and support from my immediate family - thanks!

A couple days later, however, the area around the pacemaker became very painful and swollen, necessitating a trip to the ER for antibiotics and reassurance.  After almost three weeks, the swelling suddenly subsided.  I feel great - no lag time when exercising, less dizziness, and more energy.  I have three more weeks to go before I can raise my left arm over my head, or lift things over 10 pounds, to allow the wire leads to be buried and held in place by heart tissue.

I have learned from this ordeal that I should have questioned a doctor about my dizziness much sooner.  Also, one must advocate for seeing a specialist if you know something isn't right.  The good news for me is that I have more energy and a better working heart.  Yes!!!

Bionic Bob

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