From: Angela@... <Angela@...>
Subject: [icdsupport] Re: Newly fitted ICD
To: icdsupport@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, 31 March, 2009, 6:31 PM

Dear Sue

 

Hope you're feeling better and taking some time off to recover from the procedure. Your experiences sound quite scary!

 

I had my ICD fitted just under two years ago and thought you might like to hear how things have gone for me.

At first I was constantly worried about having a shock and felt that I would never again feel normal.  I can hardly believe how much better I feel now; I don't especially think of myself as being different because of having the ICD or feel that things have changed in some irreversible way.  In fact, the only time I do feel a bit apprehensive is before going on holiday,because of the possibility of the device firing and my having to be seen at a different ICD clinic from the one I usually attend.

I also felt a bit lonely after receiving my first (and so far only) shock because I didn't know anyone I could talk to who understood how it felt.  Apart from that, I do feel very much better than I did immediately after having the ICD fitted and things are more or less back to normal.

 

You must be a strong person having coped with cardiomyopathy for so long and hopefully you'll soon be feeling better about it all.

 

Best Wishes,

Angela

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From: "Sue@..." <Sue@...>
To: icdsupport@yahoogro ups.com
Sent: Friday, 20 March, 2009 15:58:46
Subject: [icdsupport] Newly fitted ICD

Dear all
Its so nice to find this group, I had my ICD fitted in February 2009 so it is still fairly new and very strange, the pain has almost gone from the implant area now, but mentally I think its going to take a while to get my head round the situation!!!

I have had Cardiomyopathy for the last twelve years and have been very lucky because apart from having to take a truck load of tablets it hasn't really affected my life, until Friday 13th Feb (of all days) I had a cardiac arrest, was promptly taken to A&E where I had another one so was swiftly moved to the Coronary Care Unit where I had yet another one but this time fortuanately I was hooked up to all sorts of monitors so the doctors were able to tell exactly what was going on.

Anyway to cut a long story short a few days later I had the ICD fitted and am now trying hard to get back to normal, but its really reassuring from various messages that I have read that this can take quite a while and I am not alone in having these feelings!!!
Any comments from others would be most appreciated
Regards
Sue