April 16, 2016: An ICD Jolt, a Close Medical Call

In June of 2013, I received an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) because of atrial fibrillation of the heart.  The ICD is not a pacemaker but a device designed to monitor heart rate and provide assistance when the heart goes into A-Fib.  It is programable and does have the capability to send electrical shocks when extended and rapid fibrillation happens.  The docs also prescribed a heart rate regulating drug.

In December 2015, the drug was stopped as it seemed to not be working efficiently but the medical technicians who managed the ICD did not adjust the programming to accommodate the heart rate changes the stopping of the drug could cause. 

On April 13, I learned the consequences of the forgotten adjustment.  A little lesson in ICD operations is needed here.  If a heart beat is not strong and becomes extremely rapid for a predetermined length time, the device will shock the heart.  If the heart is failing to a point the device is triggered, the patient will always feel light headed, faint and experience extreme dizziness.  None of these symptoms happened in my case.  

I was sealed in rubber at about midnight and enjoying some wonderful heavy rubber meditation when the device jolted me.  I thought someone hit me on the head with a frying pan! My first thought was "the wife is home and found me".  I sat waiting a bit, got up and looked around.  The device struck three more times, each time with less shock, another clue the device might be off since a real defibrillator event creates higher shocks, if needed.

I carefully took off my gear, mindful if I started feeling sick, I would have the son call 911.  Still I felt fine.  My heart beat seemed a little high but within normal range.  Since everything seemed normal again, I went to bed. 

Two weeks later, the device fired again one afternoon.  Again the shock was unexpected.  Again, i was shocked four times.  My wife took me to the ER and a ICD tech was called in.  He ran my device on his system and asked if this event was a first.  I said it wasn't since I knew his equipment would have picked up the earlier event.  He told me the device required reprogramming and the shocks I received were "inadvertent".

The docs also put me back on the heart regulating drug after the two shock events.

I was lucky this time and probably should have gotten the suit off with son's help and called 911 or even had him take me to an ER.  I didn't know how serious the event may have been. Fortunately, the device only shocked four times.