Former engineer John Langley, 86, moved to central France in 2014 with his daughter Dawn and her family.
He was in good health and living in the town of Descartes, near Tours in Indre-et-Loire, until he experienced a dizzy spell in December 2016 and his daughter had to call in the paramedics.
Initial symptoms
Other than struggling to eat as much as I used to, I had been feeling completely normal. However, on New Year’s Eve morning, I got up as usual, had some breakfast and went to sit down.
Suddenly my head just started spinning. I remember thinking “this is it,” but at the same time I was thinking “this isn’t a bad way to go.”
However, the dizziness only lasted for a minute or so.
Ten minutes later my daughter, who lives next door, came round.
I told her that I was feeling unwell and she tried to call the doctor. However, as it was the holiday period, she could not get through.
Instead she called the emergency services. When the paramedics arrived, they checked my heart rate and it was very low – just 36 beats per minute, so I was taken to my local hospital in Châtellerault.
At the hospital
When we arrived at the hospital, they performed a series of tests, after which they discovered that in addition to my slow heart rate, my heart was also missing a beat every now and again.
I was admitted to the hospital for monitoring and potential further treatment.
The following morning, I was sitting in my bed eating breakfast when I actually felt my heart stop and start again within a few seconds.
Doctors rushed into my room – they had been monitoring me so knew what was happening.
About 15 minutes later, a doctor came and in and told me I was to have a pacemaker fitted that afternoon.
I was transported to the hospital at Poitiers where there was a specialist heart unit.
The operation
The operation itself was fairly straightforward. To my surprise, they performed it under local rather than general anaesthetic. I could not feel any pain, but I could feel them pushing the device in.
Looking back, I’m surprised that I managed the procedure so well – but at the time I just did what I was told and took it all in my stride.
In all, the whole operation only took about an hour.
Aftercare
I was kept in Poitiers overnight, and afterwards transported back to my local hospital in Châtellerault where I stayed for a couple of days whilst I was being monitored. Then I was discharged.
A nurse came to visit me every day for a couple of months after the procedure, both to check my heart-rate and the wound, and also to help me monitor my diabetes, which had also been diagnosed whilst I was in hospital.
Unfortunately, I had a few further problems with my heart.
It was discovered that my heart was beating too fast, and had to be corrected. The doctors tried atrial defibrillation (electric shock to the heart) but this did not work, so in the end they had to burn some of my heart tissue with a catheter (cardiac catheterisation).
Thankfully this worked, and – while I am struggling with back pain at present – my heart is now functioning normally.
I was impressed throughout with the way in which I was treated; the standard of care here is excellent.
FACTS ON PACEMAKERS by Antonin Trimaille, Resident in Cardiology in the University Hospital of Strasbourg, France
What does a pacemaker do?
Pacemakers help to stimulate the heart by sending an electrical impulse which causes the heart muscle to contract.
Why might a surgeon/doctor decide to fit a pacemaker?
Pacemakers are often used to treat problems with the electrical system within the heart; for example, when the heart beats too slowly or has an abnormal rhythm.
How long does an operation to fit a pacemaker take?
Pacemakers are usually inserted under the skin on the left side of the chest.
A wire is then guided through a blood vessel to the heart. The implantation of a pacemaker takes about one hour.
Is the operation usually under local anaesthetic?
As a general rule, the implantation of a pacemaker is done under simple local anaesthesia and does not require general anaesthesia.
Potential problems
After a pacemaker has been fitted some patients experience cardiac rhythm disorders specifically related to the pacemaker.
In these situations, doctors may decide to adjust the pacemaker, or prescribe certain medications. This intervention will resolve the problem in the majority of cases.
