defibrilator questions

[GIL01]

I am a 29 year old male. I was diagnosed with CHF, and AFIB, when I was 23.
This week I whent to the doctor and they told me that I am getting a defibrilator. But was not told much about it, just that it would give me a shock only if my heart stops. I was kinda in show that I was get in it that I forgot to ask more questions.

[GIL01]

I definatly have to set up another appoinment before I get this procedure done. I just wish the doctors would have more time to explain things better, but since its a county hospital they are swamped with patients. But I guess could be worst, at least I'm getting threated

[cindy707]

I don't know i would question your doc again because the only thing that is used when the heart comes to a complete stop is  CPR or if possible an external defibrillator assisting the CPR once it detects a shockable rhythm.  A defib does not have the ability to restart a human heart GIL01 only put a chaotic rhythm back into normal rhythm so your heart can pump normally until medical assistance arrives if you are not in a hospital setting.....it would definately be a wonderful thing if there were such a thing tho...a machine that could re start a heart that stopped....i think that would change the entire human race if that did occur and you could bet there would be a huge debate over this because of the ways and means that people die, who would be eligible, who would not...man o man it gives me a headache even thinking about it.....a defib is sort of like that morning when you were sleepy and your toast got stuck in the toaster and you weren't thinking an stuck the knife in there to get it out and you felt that shock go up your arm...sort of the same feeling except it directly is applied to the heart and jolts it back into a more normal rhythm.....

[Mom2four85]

here's the info on my ICD that may help with some answers - http://www.bostonscientific.com/procedure/ProcedureLanding.bsci/,,/navRelId/1000.1002/method/Procedure/id/10000951/seo.serve

[GIL01]

Thanks for the site I'll check it out.

He told me wich one and showed me a pic of it and how big is goin to be. They said next time they call me is going to be 2 weeks before the procedure. I guess i need to call and get another appoinment before to get some answers. I think they suggested it to help with my irregular heart beat than anything. The fastes they clocked me when I was in the hospital was at aroun 160-170 beats per minute, but with my new medication it keeps it around the 80s.

[Mom2four85]

When I had my pacemaker/icd implanted i joined a few icd support groups like icd support group.org, on their front page there is a Q&A all about icd's which may be helpful to read and then read in the forum there.

did they tell you what brand they're going to implant or give you a choice?  I have a Boston Scientific Teligen 100, which is very small and lightweight and no one can even tell I have it, unlike some of the older models that were large, you can google it and look it up - very good model and small recall % or problems overall...

I don't use mine much so my battery life is 8.5 years. the initital procedure was pretty quick & easy, after they test your device and make sure everything is ok then for a few weeks - month you have a sling and can't move your arm above your shoulder or risk moving the leads; after your recovery period other than being around magnetic fields or industrial equipment, there's not much you can't do - resume your normal life unless your dr says otherwise and hope the device helps with your CHF issues.

I also have a wireless latitude monitoring system at home; each day it reads what my device has been doing and sends reports to my dr...once a week I stand near it and send in the reports remotely unless it prompts me to send in more frequent ones.

since you have CHF your model may also have a bp monitor and weight recorder that you have to do, I know some who have that done.

good luck at your appt and make sure you take a list of questions with you like Cindy suggested; it will help you later remember what the doctors says

[GIL01]

Thank you for your comment.

I did ask some of those questions you mention but you did bring up some good ones that i should of asked. And as of misunderstanding bout when its supposed to administer the shok. I told the doctor that I was under the impression that it would only shock me if my heart would go of rithym, and he told me no it would shock if the heart stops and only then.
He told me that I would stay overnight after it was implanted, that I couldn't lift more than 10 LBS with my left arm. The doctors never seem to answer all my questions and if they do its a vague answer. I been taking madication for the past 6 years and that keeps my heat at a normal rate but they still suggested the defb. It kind of felt like if the doctor was trying to get me in and out of there as fast as he could.

[cindy707]

What i would do if it were my body is to sit down with a pad of paper and write down questions for the doc from one to ? about everything that comes to mind for you and then call your docs office and ask them to make an appt for you to run down the list of questons that you have.  There would be many questions for me if i were you. Defibs are an amazing tool for people and really are pretty cool i think.  I actually know someone who got one put in about a year ago and he loves it now that he has become used to the idea of it and when his goes off it doesn't effect anything he's doing at the time including driving.  I would ask if it were me simple questions like....how long is the surgery, will i be in the hospital overnight, what limitations will i have in life if any, will i have it permanently, what can i expect to feel when it goes off or detects a shockable rhythm, what do i need to avoid, will i have to take medications while i have it in, what brand of defib are you going to use (and then look it up to make sure there has never been a recall on it), how long will the defib last in my body meaning what is the shelf life and will it ever have to be replaced, will you feel it once it is implanted in your chest, can you do all of the normal things you want to do, what will your chest wall look like after its in, how does it do its job, what is it physically made out of and how does it work,  etc.
The other thing to understand GIL01 is that a defib is never used "if your heart stops"  that is not the purpose in the equipment.  A defibrillator only shocks when it detects an abnormal rhythm in the body and basically is just going to covert it back to a normal rhythm to minimize risks.  They are the new wonder equipement of the 20th century and its too bad we didn't have these years ago because literally thousands upon thousands of lives would not have been lost.  A defib is like a life raft in the ocean...it saves your life...you may have misunderstood what the doc was telling you because you were focused on the whole idea which really isn't as scary as what you think it may be.....the great news of the day is that you are here to post this question so thats the great thing and the defib is a safety net for you...some of us take meds as our safety net, some have surgeries as our safety net, some like you get something that you don't have to suffer thru the what ifs and could be's because the defib's only job is automatic and it is already programmed to do what its supposed to....so from me to you congrats on doing this and sounds like you are about to get your life back in a bigger and better way...i personally would be excited.