A meme that's going around

[bunrab]

How many times has someone on your friends list posted about something and you were really confused, but you didn't want to ask because you knew you should know? How many times have you felt guilty asking an LJ friend a question that should be obvious?

Well, here's your chance.

If you've missed a few things, missed an entry and are confused, ask me anything. Even something extremely basic, like where I live! I'm not allowed to get even slightly irritated at any of the questions - we've all missed things before.

(Some of my answers may be emailed to you rather than posted here - I'm willing to share with my friends, but not necessarily with the world at large and its brother.)

Comments

[elfbiter.livejournal.com]

What exactly is your situation with your pacemaker?

[bunrab.livejournal.com]

I was not dependent on the pacemaker. The reasons for having it were two-fold:
the ICD, defibrillator, is important for anyone with an enlarged heart (more detail below), and
if they had been able to do the extra bit with the pacemaker, with leads in both ventricles, that kind of pacing has been shown to improve pumping ability, and extend lifespan, in heart failure patients. But not being able to get the extra lead into the other ventricle was the big problem from the beginning.

As of this morning's visit with the electrophysiologist (hereinafter, EP), the status is that I will probably get a defibrillator again toward the end of this year - once it turns cold and rainy again; I want to enjoy the nice weather without being in the hospital. All defibrillators automatically come with a regular pacemaker, so I'd have that, also, even though I wouldn't really need it.

If I did not get another ICD, I would have a 1 in 17 chance each year of having an episode of fibrillation/arrhythmia that would kill me. That's pretty horrible odds, so I guess I have to do it.

But first I want a couple of months of riding the motorcycle around in nice weather. So, probably in November, when it starts getting cooler, and the rain is less pleasant, and a halfway sane person will not use a bike for anything more than picking up groceries, I will get the new "pacemaker" which I use that term as short for "ICD/pacemaker" because most people have never heard of ICD, even though that's why I'm really getting it.

Did that all make sense?

[elfbiter.livejournal.com]

Perfect sense. So, the ICD is in effect backup system of your heart.