anyone with an icd?

nbstj · Post by **nbstj** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 11:02 am

Hi everyone. I'm new to the program-started early this week. It helps just knowing that I'm not alone, and that most likely I'm not going crazy! My story with anxiety and depression began probably about 10 years ago, in a mild form, and starting about 4 years ago became debilitating. I was diagnosed with a rare degenerative heart disease 10 years ago. My father has the same disease, and received a transplant 12 years ago.
A defibrillator was implanted upon diagnosis, as the disease can cause potentially fatal arrythmias. I went thru some tough times with it emotionally, mainly afraid I would die and leave my young kids motherless.(ages 2,5 and 8 at the time) But for the most part, I think I did pretty well with. I had a couple of shocks, which are scary, but the emotional recovery was pretty quick. Then 4 years ago, I had what is termed a"storm", 5 shocks over the course of a few minutes.the defib would convert me, but then my heart would pop back into the nasty rhythm. It was a TERRIFYING experience. the shocks throw my body, and they kept coming. The worst part was not knowing when they would stop. Basically, I was in a bizarre, detatched state of shock, for a couple of months after the storm, and then I had my first ever panic attack, at the mall, ambulance etc. It was crazy.I now know I had PTSD, but no one knew what was going on at the time-unchartered territory. After the panic attack, I became scared about going anywhere. A psychiatrist prescribed clonapin, which I used in order to get to the store etc. and just get thru the day. I was a mess. Since then i have struggled with varying levels of anxiety and depression, but I have had enough living with fear, lonliness etc. I so hope the program works!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:52 pm

Did you mean ocd?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:38 pm

Nope, this person means ICD - Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

If the ICD detects an abnormal rythm such as A-fibrilation a shock will be delivered in an attempt to convert the ryhtm back to sinus.

(Not a doctor, but am an EMT and my mom has one due to a viral infection in the 70's that has damaged her heart).

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 5:08 am

Thanks. I know what that is. But because so many people post about ocds and the i key is next to the o key, I was thinking that maybe it was a mistake.