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From: April
I am 29 and feel my life is ending. I have been diagnosed with vaso vagal and managing my symptoms is all about limitations. I have always been a highly active person and now to have to limit myself has beocme quite depressing. My symptoms are complete weakness, numbness in my hansd and feet, body chills, nausea, sweaty claminess and a loss of mental sharpness-all to different degrees, sometimes accompanied by fainting. These symptoms are aggrivated by my menstral cycle and differing levels of mental and physical stress. My condition was most under control during a period where I was on a leave from work and devoted every day to my health and well being, eating right, exercising, drinking water, faithfully following meds, and SLOWING DOWN. But this isn't realistic, I have a two year old and once I had to go back to work, the stress level and crazy pace put and end to my good routine and now my condition is worse than it has ever been.
I thank God for the wonderfully supportive husband I have, for without whom, I would have given up long ago. I have tried many adjustments in medications. My electro-physiologist has suggested a pacemaker, though I will still require medications. The thoguht of having such a device implanted in my body with a scar is very depressing to me. Logic says it should make me feel better in the end but the reality of not being 30 and facing these issues has me very depressed. I am so tired of being ill and seeing doctors, I wonder if I will ever be the same again. I would like if anyone withthe pacemaker can tell me if it helped, how much and what does the scar look like? Can you 'hear' it? Can you 'see' it? Does it limit use of the arm/shoulder area? How long does vaso vagal last? aprildemarco@hotmail.com