Personal Stories
Video Questions and Answers
- What went through your mind when you were told you needed an ICD?
- What were your thoughts when you were told your son needed an ICD?
- What does your son think about this device?
- Can you describe the ICD device implant procedure?
- What was it like to experience a shock from your ICD?
- Describe what it's like to live with an ICD.
Cathy's Story
Cathy was two hours from home at a school activity for her son when she broke out in a sweat, became lightheaded, and then was gripped with incredible chest pains.
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Christine's Story
Christine remembers fainting for the first time when she was 18. Over the next 25 years, Christine had many other fainting episodes — most of them at night.
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Dawn's Story
When Dawn and her family took a vacation four hours from home in June 2003, the Medtronic Care Link® Monitor went along. "Before I had the monitor, I would have been quite concerned about traveling that far from home and my clinic," says Dawn.
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Ian's Story
As a football player and track athlete in high school, Ian says that he was able to do all of his workouts in sports, but walking up a flight of steps the next day in class was another story. "[The defibrillator] is there to protect you," Ian says.
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Jeff's Story
When Jeff was 15 years old, he endured the unthinkable. His older brother collapsed and stopped breathing after carrying a load of plywood up to the shop at the family's rural home.
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John's Story
John had already participated in three different heart-related drug studies when he heard about an implantable defibrillator study from his cardiologist. John says his implantable defibrillator gives him a great sense of security.
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Matt's Story
For much of his young life, Matt was prevented from participating in sports and recreational activities – until he had a defibrillator implanted. Listen to how Matt's life changed with his implant and the new-found freedom it gave him.
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Phil's Story
Phil, an avid hockey player and sportsman, recounts his experience with his ICD and how it has given him the confidence to continue participating in the sports and activities he loves.
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Tracey's Story
The audience assumed Tracey's collapse was simply an actor's pratfall. No one dreamed a vibrant and healthy woman in her thirties would literally drop dead in front of them.
Today Tracey has an implantable defibrillator, programmed to deliver a lifesaving shock if she again experiences a life-threatening heart arrhythmia.
MoreVivian's Story
It was the spring of 1994 and Vivian’s daughter, Jennie, was graduating from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. As Vivian and her husband, Walter, were loading their car to get ready for the trip to Jennie’s graduation ceremony, Vivian suddenly fell to the garage floor.
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Share Your Story
At Medtronic we love to hear from patients with Medtronic heart devices! If you have a pacemaker, implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) heart devices, or an insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) we want to hear from you!
Complete our form and we may contact you to gather more information.
Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.
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