Summary as of today
I'm a sudden cardiac arrest survivor (45) later diagnosed with an electrical issue long qt. Essentially my heart is healthy just not always beating.
I had a traditional ICD implanted shortly after the SCA. Ten days later I collapsed hallucinating, blood pressure way low. They fought to save my life for days while my body had turned septic. I had a blood infection, vegetation growth on leads. The ICD needed to come out but if the vegetation broke away it could hit my brain, my heart, or lungs and best case scenario kill me, worst case leave me a vegetative shell. We were told I really didn't have a chance of survival leaving ICD in, or removing it. It was an absolutely terrifying week.
I was kept awake and talking or singing during the entire surgery and the vegetation broke off but didn't do anything. :)
I was further kept in hospital in isolation on IV antibiotics for months while my body healed the blood infection, the sepsis, and other complications. Further surgeries for pocket infections, blood transfusions, kidney failure. Complications breed complications.
I fought, I fought hard to live. I was told had my heart not been healthy that I wouldn't have survived. They wrote me off so many times.
Months later I received a S-ICD. Nothing will ever go in my heart again. It doesn't pace but I'm fine with that. It left me with pain and nerve damage. I'd love to take it out but logically I know I need it. SCAs are very damaging. Few survive them. Few survive ICD complications. I'm one of few who did survive to talk about it. I have brain injuries, memory deficits, and other issues. I don't think or process as I used to or how others do.
Realistically though complications are rare. I'm an oddity through the hole thing.
My S-ICD has never shocked me. Even the traditional one never shocked me while I was fighting for my life as they are programmed a certain way. My collapse had extraordinary low blood pressure which my ICD didn't care about. It only cared if my heart beat was way high.
I had a traditional ICD implanted shortly after the SCA. Ten days later I collapsed hallucinating, blood pressure way low. They fought to save my life for days while my body had turned septic. I had a blood infection, vegetation growth on leads. The ICD needed to come out but if the vegetation broke away it could hit my brain, my heart, or lungs and best case scenario kill me, worst case leave me a vegetative shell. We were told I really didn't have a chance of survival leaving ICD in, or removing it. It was an absolutely terrifying week.
I was kept awake and talking or singing during the entire surgery and the vegetation broke off but didn't do anything. :)
I was further kept in hospital in isolation on IV antibiotics for months while my body healed the blood infection, the sepsis, and other complications. Further surgeries for pocket infections, blood transfusions, kidney failure. Complications breed complications.
I fought, I fought hard to live. I was told had my heart not been healthy that I wouldn't have survived. They wrote me off so many times.
Months later I received a S-ICD. Nothing will ever go in my heart again. It doesn't pace but I'm fine with that. It left me with pain and nerve damage. I'd love to take it out but logically I know I need it. SCAs are very damaging. Few survive them. Few survive ICD complications. I'm one of few who did survive to talk about it. I have brain injuries, memory deficits, and other issues. I don't think or process as I used to or how others do.
Realistically though complications are rare. I'm an oddity through the hole thing.
My S-ICD has never shocked me. Even the traditional one never shocked me while I was fighting for my life as they are programmed a certain way. My collapse had extraordinary low blood pressure which my ICD didn't care about. It only cared if my heart beat was way high.
Comments