Don't know if anyone has gone through this. We see the doctor Thursday. DH pacemaker is not working. They said the sedation would be a conscious sedation, very light. It is scaring me. I thought before I wouldn't do it, but faced with not doing it, I probably will.
Hi Lakegirl, I have no experience with this but I am so sorry you are facing this decision, which I agree is scary. Here is what the Mayo Clinic says about it. As you see, it does not give much guidance.
• "Pacemakers and end-of-life issues. If you have a pacemaker and become terminally ill with a condition unrelated to your heart, such as cancer, it's possible that your pacemaker could prolong the process of dying. Doctors and researchers have varied opinions on turning off a pacemaker in end-of-life situations. If you have a pacemaker and are concerned about turning it off, talk to your doctor. You may also want to talk to family members or another person designated to make medical decisions for you about what you'd like to do in end-of-life care situations."
What about talking with your husband's PCP about this? He or she might be able to help you decide based on what would likely happen medically, what stage your husband is at, etc.
Lakegirl, I was not going to post here, nothing like this personally happened to me. Then when Myrtle posted, I thought I could pass along this…
Last year a dear friend of mine passed away, before she passed as she was nearing the end, she had her pacemaker turned off. She did not want to prolong the process. This was hard for her family but there was truly nothing anyone could do to help her at this point.
Like Myrtle said talk to your PCP he/she could help.
My DH had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted in 2006. He had very minimal Alz symptoms at the time. For 3-4 yrs. he went in once a year for drs. to check it out. Procedure involved anesthesia and stopping his heart. I really don't think that did him any good. In 2013 electrophysiologists wanted to replace the batteries, naturally more anesthesia again. Before that happened dh had a mild heart attack putting him in hospital for 3 days. Cardiologists nixed the battery replacement saying it would not better his quality of life.
Six weeks later it was necessary for me to place him in an assisted living facility. His heart isn't pumping at full capacity but he is still walking, feeding himself, and doing other things for himself.
Others may not agree with me but I sincerely hope his heart just takes him from me and not Alz. Shirley
This is a personal decision with no right or wrong choice. You might want to take all information you have such as his stage now, quality of life and his thoughts on end of life choices.
Then, you must still do what you feel comfortable with at the time.
Lakegirl, my daughter had a pacemaker at age 27; several years later the leads from the pacemaker to the heart had a recall and they had to replace them. At that time they also replace her pacemaker with a newer model. The leads were they hard part because the heart grows around them and they can't just pull them out. She also had the pacemaker replaced on its own and it wasn't a "big" deal. She was awake when they did it and had no problem. They considered it almost routine since they didn't have to replace the leads. I know it's different with your spouse but she had no problem and went home the same day. You will make the right decision and I'll be saying a prayer that things go as well as they did for my daughter. She's had hers for almost 26 years.
Since no one else has spoken for US, let me say a few words. Lakegirl, I don't know how far along your DH is. That would have a bearing on this. I had a 'Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Device' implanted in my chest in December. A pacemaker has one wire into the heart chamber, I have four.. My heart's ejection fraction was 23%. When the heart is fuctioning that poorly, I couldn't think straight, frequently had memory losses, and I was scared to death - fearing that now I had AD! Any Caregiver would be afraid, having lived through the stages of the disease, we know too much. Since I had that implant, I feel like a new person. I have energy, memory is great, no shortness of breath so I sleep better. So, coming from one who knows how differently it feels to have it working vs. not... I believe your husband would benefit. The surgery is quick, easy, and yes, they use a very light anesthesia. I'd do it.
Nancy, my daughter's heart rate would go down to 14 when she was sleeping; she was only 27 at that time. For several years after getting it, she was referred to as 100% pacer, meaning the pacemaker was doing all the work. The last time she had it checked she was at 65% so her heart is actually better than it was. Since having the pacemaker she has had two children. I vote for doing it, also. Joyce43