Moshe Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 It has been a stressful couple of days. I took my wife to the ER for hypotension (very low blood pressure), low heart rate. She is by no means overweight, but her father had a heart condition, so I am concerned. I told her to take it easy, not to go back to work until she is ready, but she is stubborn. I insisted she get in touch with the local cardiologist, but she has been putting it off. She promised she would call today. I, under protest, drove her to work, so she wouldn't have a dizzy spell on the road. I want her to get checked out, so we can get to Houston for surgery if necessary. I am not in the mood to be a widower when our 20th Anniversary is coming up. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huski92 Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 Get her to the cardiologist. Could be one of several things. Good luck. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostinTexas Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 Happy 20th. Don't get your cart in front of the horse. Surgery? Get that out of your head. In most cases of slow HR and low BP, a simple medicine is all it takes. It is usually rather inexpensive as well. I don't know you , but have seen it before, a SO will scare the daylights out of their partner and cause undo turmoil and resistance to see a Dr. Be supportive and talk to your family Dr. I find it hard to believe the ER didn't make a consult, but all aren't equal. Good Luck. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tous Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 (edited) Best of wishes to your family, amigo. Edited September 27, 2019 by tous 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice6 Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 When I first started working for Medtronics, I talked with Earl Bakken about the new product, Pacemakers. This was the only product they had at that time. He said that for too slow a heart rate, Bradycardia, The Pacemaker would increase the heart rate and over take the too slow beat. He also said that if the patient's Pacemaker battery went dead, in extreme cases, the patient would revert to their original too slow heart rate. The result of this would be that the patient would pass out. Worst case, the patient wouldn't be able to do anything, but they wouldn't die. They just had too slow a heart rate for any activity. Doctor Lillehei (C. Walton Lillehei) agreed with him. There are much worst things in life. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul53 Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 What they said! But it is important to get it checked. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holyjohnson Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 echoing others. get her to a Cardiologist and have everything checked out. Prayers and Best Wishes for you and your Family,hope all is well. God Bless. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul53 Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 Even a doc in the box, clinic or whatever, I promise you'll both be glad you did. Tell them I sent you!. Don't make me come over there and do it for you or you'll be sorry! 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huaco Kid Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 My BP has been low my whole life. Doctors have told me it's not great, but better than too high. Yeah, I do tend to pass-out occasionally. If they draw blood, I'm going to pass out. I warn them and they usually laugh at me. Bam. I tend to pass out at formal, stuffy social situations, where I'm always uncomfortable anyway. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UHLAWPUP Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 I’ve just seen the finest cardiologist in Houston. If you want a recommendation, let me know. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbt Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 I used to have really low blood pressure a long time ago. When I was a kid if I sat up in bed too fast I'd start to black out. If I stood up too fast after sitting for a long time I'd start to black out. The doctors never thought anything of it... "Well don't do that." Even in my mid-20s it was still low. I went to the bloodmobile at work one day in '76 and after 4 cups of coffee and two glazed donuts my BP was 92/56, but they drew blood. Slowly. In the early '80s my GP told me that if didn't get hit by a bus and lived long enough my BP would get up to normal. I'm 69 and it's almost there. But I'm still careful about making fast moves. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moshe Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 On 9/27/2019 at 10:43 AM, Huski92 said: Get her to the cardiologist. Could be one of several things. Good luck. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Thanks. We are. We got the earliest appointment possible. