By Vernon M.
Herron
Avid readers of this blog,
know of my frank and constant discussion of my health problems. Today is no
exception. Soon after the first of the year (Jan. 2, ’13), I am scheduled for a
new implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).This is a scientific name for
a heart pacemaker.
An ICD is a small
electronic device that’s implanted (inserted) into your body. It is prescribed
for people who have life-threatening rapid heart rhythm. It continuously monitors
your heartbeat. If it senses a dangerous rapid heart rhythm, the device
delivers one or more electrical impulses or shocks to the heart to restore a
normal rhythm. The defibrillator operate by batteries.
In 2005, I had my first
pacemaker installed to strengthen a weak heart. After the installation, I felt
like a “new man.” Four years later, the batteries became weak and were replaced
in 2009. After three years of service, the batteries will be replaced again. I notice that the length
of battery life keep getting shorter.
But the other side of the
equation is the recognition of the advancement of technology. I, for one, am
grateful for the advancement of science which not only extends life but makes it
more comfortable in living. Before such discoveries, human life was at the
mercy of “what is.”
Today, how blessed we are
to have pacemakers and other prosthetic limbs to aid the body. This point is
well illustrated in the following story.
On the first night of his
wedding, a new husband watched his new bride undress for bed. She removed her
head piece and laid it aside, showing her bald head. Then she removed her teeth
and placed them in a glass of water. Later, she removed her right arm and laid
it aside, followed by the removal of her left leg. Lastly, she removed one
breast and one hip pad.
The new husband who could
take no more, rose up and said “woman, get yourself ‘together’ and get out of
here!”
Thank God for the
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator, the PaceMaker.
