In March of 2009 I was experiencing symptoms of feeling light headed, dizzy, shortness of breath, and fatigue. I was at work when I suddenly collapsed. I was rushed by ambulance to the closest hospital. I was admitted into the hospital overnight for observation. They ran several tests on me to determine what the cause of this episode was.

I was diagnosed with Bradycardia. This is a slow heart rate. Most people have a resting heart of around 60 to 100 beats per minute. Mine was at about 40 to 50. It would also drop to about 35 beats per minute for no apparent reason. This was concerning to the doctors. I was released from the hospital the next day.
Over the next several months I went through several different tests to find out the reason that I was experiencing such a low heart rate. They could not find a definitive answer to this problem.

In November my Doctor told me that I needed a Pacemaker. This was very hard for me to take. I was saying to him, but I am only 43 years old. Why is this happening? He explained to me that this is a common problem . The Doctor told me that he performs about 15 to 20 of these procedures per week. He assured me that I would feel much better by having this procedure done.

I went home and began to think of the reasons why this was happening to me. I started to look online for information and videos about this kind of Pacemaker Implantation procedure. I looked on YouTube for videos about this procedure, but really did not find to much. I saw that there was a lot of people that were searching online for the Pacemaker procedure. I really started thinking maybe I should share my story with others. This was a very hard decision for me to make. I am a very private person when it comes to medical or personal issues concerning my family. I thought about this for days.

I ultimately decided that I should share my story with other people. This is the reason for this blog post. I am hoping that someone that is experiencing these symptoms, or is going to have this procedure done, you will be a little more educated by someone that has already been though it. That is my goal by telling you my story!

On November 30th 2009 I had a Pacemaker implanted on the left side of my chest. The procedure lasted for about 45 minutes. I was admitted to the hospital overnight, so they could monitor my vital signs. The main reason they do this is to ensure the device is working properly. I had no complications and everything was functioning properly.

I was sent home the next day. I was not even given a prescription for pain medication. I was just told to take Extra strength Tylenol  for the pain. I was given a prescription for antibiotics for any infections I might develop because of the surgery. I was definitely sore on the left side of my chest, but the pain was mild. I rested at home for 2 days, and then went back to work.

My Pacemaker implantation site

This can be a very stressful situation when you don’t know what to expect from this type of procedure. I am here to tell you that it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. It has been 8 days since I had the Pacemaker implanted. I feel absolutely AMAZING! I am not feeling light headed or faint anymore. I feel like a completely different person.

If you or a loved one is going to have this procedure and you have questions, please feel free to leave me a comment! I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Also take a look at the video I shot about the Pacemaker procedure.

Click Here for the video about my Pacemaker surgery

Thank you for taking the time to read about my story. I sincerely hope it helps someone that may be in the same situation I was in.

God Bless You!

Jeffrey Martin