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Jermanator
Posts: 16,244 Senior Member
Range Report: New Pacemaker
Jermanator
Posts: 16,244 Senior Member
It has been 5 weeks so far. It will still be another month or so before I am allowed to shoot again, but things are coming along. This new gadget is supposed to bring my ejection fraction up to that of normal people and I think I am on my way there.
Yesterday, I picked up the shelving for the bedroom closets at the new house which consisted of humping all that heavy stuff up the stairs-- about 7 trips up and down the stairs. Typically, I would have to carry something up... pause for a bit, and repeat-- but yesterday it was not an issue at all. I grabbed the stuff off the truck, hauled it up, went back down, grabbed some more, etc. No problem!
I have been feeling more energy, and now I have a very noticeable improvement in my stamina. I am pretty stoked about it!
Aside from doing too much too soon-- opening my incision, it is going very well. In this photo, you can see the old scar from my last pacemaker above the new incision. That one healed like crap. The left side of the incision is how the whole thing is supposed to heal unless you are a jackass like me. The right side is how you piss off your doc...
I got my hospital bill yesterday too. They billed $152k. Once "discounted" through my health insurance, it went down to $39k. $8k of that is the deductible and copay I have to pay. The good thing is that everything else is covered at 100% for the rest of the year for the whole family and I got all of this extra energy now so I can get out there and make that bread. That, and I am alive-- I really like that part!
But just so you were wondering-- Yes, it has been going good. Other than the incision part, it has been going much better than I had anticipated.
Yesterday, I picked up the shelving for the bedroom closets at the new house which consisted of humping all that heavy stuff up the stairs-- about 7 trips up and down the stairs. Typically, I would have to carry something up... pause for a bit, and repeat-- but yesterday it was not an issue at all. I grabbed the stuff off the truck, hauled it up, went back down, grabbed some more, etc. No problem!
I have been feeling more energy, and now I have a very noticeable improvement in my stamina. I am pretty stoked about it!
Aside from doing too much too soon-- opening my incision, it is going very well. In this photo, you can see the old scar from my last pacemaker above the new incision. That one healed like crap. The left side of the incision is how the whole thing is supposed to heal unless you are a jackass like me. The right side is how you piss off your doc...
I got my hospital bill yesterday too. They billed $152k. Once "discounted" through my health insurance, it went down to $39k. $8k of that is the deductible and copay I have to pay. The good thing is that everything else is covered at 100% for the rest of the year for the whole family and I got all of this extra energy now so I can get out there and make that bread. That, and I am alive-- I really like that part!
But just so you were wondering-- Yes, it has been going good. Other than the incision part, it has been going much better than I had anticipated.
Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
-Thomas Paine
Replies
Jerry
More strength to you and yours.:angel2:
All my hardware is the 3 stents I got 4 weeks ago
Seriously good news. Take care of it. I wish I had your attitude with a lot of things.
Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
This is great news.:angel2: They talked about a Defibrillator for me, but I didn't need it as I found out when I woke up from a "Heart Study". Do take it easy as follow your Sawbones instructions so you won't have any relapses or episodes that set you back.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
I know the 'more energy' feeling, and it's definitely a good thing...that and the whole 'not dead' part are both outstanding!:up:
George Carlin
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You need to take that tuna fishing trip with Fisheadjib for sure! That's some 'reel' fun if there ever was any!
― Douglas Adams
1) Get this done.
2) Croak.
I couldn't live with the second option so I am betting that the first one was the better decision.
D
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
Next year would be best. I still want to fit buffalo in before the end of the year. Between that, this, trying to get the new house finished and moved into-- along with the classes I have this fall, and so on and so on.... I am a busy boy!
Don't say that!!! I hope I need quite a few! They only last 6 or 7 years. The big deal is the wire leads that he placed. Those are supposed to be there (and should be) for the next 50 years or so. As long as I don't screw those up, all they have to do from here on out is cut me, pull the old one, hook up the new, and glue me back up. I had 2 wire leads placed when they did the first one, but he had to place 3 more for the resynchronization pacer. They typically do that on the left side because the vein is bigger, but he managed to get it all in on my right side so I can still shoot left handed.
The doc I had was awesome! He is supposedly one of the best (if not the best) in the Midwest.
Good choice.:tooth:
Hopefully they have a mo better model that lasts longer in 6-7 years.....
Seriously tho, glad all is well with you!
Taurus 605 .357, Ruger .45 Vaquero, Colt frontier commemorative .22 SA, Pietta 1860 .44 snubnose
Alec.
I had an echocardiogram done on me last week. Everything looked great. Now get this... My ejection fraction came out between 55 and 65%!!! Anything over 40-45% is considered "normal". Eight years ago, I was at 22% which is what they call "circling the drain". Since then, my previous best was only 45% so to get up over 50% (and then some) is pretty awesome.
FYI-- "Ejection fraction" is the percent of blood that your left atrium squeezes out to the rest of the body every time it contracts. They use that measurement to get an idea of how efficiently the heart is working. Most normal people will have one between 50 and 70%. A well trained athlete might have one as high as 75%.
― Douglas Adams
Look forward to meeting up with you again at the SE..........will save an extra measure of port for you so we can toast the medical fraternity.
Alec.
:angel2:
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!