Pic of me today with my ICD scar/bump

[maldorf]

Just in case you are curious as to how an Implantable Cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) looks I decided just now to take a quick picuture so you can see. I still am self conscious of it when I walk around the pool or the beach, but I feel much better about it than I did 3 years ago when I had the surgery. It pretty weird. I can wiggle that thing around side to side. I slides right under the skin. It seems more noticable the leaner I get. One thing that worries me is what would happen if I got in a bad car accident, because the seat belt comes right across the ICD. I once flipped my car over on the highway and the belt pulled hard enough on my shoulder that it seperated my shoulder at the AC joint (that hurt like hell).

 

[1500]

shit bro. doesn't look bad at all. glad you're doing well.

 

[triathloncoach]

Tell people you got it at a kids birthday party when the shetland pony went bezerk. "When good shetland ponies go bad" Episode 3. Tell them you saved a little boy in a sailor suit.

 

[TeknoViking]

shit bro. doesn't look bad at all. glad you're doing well.

i am agree man glad your ok through all that!

 

[renewlyf]

I see the same thing when I look in the mirror!

My leads fratured and they had to replace the original one. I have a real nasty scar now. When people ask me what it is I tell them It's the latest in technology. An implanted phone. Some people actually stop and think about it for a second.

 

[wallycn]

Damn that is crazy looking

 

[Tom]

does not look bad at all. in a strange way it is a medal of courage and honor. because of your expeience and willingness to talk about it you have saved numerous people on this board from ridiculous and dangerouse aas abuse! not to mention steered many members to the blood lab to monitor thier own health and well being! by the way, not too many people with devices like that carrying around a physique like yours.

 

[maldorf]

My leads fratured and they had to replace the original one. I have a real nasty scar now. When people ask me what it is I tell them It's the latest in technology. An implanted phone. Some people actually stop and think about it for a second.

LOL. How did your leads fracture? Was it lifting weights? Im scared that might happen to me. My doc had a hell of a time getting my leads in too. the surgery was supposed to take only 1 1/2 hours tops and it took him about 3 hours! He said my artery there was really hard to get at, the subclavian.
Do you have a defib/pacmaker like me or is your just the pacmaker? Why do you have yours, heart attack like me?

 

[maldorf]

does not look bad at all. in a strange way it is a medal of courage and honor. because of your expeience and willingness to talk about it you have saved numerous people on this board from ridiculous and dangerouse aas abuse! not to mention steered many members to the blood lab to monitor thier own health and well being! by the way, not too many people with devices like that carrying around a physique like yours.

Thanks. I hope that my story has influenced some people to change their ways and be more healthy. If I ever see a new doctor that ive never seen before and tell them I had a heart attack and have an ICD they look at me like I am from Mars. The doc that did my angio to clear me out saw me about 2 years later at a Microcenter and couldnt get over how well I was doing. I think he thought my prognosis was much worse. This was the doc that told me ,after I insisted on his opinion ,that I had about 10-15 yrs left. The docs cant believe I am in the shape Im in with an ed of around 20%. I guess it goes to show you that exercise goes a long long way to being healthy. I never once gave up on exercise. I came back after the heart attack, had my near lethal arrythmia and got the ICD and then went right back to lifting. Still doing squats too and thats what almost killed me 2x. So far its only been making me feel more healthy.
If I had listened to the docs I would only be doing cardio now and some really light weight circuit training with machines. My main cardiologist suggested if I do squats I should use 40 lb dumbells. I just did squats with 345 lbs for 12 reps. Not a lot compared to where I was before the heart attack but still not too bad.

 

[LIFTW8S]

Bro that's nothing to be ashamed of at all. My brother had open heart surgery when he was born and has a huge scar from the bottom of his throat to under his belly button. He used to be super self conscious about it as well, but with time-you learn to love yourself.

Good to know you're doing well!:headbang:

 

[renewlyf]

Faulty from the factory!

LOL. How did your leads fracture? Was it lifting weights? Im scared that might happen to me. My doc had a hell of a time getting my leads in too. the surgery was supposed to take only 1 1/2 hours tops and it took him about 3 hours! He said my artery there was really hard to get at, the subclavian.
Do you have a defib/pacmaker like me or is your just the pacmaker? Why do you have yours, heart attack like me?

Google Medtronics Sprit/Fidelis leads. Class action lawsuit currently in the final phases of distributing the settlement. Funny story: For a week back in May of 2009 I kept hearing a faint beeping sound when I was sitting in my office. The only place that was quiet. Then one night BOOM the defibulator went off and knocked me on my ass! It was like getting kicked by horse. I also saw this flash of white light. My buddies were looking at me like I was nuts. I went to ER and they down loaded the data and asked my if I had heard the warning beeps that had been going off. I laughed and told them I thought it was my computer at work. They opened me up the next day. One positive is I should be receiving a check here pretty soon

 

[qbkilla]

Thanks. I hope that my story has influenced some people to change their ways and be more healthy. If I ever see a new doctor that ive never seen before and tell them I had a heart attack and have an ICD they look at me like I am from Mars. The doc that did my angio to clear me out saw me about 2 years later at a Microcenter and couldnt get over how well I was doing. I think he thought my prognosis was much worse. This was the doc that told me ,after I insisted on his opinion ,that I had about 10-15 yrs left. The docs cant believe I am in the shape Im in with an ed of around 20%. I guess it goes to show you that exercise goes a long long way to being healthy. I never once gave up on exercise. I came back after the heart attack, had my near lethal arrythmia and got the ICD and then went right back to lifting. Still doing squats too and thats what almost killed me 2x. So far its only been making me feel more healthy.
If I had listened to the docs I would only be doing cardio now and some really light weight circuit training with machines. My main cardiologist suggested if I do squats I should use 40 lb dumbells. I just did squats with 345 lbs for 12 reps. Not a lot compared to where I was before the heart attack but still not too bad.

lookin good bro, it just looks like a bruise to me no biggie. and your posts have definatley changed the way i look at bodybuilding, always very heart conscious after i started reading your posts a couple years ago. and i am much healthier for it.

