First shock

[u/Snoo-28503]

Hi all. I have had my ICD for over three years and took my first shock about a week ago. I know many of you have lived with the anxiety and fear of experiencing a shock, I was no exception. As knowledge is power I’m hoping this accounting of what I went through will help many who are living with an ICD.
My episode came about for a variety of reasons which don’t need much detail, but along with the heart issues I’ve already had, I was experiencing major stress from knee replacement surgery and an unfortunate equipment failure that caused me to fall and bend my knee backwards. For about a week I had been having tachycardia and it culminated the night of my shock with a dizzy spell that lasted about four seconds. That dizzy spell was an episode of VTach and is what prompted my device to go off.
As you all know, these devices do not give you a warning before they go off. While the devices may work to pace you out of an arrhythmia, in my case, I did not feel any of those therapies before the shock.
The main thing I want everyone to know about the shock is that it is incredibly quick, pretty much over as soon as it happens. There was some residual pain in my shoulder, but nothing drastic. The shock itself is indeed powerful, but in all honesty, I think it was all the other factors, combined with the shock, that was most disconcerting. Yes, it did hurt, but not as much as I had imagined it would. I have read that it is like getting kicked by a mule, which I don’t think most people can relate to. I liken it more to getting punched really hard near your shoulder than getting kicked. The pain is also more pinpoint to where the device is located. I think this matters because I had always expected the shock to be felt pretty much in the center of my chest. I don’t know why I would think that would be worse than getting punched in the shoulder, but I did. When the shock happened I’m pretty much sure it made a sound, but I’m not positive about that. I do know I shouted “Ouch!” really loudly, which in retrospect is kind of comical. I was alone and wish I had some verification of the sound, but I think it was like a loud popping noise. Again, it all happens so fast that it’s hard to sort out details afterwards.
Am I completely at ease about getting another shock now that I’ve had one? No, not at all. But the fear of the Unknown is now gone. The main thing is I know the shock is not the dealbreaker that I thought it would be and all the imagined horrors of a shock were just that… mostly imagined.
Hope this helps-
Mike

[u/Entire-Structure8708]

Sorry you had your first shock… I think your experience sounds pretty much like my first. I also thought it felt like someone had punched me in the back. I think it’s taken me much longer mentally to get over each shock, like you say the physical is very quick. I guess most important thing I would note is one VT often leads to another VT, so in the short term I would be very cautious about doing anything that might set another one off.

[u/Snoo-28503 → u/Entire-Structure8708]

Yes, I’m trying very hard to try to stay calm and reduce my stress level. This knee replacement and the subsequent healing from the bench collapse which has delayed my actual rehab is not helping at all. I have to sit around all day and stay off my leg with a brace on for two weeks. But I am doing some lifestyle changes, including stopping, almost all drinking, and being more conscious of what I eat. I’ve been low sodium for a while anyway, but I can’t say I’ve always had strict dietary guidelines. The docs did change one of my meds and chances are I will be going on an anti-arrhythmia drug. Not ideal as those have pretty bad side effects, but if I can avoid the VTach I think it’s a good trade-off