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RowdysMom · 09-06-2007, 05:05 PM

I know you all must be very worried. I think she will be fine! My hubby has an ICD - he has heart failure so his heart is very very weak and he has the ICD because people with his type of heart problem are very prone to sudden cardiac death (the heart just stops!).

The surgery is very easy - recovery is quick - with a sore arm for a few days, and she won't be able to raise her arm higher than her shoulder (e.g., above her head) for, I believe, 4-6 weeks.

She will have to go to the doctor every 3 months to have her heart rhythm checked. The ICD has a computer in it and they can print out every beat of her heart for the past 3 months! It is incredible. This means that they can ALWAYS see what her heart is doing. That is very comforting!

Also, there is a monitoring device they may give her so that she/Mom can call in to the office and by holding the phone over the ICD, they can see her heart rhythm in the doctor's office. This means that occasionally, you can skip one of those every 3 months appointment.

It also means that she can take this monitoring device with her when she travels and if she is feeling badly, she can call in and have her heart rhythm checked - or she can do this from home if she is not feeling well. In other words, you almost always have access to a monitoring device that can "see" your heart!

One down side to the ICD is that they have to check it once a year to be sure it is functioning properly. For my hubby, this means that they give him a little sedation (not anesthesia) and then they stop his heart to see if the ICD will fire and start it up again. I know this sounds extremely scarey and dangerous, but it really is not. They have all sorts of personnel and equipment and medications there to start the heart back up, if the ICD does not fire to restart the heart. And you definitely want to be sure that the ICD is working properly and there really is no other way to ensure this.

I feel so much better knowing my hubby has an ICD and that if his heart stops, the ICD will save his life.

Your niece will likely do great! I sure hope so!!!

<<<<<<HUGS>>>>>>>

09-06-2007, 05:05 PM	#26
RowdysMom Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central Texas Posts: 2,624	I know you all must be very worried. I think she will be fine! My hubby has an ICD - he has heart failure so his heart is very very weak and he has the ICD because people with his type of heart problem are very prone to sudden cardiac death (the heart just stops!). The surgery is very easy - recovery is quick - with a sore arm for a few days, and she won't be able to raise her arm higher than her shoulder (e.g., above her head) for, I believe, 4-6 weeks. She will have to go to the doctor every 3 months to have her heart rhythm checked. The ICD has a computer in it and they can print out every beat of her heart for the past 3 months! It is incredible. This means that they can ALWAYS see what her heart is doing. That is very comforting! Also, there is a monitoring device they may give her so that she/Mom can call in to the office and by holding the phone over the ICD, they can see her heart rhythm in the doctor's office. This means that occasionally, you can skip one of those every 3 months appointment. It also means that she can take this monitoring device with her when she travels and if she is feeling badly, she can call in and have her heart rhythm checked - or she can do this from home if she is not feeling well. In other words, you almost always have access to a monitoring device that can "see" your heart! One down side to the ICD is that they have to check it once a year to be sure it is functioning properly. For my hubby, this means that they give him a little sedation (not anesthesia) and then they stop his heart to see if the ICD will fire and start it up again. I know this sounds extremely scarey and dangerous, but it really is not. They have all sorts of personnel and equipment and medications there to start the heart back up, if the ICD does not fire to restart the heart. And you definitely want to be sure that the ICD is working properly and there really is no other way to ensure this. I feel so much better knowing my hubby has an ICD and that if his heart stops, the ICD will save his life. Your niece will likely do great! I sure hope so!!! <<<<<<HUGS>>>>>>> __________________ Rex & Rowdy's Mom Last edited by RowdysMom; 09-06-2007 at 05:09 PM.