My father is 82. He is on a ventilator. This is the second time within a four week period he has almost died because he cannot breathe. The first time they discovered a systemic infection. None of the doctors (cardiac, pulmonary, or neurology) can tell us why he cannot breathe. The cardiac and pulmonary doctors tell us that his heart and lungs seem fine. The neurologist do not see anything. His diaphragm is not functioning properly and so when he tries to breathe on his own his body begins to poison itself due to the high level of Co2 build up. Recently, his blood pressure drops to 60 unless regulated by medicine. ( pressure behind his heart was rated a 6) My huge concern is that in January 2003 he had a pacemaker implanted. Since that operation we have noticed a steady deterioration in his health, increased fatigue, heaving, difficulty swallowing, severe back pain (directly behind the area of the pacemaker), falling down occasionally. Is there any sort of relationship between the pacemaker operation, the marked decline in health following the surgery, and now this