Thu 3/27/2008 7:31 AM

A few days ago I did the quarterly pacemaker check with Dad over the telephone.  It didn't sound like it normally did when you put the magnet up against it.  It makes a real high pitch whine usually, and  the guy had me do it a few times and then said ok, we are all done.

Didn't think any more about it then, Anna got a call from Jeanine from the cardiologist, (she is the PA physician's assistant) .  She suggested that we bring him in to the office and  have the company come out to do an in office test and Anna took him  today.

The results are in and the pacemaker needs to be replaced.  I'm not  sure if I got this correct, but one of the leads is not placed properly and is causing the battery to use more power than it should. It should last  5 years, but it has just been a little over two years.

So the options are as follows:

Do nothing.  The battery will last anywhere from 1 to 3 months (who knows for sure) and then it will be in God's hands what happens.

Do the replacement that we did 2 years ago where just the pacemaker will be replaced and will continue to use more power than normal.  Meaning that that battery will need replacing again in two years.

Do the whole replacement.  That is a much more involved surgery and involves replacing the wires too.

I am leaving in  a minute to go home and Anna has a 4-5 pm meeting downtown this afternoon.  That means that she won't get home before 6  or 6:30 tonight.

I think we need (at least the sibs) to get on a call and discuss what we want to do.  I know what Aunt Rita would say, since she asked me  last time, why did we do it then?

So anyway, just a heads up that we need to get together on a call sometime soon.

Love and hugs,  Mary