Heart issues (and pacemakers) are not just for old people
By Ray Rivera, AHA Heart Valve Ambassador
I’ve had heart issues now for about six years. In 2016, I was diagnosed with a weak aortic valve that needed to be replaced. I also needed a maze procedure to treat my atrial fibrillation (AFib) and bypass surgery. Up until that point, I always thought I had a very strong heart, and, in fact, I used to brag about how strong my heart was. I had always worked out, I wasn’t overweight and I generally ate well. Turns out I was wrong; my heart was the weakest part of me. I was 61 when I had my first heart surgery. I recovered well and went on with my life.
Two years later, I got endocarditis and ended up back in the hospital for another aortic valve replacement. I didn’t recover as well from this surgery as I did from the first one. I also was dealing with a few more health issues.
In 2021, I needed my tricuspid valve replaced. During that surgery, the doctors also were going to do an ablation procedure to correct my AFib, which had returned. Shortness of breath had become a real issue with me. However, complications arose during surgery. As they went through my groin, an artery in my stomach ruptured. They also opened up my chest and found a lot of scar tissue on my heart.
As a result of these complications, the doctors chose not to perform the ablation. They told me that I would need to have the procedure done at another time. I recovered in the hospital for 50 days. Several months later, I had a hernia procedure. Though in hindsight, I probably should have had the ablation procedure first.
On May 26, 2022, I finally went in for the ablation — over a year after my tricuspid surgery. It seemed like everything had turned out OK until they gave me metoprolol, which made my heart rate drop very low — in the 30s. I felt faint. The doctors concluded that the metoprolol was making my already low heart rate go even lower. They suggested a pacemaker because it might be the only way I could take medications if I needed them. I wasn’t totally surprised by the news since my doctors and I had previously discussed this as a possibility. A couple of days later, while still in the hospital, they implanted the device.
I am now 68. I’ve always thought of a pacemaker as something just for older people, not for people at my age. While in the hospital I asked the nurses, techs and doctors about pacemakers. They told me that they aren’t just for older people but for anyone who has heart electrical problems like I do. They also said that these devices are now very common, and the technology behind them is quite sophisticated. They are small, and the battery in mine will probably outlive me.
I was told and read stories about how people with pacemakers returned to very normal lives. In many cases, they had a much better existence, mostly unaware they even had a pacemaker. All this was very encouraging.
As I write this, it’s seven weeks later, and things are better. I really never feel the pacemaker, so it’s easy to forget I have it. My AFib is gone, and my heart rate never goes below 70. I’m planning to go back to a regular daily workout program, which will include tennis, working out with a trainer, and going to the gym.
I’ve learned that having a pacemaker, in most cases, does not disrupt one’s life or exercise routine. After getting a pacemaker implanted, people swim, play tennis and do just about everything they did prior to having the device. I am now able to breathe better. I do still have some shortness of breath, however, which I attribute to having AFib as well as not having worked out regularly since my surgery over a year ago. I no longer get lightheaded or dizzy, and the cramps in my legs seemed to have disappeared.
Not everyone can have an ablation or take medication to control AFib. Sometimes a pacemaker is needed, as it was in my case. I’m looking forward to the next few months to see what kind of progress I will make. I feel confident I will get much better.
I think getting the pacemaker was a smart thing to do. As I learned, a pacemaker is for the young, the old and everyone in between.
It’s with a heavy heart that we report Ray passed away in November 2022. As you can see, he always faced his challenges with a big smile and a lot of optimism. We truly appreciate his service as an AHA Heart Valve Ambassador and Support Network volunteer.
For more information on this health topic, visit heart.org.
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