After a month of this, it proved inconclusive. We were trying to figure out if some of his falls were due to poor heart rhythms and the only conclusive result is that his heart rate is very low. Dr. Kim gave us two options; Loop Recorder or Pace Maker. She said the Loop Recorder was the less invasive and may in fact lead us to have a Pace Maker. Her thinking matched ours; why mess with heart surgery when it is not called for. Do we do it just because....?
We opted for the Loop Recorder.
Here is how it the implant was done. As you can see, it is about the size of a fat large paperclip. The tool on the right side of the package is the scalpel. There is a sharp end on it about the size of my thumb nail. They placed this against Russ' chest and pushed, creating a small incision. The left tool is a plunger. They draw back the plunger and this allows the loop recorder to drop into a chamber, ready to be implanted. They inserted the tip into the hole they just made and plunged, allowing the implant to ride through the chamber and go into Russ' chest. A little surgical super glue and DONE! It took 15 minutes.
We went home and I downloaded the Merlin app on his phone (note the name Merlin.... it's all magic!) and we are in business. His heart is being monitored 24/7.
Technology can create miracles, but this technology alone will not alleviate Russ' symptoms.There is courage, passion and kindness on all sides of this implant. These basic values were embraced by all involved to allow Russ to put himself in the uncertain place of a technology miracle. Really... an implant and an app sending data hundreds of miles and being recovered by his cardiologist further hundreds of miles away to evaluate the need for a Pace Maker? Crazy and calming at the same time.