It’s only about the size of a matchbook, but the life-altering effects of a pacemaker can’t be overstated. Whether a patient’s heart rate is erratic because of a heart attack, illness, or disease, a pacemaker implanted into the chest can greatly increase one’s quality of life.
After feeling lightheaded and dizzy at work in May of 2005, Gene C., 67, of Juneau, Alaska discovered how urgently he needed a pacemaker. After his family doctor consulted with a cardiologist at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington, Gene found himself on an unplanned trip to Seattle.
“They said they wanted me down there immediately. My doctor arranged for the ambulance to pick me up, then for the medivac to Seattle, and I was at Madigan Army Hospital within four hours,” Gene explains. “I wasn’t really sure what was going on, but he said this was a problem that had to be addressed.”
This article continues at Pacemakers For Seniors