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moshe Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 On 9/28/2019 at 5:41 AM, johnbt said: I used to have really low blood pressure a long time ago. When I was a kid if I sat up in bed too fast I'd start to black out. If I stood up too fast after sitting for a long time I'd start to black out. The doctors never thought anything of it... "Well don't do that." Even in my mid-20s it was still low. I went to the bloodmobile at work one day in '76 and after 4 cups of coffee and two glazed donuts my BP was 92/56, but they drew blood. Slowly. In the early '80s my GP told me that if didn't get hit by a bus and lived long enough my BP would get up to normal. I'm 69 and it's almost there. But I'm still careful about making fast moves. Yeah, if she pushes, which she likes to do against my advice, she will get really weak and tired. That never used to be an issue, but the BP is low and so is the heart rate. I always give blood to the blood mobile when it comes by. They don't advertise it well. MD Anderson did, and I made sure to donate to them. I tend to produce too much red blood cells, so it makes for a good symbiotic relationship. It helps someone and it helps me at the same time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moshe Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 On 9/27/2019 at 9:40 PM, UHLAWPUP said: I’ve just seen the finest cardiologist in Houston. If you want a recommendation, let me know. I do actually. Thanks. As the one we are seeing this week is more of an evaluation/stress test. But, if there is anything serious that needs to be done, Houston is the only way to go. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moshe Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 On 9/28/2019 at 5:41 AM, johnbt said: I used to have really low blood pressure a long time ago. When I was a kid if I sat up in bed too fast I'd start to black out. If I stood up too fast after sitting for a long time I'd start to black out. The doctors never thought anything of it... "Well don't do that." Even in my mid-20s it was still low. I went to the bloodmobile at work one day in '76 and after 4 cups of coffee and two glazed donuts my BP was 92/56, but they drew blood. Slowly. In the early '80s my GP told me that if didn't get hit by a bus and lived long enough my BP would get up to normal. I'm 69 and it's almost there. But I'm still careful about making fast moves. The problem with hypotension is blood isn't reaching the organs like they should. Which is nice we have an adjustable bed, she can put her feet up at night. Though, I wear myself out with worry, I wake up in the night and reach out and feel a cold arm, but a warm hand (or other part) that is warm is reassuring. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moshe Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 On 9/27/2019 at 2:03 PM, Paul53 said: Even a doc in the box, clinic or whatever, I promise you'll both be glad you did. Tell them I sent you!. Don't make me come over there and do it for you or you'll be sorry! I took her to the ER this last week, and stayed by her side all day, and into the night when they released her. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moshe Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 On 9/27/2019 at 1:30 PM, janice6 said: When I first started working for Medtronics, I talked with Earl Bakken about the new product, Pacemakers. This was the only product they had at that time. He said that for too slow a heart rate, Bradycardia, The Pacemaker would increase the heart rate and over take the too slow beat. He also said that if the patient's Pacemaker battery went dead, in extreme cases, the patient would revert to their original too slow heart rate. The result of this would be that the patient would pass out. Worst case, the patient wouldn't be able to do anything, but they wouldn't die. They just had too slow a heart rate for any activity. Doctor Lillehei (C. Walton Lillehei) agreed with him. There are much worst things in life. That was one of the things, that freaked her out when she looked at her discharge papers and it said possible pacemaker. I know the pacemaker batteries can go low. I sat with my elderly neighbor until his wife could take over, because his batteries on the fritz. I was prepared to get on 911 to get him help, before she got there. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul53 Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 (edited) Pacer tech has been improving. Batteries were good for 10 years last I heard. I'm glad she got seen and hope you got reassurance and helpful followup information. Edited September 30, 2019 by Paul53 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice6 Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Moshe said: That was one of the things, that freaked her out when she looked at her discharge papers and it said possible pacemaker. I know the pacemaker batteries can go low. I sat with my elderly neighbor until his wife could take over, because his batteries on the fritz. I was prepared to get on 911 to get him help, before she got there. The problem depends on whether you have Bradycardia (low heart rate) or Tachycardia (high heart rate). As you know with low heart rate, in most cases, the patient can wait for medical assistance. In high heart rate cases, loss of the pacemaker can be fatal without fast medical assistance and a defibrillator. I would guess that under present electronics design of a pacemaker, it must have a default heart rate function. So if the battery gets low the system would revert to a lower heart rate then desired, but enough to keep control of the heart rate. I don't know this for sure, but any Electronics Engineer I know of would plan on a fail safe means to keep the patient alive in case of battery problems. With Tachycardia some medical experts on this forum might offer legitimate help for action in an emergency. At this point, I'm out of my league to give any medical advice. Interesting side note: On the first original pacemaker design, it was worn on a belt externally. The pacemaker had a large Capacitance capacitor in parallel with the mercury