 Poster: A snowHead
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I am unexpectedly due for pacemaker fitting in the next few weeks.
Does anyone know how long I have to wait before I can go skiing afterwards?
I have a load of trips booked and I am fearful I will have to cancel the lot ...... 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The official advice is to avoid strenuous activities for 4-6 weeks, but as long as it's been a couple of weeks it should be fine. As long as they are not getting any symptoms. The wound itself is tiny. The driving rules are only 1 week off and if the DVLA are happy then I'd imagine anyone would be happy! They are probably best to go and just do some easy, non-strenuous skiing and chill out. Info source -> daughter is medical student.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You'll have to tell your insurance
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@spacetrucker, would daughter say that skiing is strenuous? My HR barely rises when piste skiing, goes up when touring though!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks for the helpful replies.
Unfortunately my 'thing' is trees and cat skiing, neither of which are particularly gentle......
Sadly I have already booked 4 trips but only found I needed a pacemaker last Friday.
Don't think insurance will help as I had an ablation about 10 years ago so it will be seen as a preexisting condition.
Thankfully I am not too bad with a 'fait a complis', otherwise I would be suicidal....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
Don't think insurance will help as I had an ablation about 10 years ago so it will be seen as a preexisting condition.
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Probably right but good idea to tell your insurance company anyway.
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What sort of pacemaker, out of interest? Was your ablation successful?
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@FoofyNoo, I meant update your insurance about the pacemaker to make sure you can still be covered for skiing, not claim for cancelled trips.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| kitenski wrote: |
| @spacetrucker, would daughter say that skiing is strenuous? My HR barely rises when piste skiing, goes up when touring though! |
I suspect the strenuousness that is important is related to the movement in the area of the pace maker fitting rather than heart rate.
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@holidayloverxx Yup, definitely a sensible move, thanks.
@pam w. It was successful in that it curbed my atrial fibrillation, but my heart rate has continued to be slow.
During my recent 24hr ECG, which was on an incident free day, my average heart rate was 51 bpm dropping into the 30s on occasion. I used to be able to fix it by running up and down the stairs but not so much now.
If it wasn't so inconvenient, I would be looking forward to getting the pacemaker as I think my life will improve generally.
My only concern is that it will probably bugg*r up my scuba diving..... but that's another story....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@pam w
Sorry, don't know what pacemaker yet. Very early days. Hopefully one rated to depth....
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@FoofyNoo, interesting, I've also had an ablation a few years ago but AFib came back, tracked it down to the flecainide actually making things worse, I'm now on bisoprolol and my resting HR drops to 40 sometimes overnight, but the consultant said that was ok!
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| Quote: |
It was successful in that it curbed my atrial fibrillation, but my heart rate has continued to be slow.
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My sister and a local friend both recently had failed ablations. Glad yours worked! I have permanent AF but it doesn't bother me much and ablation has not been suggested for me. I take masses of pills for heart failure (and, when I was diagnosed, tachycardia) and seem to be OK. The main reason why I am probably not going to do any more skiing, or only very gentle stuff, is a chronically problematic left knee - really hurt twice last night, when I just turned over in bed!
Scuba diving another complication!
My pre-existing conditions were covered last time I went skiing (at Easter this year) by dint of paying a substantial extra premium.
Having a pacemaker fitted, and looked after, if the VERY old skipper of the boat I crew on is anything to go by, is a piece of cake. Should make a big difference.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thankfully I take no medication at all.
They breifly put me on Beta Blockers before my ablation which nearly stopped my heart altogether ... not good.
ATM I am in pretty good health .. do Parkruns, 10ks etc
Had a ruptured ACL which was fixed pretty much perfectly.
I am 63 and hoping to ski for many more years ... and hoping that the pacemaker will benefit this.
I will let you know how it progresses ......
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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My wife had a pacemaker fitted late Dec 2019 and felt comfortable to head out to Saalbach March 2020. No problems at all other than both of us getting a dose of Corona!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@FoofyNoo, so is the pacemaker to keep the resting HR up higher? Sorry for all the questions but as a fellow AFib suffer I am always learning 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@FoofyNoo, Just be aware that some pacemakers are affected by ski lift gates depending on the technology. A lady I skied with had to go round them, the lifties soon got to recognise her. In Tignes there used to be little symbols on the gate, but they seem to have rubbed off.
She used to ski 6 days a week through the season after her op.
Good luck
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Just watch out for those scanners at the airport, so easy to forget 
My wife has one as her resting heart rate was too low and they wanted to increase it up to 60. Thankfully no issues since, had her "battery" check just last week, only issue is getting insurance is fun. We find Free Spirit insurance very good (wife also has epilepsy)
As @chocksaway mentions some of the lift gates can interfere but I think most of the newer pacemakers are OK with them.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I think my friend was advised to avoid induction hobs!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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All great advice ... thanks
Sounds like I'm going to have to carefully read the smallprint.
I thought that all the pacemaker did was stop the heart rate dropping below a certain threshold but apparently they are much cleverer than that.
They can sense a need for a higher rate under stress and some even have accelerometers!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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My mum very recently had a pacemaker fitted (a month ago), my dad had one fitted 5 years ago. I met with the surgeon after my mum’s operation, she was under instruction not to lift her left arm above her head for three full weeks, due to allowing the pacemaker and wires etc to not become dislodged. Also no lifting of anything remotely heavy with that arm for the same period of time. She got it done out in Spain but was given a fit to fly one week after surgery so flying isn’t the issue but the activity of skiing, poling etc. could be. Depends when your surgery is and when your trips are I suppose.
As others have said: beware microwaves and induction cookers. The main scanners at airports are a no-no but you just need to say you have a pacemaker and you go round the side of the machine and they use a hand scanner. Travel insurance should be ok, you just need to list it as a pre-existing condition, both my parents are fine to travel and be covered having declared it (albeit their premium has gone up).
Pacemakers are remarkable really. They only kick in when it’s needed (my folks say they can feel it slightly when it does). They also have a device they keep at home which connects remotely to the pacemaker and will automatically alert emergency services if a severe heart problem is detected. also let’s you know state of battery and other things, really quite a bit of kit.
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it is remarkable how convenient are some things related to our health today, which 20 y ago was maybe nur in Sci Fiction films.
And even that, many people wish that we "could go Back" to the 80s where an Heart OP was something like a poker with the Devil (at least in Greece, i suppose in UK was the situation better)
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I had an ICD fitted (not a pacemaker but a defibrillator, but similar op I gather) in June and my arm/shoulder was pretty sore for a few weeks but now absolutely fine. I flew the following week without any issues, just had to watch out for scanners.
I own an induction hob and have never felt any issues and have stood in front of the microwave without feeling funny either.
I haven't been skiing since the incident, but I'm on the look out for a cheeky deal in December and have March booked! Don't think it should impact your skiing, just be gentle on your arm, and keep it moving (below your shoulder height) despite the pain as you do not want to get a frozen shoulder.
Wishing you all the best!
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