Pacemakers and testing

bluerose
bluerose Member Posts: 1,104
in Emotional Support #1
Was interested in how many of you have had to have pacemakers implanted due to cardiac issues after treatments? I had to have one implanted in 2005 because of severe atrial fibrulation that some cardiologists say is from heart damage from adriamycin (a chemo drug I had back in the early 90ties). Because of the pacemaker, and now years after treatments and many other health issues mostly due to the treatments themselves, I am unable to have tests like MRI's and some CT scan dyes because of the magnets in the MRI and too much CT scan dye from the past so now allergic to it. It seems that my options for testing are now limited because of the pacemaker.

Also too, and because of my many side effects of treatments long ago, doctors will not allow me to have general anaesthesia as it's too hard on my body so now that is limited as well. It's getting a little scarey to see options shrinking.

Just wondering if anyone else has a pacemaker and is running into this issue especially a long time after treatments are over????

Thanks for reading this post.

Blessings,

Bluerose

Comments

  • ddpekks
    ddpekks Member Posts: 162
    #2
    Husband had pacemaker
    8 years ago and needed a replacement right in the middle of his recent cancer fight. After his first round of chemo, they scheduled the replacement and almost lost him on the table because they waited so long to do the replacement. But he came through it just fine. During and after his cancer surgery, so far, we have had no more problems relating to it. But, we are only 9 months in so anything can happen!

    Wishing you the best..
    D
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104
    #3
    ddpekks said:

    Husband had pacemaker
    8 years ago and needed a replacement right in the middle of his recent cancer fight. After his first round of chemo, they scheduled the replacement and almost lost him on the table because they waited so long to do the replacement. But he came through it just fine. During and after his cancer surgery, so far, we have had no more problems relating to it. But, we are only 9 months in so anything can happen!

    Wishing you the best..
    D

    Thanks
    Thanks for your response. I am glad to hear that your husband pulled through. Do you know why they waited so long to do the replacement? So he already had a pacemaker before the diagnosis of cancer?

    Blessings,

    Bluerose
  • bellaFFL
    bellaFFL Member Posts: 15
    #4
    Bluerose,
    I have abnormal
    Bluerose,

    I have abnormal heart valves that I've had since I was a kid, and my oncologist has told me that there are a lot of chemotherapy drugs that are not an option for me because of my heart issues. Also, when I have had general anesthesia, it has been a huge problem for them to deal with ...

    It sucks to have something like this that makes the cancer treatments even harder, my thoughts will be with you. :(
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104
    #5
    bellaFFL said:

    Bluerose,
    I have abnormal
    Bluerose,

    I have abnormal heart valves that I've had since I was a kid, and my oncologist has told me that there are a lot of chemotherapy drugs that are not an option for me because of my heart issues. Also, when I have had general anesthesia, it has been a huge problem for them to deal with ...

    It sucks to have something like this that makes the cancer treatments even harder, my thoughts will be with you. :(

    Thanks Bella
    Sorry to hear of your heart issues, yup anaesthesia becomes an issue for sure as does other medical testing and certain drugs etc as I go into longer and longer survivorship. Long term survival, for some, comes at a high cost indeed as others on here have found as well. This isn't an ungreatful statement, just honest.

    If it helps any my specialists, when they can, have decided that instead of general anaesthesia for me they will do epidurals (spinal anaesthesia instead but of course not all surgeries can be handled this way. I may have to have a hysterectomy in time and they wanted to do it this way. Not sure I would agree to that either. Caught between a rock and a hard place for sure.

    All the best.

    Blessings,

    Bluerose

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