Hello from Berkshire - Cardiac Arrest survivor

[Colin_P]

Hello All,

Just joined up and thought I'd write a quick intro as encouraged to do in this welcome forum.

43 year old Sudden Cardiac Arrest survivor from East Berkshire. Very lucky to still be here and now have an Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) in my chest looking after me. In the year I have had the ICD it has saved my life three times, last time was little over a month ago.

Part and parcel of having the heart issues I do is that I can no longer drive so the bike is my primary mode of transport.

Sometimes it is hard to pluck up the courage to get up out of the chair and get out there. But I do.

My primary bike is a Giant Roam hybrid fully kitted out with mudguards, a rack and panniers. I also have several other bikes, my 1984 Classic Pug 10 speed racer is a fave.

Anyway thanks for having me.

 

[welsh dragon]

Hello. Welcome to the forum . It must be scary to get on a bike given your medical conditon. Well done for being brave and making the effort.

 

[Colin_P]

Thanks Welsh Dragon.

It is quite hard sometimes to get out there.

To clarify, a Sudden Cardiac Arrest is exactly that, sudden. When they happen I loose consciousness in a matter of seconds and collapse. Thankfully though for me they have always happened when I am at rest.

 

[cardiac case]

I think the phrase goes something like, "Got the tee shirt."

Cheers,
Paul G

 

[Drago]

Greetings and welcome Colin.

 

[Bryony]

A warm from me! I had a heart attack 7 years ago at the ripe old age of 23!

 

[Drago]

Blimey, you guys worry me. I'm either doing very well to get to mid 40s with none of this... or I'm overdue!

 

[Ganymede]

Welcome Colin. Is the device you mention what is commonly called a pacemaker, or something more nifty? Anyway good for you and I hope you have fun on your bike as well as finding it useful.

 

[Drago]

I think it's like an industrial grade pacemaker - it doesn't just keep time for the heart, but has the grunt to shock it back to life if it all goes squiffy.

 

[Colin_P]

The device is called an Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator or ICD for short.

It is primarily a defibrillator but can act as a pacemaker. It will attempt to over pace you out of any bad arrhythmias in the first instance but if that fials it will charge to deliver a shock and then zap you. It will also pace you if you go bradycardic (low heart rate). I have had my life saved by it three times by being zapped by it. I need to get it checked every few months at the hospital and also have a home monitoring station where the device is wirelessly interrogated where it then uploads the data to the hospital.

It is a rounded box that sits just under the skin on your chest just under the collarbone on the left hand side. Mine has two cables that then go into a main main vein and then onto the inside of my heart. The cable are then screwed into the heart muscle / wall. The battery life is between eight and then years.

 

[paul04]

Hello

 

[Ganymede]

The device is called an Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator or ICD for short.

It is primarily a defibrillator but can act as a pacemaker. It will attempt to over pace you out of any bad arrhythmias in the first instance but if that fials it will charge to deliver a shock and then zap you. It will also pace you if you go bradycardic (low heart rate). I have had my life saved by it three times by being zapped by it. I need to get it checked every few months at the hospital and also have a home monitoring station where the device is wirelessly interrogated where it then uploads the data to the hospital.

It is a rounded box that sits just under the skin on your chest just under the collarbone on the left hand side. Mine has two cables that then go into a main main vein and then onto the inside of my heart. The cable are then screwed into the heart muscle / wall. The battery life is between eight and then years.

Wow. That's amazing!

 

[Sara_H]

The device is called an Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator or ICD for short.

It is primarily a defibrillator but can act as a pacemaker. It will attempt to over pace you out of any bad arrhythmias in the first instance but if that fials it will charge to deliver a shock and then zap you. It will also pace you if you go bradycardic (low heart rate). I have had my life saved by it three times by being zapped by it. I need to get it checked every few months at the hospital and also have a home monitoring station where the device is wirelessly interrogated where it then uploads the data to the hospital.

It is a rounded box that sits just under the skin on your chest just under the collarbone on the left hand side. Mine has two cables that then go into a main main vein and then onto the inside of my heart. The cable are then screwed into the heart muscle / wall. The battery life is between eight and then years.

You're officially the forum bionic man! Welcome

 

[i hate hills]

Welcome and good on you for getting out there with the problems you have encountered. All the best Mike.

 

[Colin_P]

Thank you everyone for the war welcomes.

I've only been here a few days but must say it is a very very good forum and I feel at home already.

Thank you.