So I have a Pacemaker!

I have had this pacemaker for 8 weeks now and I can say that I have not collapsed since having it implanted.

The road to get my PM was a long one. After having my daughter by emergency C section at 35 weeks, 4 years go, I started collapsing - not very often at first, 21 days at a time, but they started happening more and more often. In the end it was happening every 3 to 10 days.

So first my GP sent me to a Neurologist who sent me for loads of tests, and he also sent me to see an ENT doctor just in case it was something to do with my inner ear. After a while we found that it wasn't my ears, so I was sent for an MRI. However, before I could have it done I had to have a pregnancy test and it showed I was pregnant with my son, so no MRI for me until I had had him.

While I was pregnant the collapsing stopped. I thought "Thank God it has stopped!" but, oh no, after another emergency C section at 34 weeks, and once the little man was 12 weeks old 'Bang!' off it all starts again.

So back to the hospital and MRI scan which showed a brain, so I do have one in my head, and it was normal.

The collapsing was still happening but as it was not neurological I was discharged, but with a menton that it could be my heart and I should go see a cardiologist.

Off to the cardiologist I went and he suggested I might have Vasovagal Syncope. So he sent me off for a tilt table test in London to confirm.

The very lovely syncope nurses did the test and bingo! - Vasovagal Syncope. They said to try Midodrine. Back to my local hospital and I was put on Midodrine and told to come back in one month.

One month down the line and the Midodrine had not worked. My normal local hospital cardiologist was on holiday so I saw a locam doctor who told me to come off the drug and to 'just live with it!'

I had gone to the appointment with both my very young children and left very upset and had a long tearful telephone conversation with my mum, then husband.

I wrote to my consultant a very long and upset letter saying that the collapsing was getting worse and I had already collapsed with my son in my arms. Also my little girl was being my carer and she would sit with me stroking my hair while I woke up.
By this time I had already broken an arm.

Once the doctor had received my letter via email he arranged an appointment to see him and said that, as I have a very specialised condition, he was sending me to the best team in London who had just moved to The Royal Brompton hospital.

So I had to wait for another appointment, which came in October 2011.

That's when my journey really began.