Anyone run with a pacemaker? I may have to get one. (Read 77 times)

I have been having some heart issues - got an A-Fib in my right ventricle, but am at low risk, per my cardiologist.  However, she had me wear a ZIO patch for 2 weeks to monitor my heart 24-7 to see if anything else was happening.  The results showed that my hear stopped a few times for about 5 seconds - but this only happened when I was sleeping, not when I was up and active.  The cardiologist is recommending a pacemaker be placed to correct this.

I asked her if this just started recently or I have had it for a while.  She said no way to tell, because I've only had EKG tests and EKG will not show this result. So I said, well then, I could have had this already ongoing possibly for quite a while, and I seem to be doing fine. I did 90 races last year, am running well this year - I did a 4 mile hill run before my appointment and everything was just fine - so I really don't see the need for a pacemaker at this time.

The concern of my cardiologist is that if this starts happening when I am awake I could potentially pass out, fall and hurt myself or if, say, I was driving, potentially crash and maybe hurt someone else.  Yeah, I get that; but I have not had any of that happen and I feel just fine.  I wish I knew how long this has been happening. If quite a while, then I think I would be okay.  If this just started, that's another story.

Anyway, would appreciate any feedback and also any experiences of those who have a pacemaker, if any are here.  Thanks!

BTW, I will be 64 next month.  I have been running 33 years (34 in April).  I do pretty low mileage these days (stupid arthritis), about 15 - 18 miles a week - I run 5 days a week -  and I run about a 10 - 11 mpm pace, so not very speedy.

Don't have a pacer so can't help you there.  However, please consider this for just a moment.

You have a heart condition.  It doesn't matter at this point how long you've had it.  You're diagnosed with it now.  You have a new reality to live with.  That's going to mean changes from this point on.

You wore a monitor for two weeks that recorded episodes of your heart stopping.  A few seconds at a time may not sound like a lot.  But you now have a heart condition (see above) and you have recorded pauses.  Your doctors are telling you this is concerning and likely a problem.  What part of that is not alarming to you?  How long do you want the pauses to be before they become alarming to you?  Do you really want to have a pause that could cause you to pass out resulting in the injury or death of someone else?  All because you thought you felt fine up until this point?

Of course you feel fine while it's happening.  You're asleep.  Many times with conditions like these people feel fine until they don't.  Just because you haven't felt bad yet doesn't mean anything more than you haven't felt bad *YET*.

You have a cardiologist recommending that you get this to keep you from, you know, dying.  But really, what does your cardiologist know?  It's not like s/he spent all that time in medical school, residency, likely a fellowship and who knows how many years of clinical practice studying this very specialty and what to do with people who have a condition like yours.  If you want a second opinion that's fine.  Go see another cardiologist.  The sooner you accept the fact, however, that you're now 64 with a diagnosed heart condition and start taking care of yourself accordingly then better your chances for healthy (such as it is) living.

I get it.  You're not young anymore.  That's hard for anyone to accept.  You're facing changes that you haven't had to face before.  You're looking at recommended surgery.  Those changes and the recommendations for care scare you.  There's nothing wrong with that.  It's a normal human reaction.  But for cryin' out loud man up!  Face your fears.  Manage your health.  Your doctors aren't recommending this just to go cut you open and stick devices in you.  They're trying to help you be healthy and possibly save your life.