Getting older, an update.

[Black walnut]

Sometime in mid to late June of this year my heart decided to stop working normally. I have a weekly goal of 100 miles on the bike and most weeks I meet or exceed that. All of those miles are tracked with a bike computer which is synced with a heart rate monitor and one one bike (yeah I have several) a power meter. Any way I noticed that I was not able to get my heart rate anywhere near as high as previously. It took considerable effort to reach or exceed 100 bpm. After a normal 32 mile ride, sometimes less I would just be exhausted for the day. I had one ride that I had to make the call of shame just 4 miles from home, hot day, long ride. At first I thought that perhaps I was just over trained and stuck in a fatigue cycle. My resting heart rate was 36 bpm. In the middle of August I discussed the issue with my primary. He ran did an EKG, put a holter (heart monitor that records 24/7) and scheduled a heart echo. I wore the holter for two weeks and then mailed it off. The ECHO did not identify any problems or blockage. A week later I get a call from my primary. The results were in and I had heart block. He suggested that I come in for blood work and that I needed to be seen immediately by a cardiologist. Cardiology could not get me in for another week and half, it was more critical than that. The blood test was to rule out any issues with my meds that could be causing the issue. I had my wife take me to the ER on September 9th. The place was rather busy but I had very little wait. They determined that I need a pacemaker as soon as an OR was available. The ER was in Yakima. I was taken by ambulance to Spokane for a pacemaker that was placed in the afternoon of September 10th. My heart resumed normal rhythm.

One week later I was back up to 100 miles a week on my bike, although the first week on the bike I took it easy. There is far more to this story but I will save that for some other time.

Due to the way insurance pays I just this week had my second cataract surgery. Hit out of pocket max with the pacemaker so the new lens was covered 100%.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and am so happy to still be here. I raise a toast to good health.

[leehljp]

Marc, I'm lifting you in prayer. Getting older (as in OLDer) is hitting most of us.

I too have been going through some problems different but somewhat similar. For some reason my cardiologist put me on a 4 week 24/7 heart monitor back in March. He Called me into his office in the middle of that month long monitor and said I was having Afib. After the 4 weeks, he put me on Sotolol - in April because of the Afib. I had been losing between 1/2 lb and 1 lb a month on a fairly strict diet since bypass surgery in Jan '24. But after starting Sotolol, I started gaining weight and feeling tired and having swelling in my feet. In July after gaining 10 lbs in 3 months and just feeling tired, I googled "Sotolol" - and a known side effect for some was exactly what I had. Doctor cut my sotolol in half, but then my Afib started back. (My Apple Watch notified me and I called my Cardiologist's office and left a message. 10 minutes later I got a call from my cardiologist's nurse, who asked me to come in asap and get a "one week" heart monitor. The doctor put me back on full sotolol and had me do another echo. With the full sotolol - I either live with the tiredness while trying to reduced diet (which I have been staying very close to since my bypass) OR get an Ablation.

I am looking at the possible Ablation but I have to go to a different Cardiologist for that. I am waiting on a call from his office to schedule an appointment for that.

Getting old can slow us down but we are living longer than we would have without these new procedures and meds! And I am thankful for them. I am seeing all 10 grandchildren this week and one great granddaughter - along with my 3 daughters and two son-in-laws.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving and everyone else.

[Slik Geek]

I had a cardiac ablation 15 years ago to resolve a different arrhythmia that plagued me for 30 years. It is a fascinating procedure where you are awake through much of it. I had six large video screens at my side that I could watch everything going on, including live imaging of my heart beating. There were at least 11 people involved in the procedure, so it was a busy operating room. It solved my issue.
In my case, the electrophysiologist had to pierce the wall between chambers of my heart in order to access and ablate the problem area. Probably for that reason, I had side-effects that weren't described to me in any literature.The issue made it difficult for me to exert myself for some weeks after. That issue soon passed, however, and I a became very active again, better than ever.

[Slik Geek]

Thank you for sharing your story. I'm thrilled to hear that the pacemaker resolved the heart block issue.

[LCHIEN]

Good luck to all of you and thank God for modern medicines.