battery. When the battery needed replacement the capacitor would keep the pacemaker running for a minute or two to give you time to change the battery before the pacemaker shut off. Changing the battery was like kissing a Ducks butt, where you have to blow the feathers out of the way before the kiss, you gotta be quick. Edited September 30, 2019 by janice6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipedreams Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, janice6 said: The problem depends on whether you have Bradycardia (low heart rate) or Tachycardia (high heart rate). As you know with low heart rate, in most cases, the patient can wait for medical assistance. In high heart rate cases, loss of the pacemaker can be fatal without fast medical assistance and a defibrillator. I would guess that under present electronics design of a pacemaker, it must have a default heart rate function. So if the battery gets low the system would revert to a lower heart rate then desired, but enough to keep control of the heart rate. I don't know this for sure, but any Electronics Engineer I know of would plan on a fail safe means to keep the patient alive in case of battery problems. With Tachycardia some medical experts on this forum might offer legitimate help for action in an emergency. At this point, I'm out of my league to give any medical advice. Interesting side note: On the first original pacemaker design, it was worn on a belt externally. The pacemaker had a large Capacitance capacitor in parallel with the mercury battery. When the battery needed replacement the capacitor would keep the pacemaker running for a minute or two to give you time to change the battery before the pacemaker shut off. Changing the battery was like kissing a Ducks butt, where you have to blow the feathers out of the way before the kiss, you gotta be quick. My wife just had her pacemaker replaced and her old one started beeping several time a day. Sort of weird when your chest starts beeping. The modern ones have several safeties built in. After it starts beeping it needs to be replace within seven days if I remember correctly. Also the wireless monitoring device sends a signal to the medical center letting them know. She received a phone call right away to set up a appointment. We were told to expect the battery to last 7 - 10 years, hers started failing shortly after 7 years, it was made by Boston Scientific. The manufactures representative told me they had a internal memo stating the batteries in her series had a chemical reaction problem with regenerating causing them to fail sooner than expected. Edited September 30, 2019 by pipedreams 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UHLAWPUP Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 7 hours ago, Moshe said: I do actually. Thanks. As the one we are seeing this week is more of an evaluation/stress test. But, if there is anything serious that needs to be done, Houston is the only way to go. https://www.kelsey-seybold.com/find-a-houston-doctor/jonathan-aliota-cardiologist He is the best. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UHLAWPUP Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 7 hours ago, Moshe said: I do actually. Thanks. As the one we are seeing this week is more of an evaluation/stress test. But, if there is anything serious that needs to be done, Houston is the only way to go. I just had the chemical stress test done. I have the tiniest of left bundle branch block...one tenth of a second over norm. He checked me out soup to ...uh...nuts and said I’m fine...for now. Prayers for your wife. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice6 Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 8 hours ago, pipedreams said: My wife just had her pacemaker replaced and her old one started beeping several time a day. Sort of weird when your chest starts beeping. The modern ones have several safeties built in. After it starts beeping it needs to be replace within seven days if I remember correctly. Also the wireless monitoring device sends a signal to the medical center letting them know. She received a phone call right away to set up a appointment. We were told to expect the battery to last 7 - 10 years, hers started failing shortly after 7 years, it was made by Boston Scientific. The manufactures representative told me they had a internal memo stating the batteries in her series had a chemical reaction problem with regenerating causing them to fail sooner than expected. Batteries are still prone to chemical conditions that are not entirely predictable. I remember when we at Medtronics started making the Greatbatch Implantable Pacemaker. It was the first implantable we made. The batteries were claimed to have an extra long lifetime, but as we electronics types tend to do, we worried about the unpredictability of the battery lifetime among ourselves. Still it's the best we can do. The lifetimes are a statistically calculated lifetime, and yet each individual battery pack was unique, it was the best estimate available. This is no different than the MIL Spec Lifetimes, after ungodly testing to try to eliminate the weakest link, yet you still had the anomalous pieces that defied the mathematics. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moshe Posted October 1, 2019 Author Share Posted October 1, 2019 17 hours ago, UHLAWPUP said: https://www.kelsey-seybold.com/find-a-houston-doctor/jonathan-aliota-cardiologist He is the best. I got it, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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