h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Visited my heart guy today. He's quite pleased - BP is a little low, which is what he wants, pulse is a little rapid, but not bothersome. And the actual in's and out's is atleast 50% of average. So subtle changes to measures of medications, and see ya in a YEAR!

Had a fun chat with the tech though as she watched valves and chambers and things with ultrasound. If a chap with a built-in defibrillator croaks, pops his clogs, turns up the toes - - - does the computer in the chest keep kicking until the batteries expire? Poor mortuary folks - a cold slab of meat, still twitching ...

I wonder about that, too. My mother had a pacemaker for about ten years. I don't know if it kept priming her heart, or trying to.

Cool old Guy checking measurements
"It should not, fibrillating is kind of high frequent spasm of the hart muscle. Where a flatline would be just a flat line.

The pacemaker will give regular pulses for some time then waits for any natural response. But after a number of times trying to get the pace it will just give up if there is no response at all.

This will be highly dependent on the software used for the cybernetics. Other sensors like body temperature and oxygen saturation are also possible to help detect the state of the body. "

This device is primarily defined as an embedded defibrillator - with cardio resynchronization therapy as secondary. At my worst, my pulse rate wasn't the "normal" 60'ish - - - it was 115 to 125. Presently, I am fairly steady in the 78 to 88 - still well above what my personal life normal was.

As I understand this device, its 3 micro cables (quad-coaxial) are purely electrical in nature. Not BP or oxygen measure capability. One lead follows the triggers of that sinus node in the right atrium, and kicks both ventricles from the bottom end.

But yes, TiT, I imagine after a couple of tries and detecting nothing from the atrium, it would just give up and go silent.

Still, an amusing image ...

Great! It's not just the elevators in "Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy" that go neurotic, but real-life pacemakers as well! <tongueout"

So I guess that I am not part of the "one-percent".

This thing that my heart did apparently is the end for 1% of the folks that it hits. About 25% don't last 5 years after the event, and about 50% don't see a decade. I have passed a bit over 2 years now . . .

I'm just awaiting the day that I wake up dead - I have loads of people to haunt.

Just for an understanding of things: within the right atrium (upper heart chamber), there is a cluster of cells called a sinus node. This cluster generates the actual electrical impulses that direct all 4 chambers to do their squeeze and twist action. The impulse affects both atria at once, and after a very brief delay, both ventricles (the big pumps). Apparently my inner wiring was not quite right for a long time, similar to spark wires and plugs of a car being mismatched. So everything was somewhat out of sync.

A best guess is that a virus was enough annoyance that signals didn't reach the left ventricle (main feed to the body) for perhaps 2, maybe 3 ticks. With the other 3 chambers working well enough, blood was being brought from my body, doing the oxygenation cycle through my lungs, and just kept filling that sack - - - to the seriously over-full and stretched state. Stretching that never recovers. Leaving a sloppy and lazy 'pump'.

Yep, them viruses can be bad for you.

Over an hour of driving each way, had my "annual" 5,000-mile check-up of the little device. It seems to be ticking on entirely within measures, and has an estimated 5 years of battery life left. These models can reach a maximum of 10 years, an average of 7.5. Mine has been in-service for about 1.5 years - it does provide the syncronization of my own natural triggers, so it is used 24/7.

On a really happy note, there is a factory advisory for this and about 7 other models. Within 2 to 3 years of placement, there can be a bit of a build up of lithium crystals (inside the case) between battery terminals. Causing total battery depletion in matter of 2 hours to 2 days. So far, about 1 in every 500, so a very small chance.

I have done poor with lotteries, but a Murphy's or Sod's Law says . . .

Hang in here!

Still around, having daily bothers, and then some confusion.

Dizziness is not at all uncommon, and sometimes I open my eyes to find myself looking at a ceiling. Weight-loss engaged again for a bit, so I have gone from 175 lbs to 130, to 149, and now around 142.

The oddest bit is the complete acceptance by my cardiologist - who forecast less than 5 years to my bride - a recent test measures the primary heart function (left ventricle ejection fraction) of 100% healthy heart ! This following an irreparable, non-healing and degenerative condition.

Even my family doctor - a very religious gentleman - did not believe this miracle, and requested a 2nd testing. As of yesterday, my heart is just touching the lower limits of "normal".

Good on you. We're happy to have you around.

I second that.

Could the weight loss be helping you by giving the heart less work to do? If so, stay thin.

My best friend, Phil, accounts for the poor wiring of my heart - as a defibrillator/pace-maker, it ensures that the impulses are delivered to major chambers with the correct timing. The highest available level of a heart medication (carvedilol) chemically assists the heart, so my blood pressure is only a bit low of normal and my pulse rate just a bit high of average. I imagine that a loss of either "treatment" would let the pressure drop again, and the pulse rate sky-rocket.

Have I mentioned that "Phil" has an advisory issued? Similar to those notices reguarding possible defects of automobiles. The incident rate is only about 0.5% of devices, but those few have been found to fail after about 3 years. Within the hermetically sealed case, the lithium battery can grow minor crystals, eventually building enough of a bridge between the electrical terminals - and draining the battery entirely in 24 to 48 hours. I will be notified if this (or any other major problem) occurs. It has a vibration similar to mobile phones, and being under the skin of my left breast - such a notice is almost impossible to miss. Even if sleeping.

Phil is pretty clever, performing self diagnostics regularly of about 20 considerations. And that vibrator function is the alarum of "concerns". I also have a monitor device at home that uses radio signals to do a check up every night as I sleep. Any concerns will be sent by telephone land-line to the manufacturer, who will then immediately notify the hospital that embedded the device. I have had one such call, about 7 months after the implanting. It was thought that one of the quad-coaxial leads had moved slightly, and if it had done so - it could have caused the extra need of battery juice to deplete it within about 3 years - as opposed to an average life of 7 or so years. I was called in for evaluation (75 miles away) and it was found to be a very brief glitch that needed no further attention.

My most recent device assessment indicated that - after about 19 months of operation - Phil still had about 4.5 to 5 years of battery life.