 

[bhumik]

you have no idea how much respect i have for you man about how you are dealing with your situation (your courageous attitude i mean). good luck.

 

[thebrick]

Does not look bad at all. I'm sure it looks even bigger to you. That's just human nature. The main thing is you are alive and enjoying your life. Second chances are priceless.

 

[Elvia1023]

You have been through alot. I know for a fact your posts have changed many peoples lives. Your the one poster to get people to rethink many potential harmful plans. I think your a vital part in why this board works on so many levels. Just adding physically it's doesn't look bad at all. I know many with scars/burns that (don't like using the term) but look worse. I am sure you are aware of it as it's fairly new to you but seriously you look good so don't worry about it.

 

[maldorf]

Google Medtronics Sprit/Fidelis leads. Class action lawsuit currently in the final phases of distributing the settlement. Funny story: For a week back in May of 2009 I kept hearing a faint beeping sound when I was sitting in my office. The only place that was quiet. Then one night BOOM the defibulator went off and knocked me on my ass! It was like getting kicked by horse. I also saw this flash of white light. My buddies were looking at me like I was nuts. I went to ER and they down loaded the data and asked my if I had heard the warning beeps that had been going off. I laughed and told them I thought it was my computer at work. They opened me up the next day. One positive is I should be receiving a check here pretty soon

WOW, I read about that right after I got mine implanted lol. THe one I have though is ok and not part of the problem as it was manufactured later on. Mine is a Boston Scientific Cognis 100-D. Here is a link to it. **broken link removed**

What kind do you have now?

 

[maldorf]

Thanks for all the nice comments about my contributions. I just want to let others know what can happen when it all goes wrong. It is really scary. One minute youre perfectly healthy squating 455 lbs for 10 reps and then you rack the weight. Next thing you know you feel like youre going to pass out. When you get to the hospital the ekg shows a probable heart attack. Everything starts moving in slow motion. Next thing you know youre in the cath lab looking at a live xray of your heart on a computer monitor, watching them vacuum out your artery. Its just nuts.

In ICU I kept wishing it were all just a bad dream and sometimes I felt like I was in a dream world. Each morning though I would wake up and discover it was real. Even today I still have dreams at night about how my heart attack was all a dream. In that dream I wake up in my bed and discover that my heart is fine and that it was just a dream. The dream inside a dream thing goin on,lol. Oh well.

ANother thing that makes it really tough to deal with is the fact that I was used to the body I had built up with steroids, to me that was normal. After the heart attack I had to cope with that and change how I looked at my body. After all I wasnt happy with how I looked before I took steriods at 29 yrs old, I took them for a reason. Now I am back to what I was before I started taking them. Regression is hard to handle. I must admit that I still struggle with it. FOr the 1st 2 years after the heart attack I was just glad to be alive. Now that I am feeling a bit better and able to push myself in the gym more I am starting to want more again. Its a constant struggle to beat back those old urges.

 

[thebrick]

ANother thing that makes it really tough to deal with is the fact that I was used to the body I had built up with steroids, to me that was normal. After the heart attack I had to cope with that and change how I looked at my body. After all I wasnt happy with how I looked before I took steriods at 29 yrs old, I took them for a reason. Now I am back to what I was before I started taking them. Regression is hard to handle. I must admit that I still struggle with it. FOr the 1st 2 years after the heart attack I was just glad to be alive. Now that I am feeling a bit better and able to push myself in the gym more I am starting to want more again. Its a constant struggle to beat back those old urges.

Maldorf, you are just dealing with what each and every one of us on this board will have to face (or has faced) at some point. No exceptions. These are normal feelings for most of us here. But, anyone that thinks that these ergogenic, artificially big bodies can be maintained indefinitely is in denial. Downsizing is in the cards for everyone. Overall, I think you look great. You are still big, muscular and your color looks good. My wife works at a hospital and I have seen many heart patients and they look frail and sick. I'm certain, other than the anabolics issues, that the fact you were so active and working out helped you come through this when others would have suffered a huge permanent setback.

 

[sammy555]

ANother thing that makes it really tough to deal with is the fact that I was used to the body I had built up with steroids, to me that was normal. After the heart attack I had to cope with that and change how I looked at my body. After all I wasnt happy with how I looked before I took steriods at 29 yrs old, I took them for a reason. Now I am back to what I was before I started taking them. Regression is hard to handle. I must admit that I still struggle with it. FOr the 1st 2 years after the heart attack I was just glad to be alive. Now that I am feeling a bit better and able to push myself in the gym more I am starting to want more again. Its a constant struggle to beat back those old urges.

The thing you gotta look at is youve still got a body you can take your top of at the pool and look good. most guys i know past the age of 30 look like shit, busy life styles,wife kids fast food etc. No ones gonna give a second glance to that scar but they will notice how lean you look. Also you by no means look small either

 

[triathloncoach]

Maldorf,

1) you are alive
2) remember that to many people outside of our community we look like nothing more than drug abusers. Drug users who are risking their lives for their narcassitic addictions. Dont you fucking dare feel bad about how you look.You look great.

Yeah, what do all those haters know?? Ask you what they know. Ask the Big Bopper's widow.