Historia de un cliente: Rob
In the segment Customer Story we will share the experiences and stories of our customers. This blog is about Rob, an S-ICD carrier who practices a wide range of sports. We asked him a few questions about his passions and the way receiving his device impacted his life.
How long have you been a device carrier?
I have had my S-ICD defibrillator since 2012 after being diagnosed with a genetic heart disease and a high risk of sudden cardiac arrest. The diagnosis came as a very big surprise as I didn’t have any problems. I got my S-ICD out of ‘primary prevention’. When it comes to my heart it’s all or nothing; it operates perfectly but totally out of the blue it can stop.
How did receiving your S-ICD affect your life?
I really love practicing sports like mountain biking, windsurfing and skiing. So when I got the diagnosis I was afraid having it would cause restrictions for me regarding my sports. Luckily I was very fortunate not to have any restrictions when it comes to sports as it does not trigger life-threatening arrhythmias. In a practical way my life is almost the same as before, although mentally it took some time to get used to having this device implanted.
Has much changed since you got your S-ICD?
After having the device for 6 years without any incident, in March 2018 I got a replacement. Then in November of 2018 I had 7 episodes of sudden cardiac arrest within 3 hours. The S-ICD saved my life by delivering a total of 9 shocks, so I’m extremely happy with my ‘battery pack’! It took some time to recover from this event, but after about 4 months I continued to play sports again. Since the event I have learned to enjoy life even more.
How did you find Vital Beat?
The only thing holding me back at practicing sports was the need for protection. When mountain biking, skiing and windsurfing there is a serious risk of crashing. So, I was looking for something to protect my S-ICD (implanted on my left rib cage). After searching Google I learned about Vital Beat. I love the idea of being protected but in a very comfortable way as the shield is flexible (only gets hard at impact) and the shirt is very nice to wear!
At what specific moments do you wear your Vital Beat protection?
I use my Vital Beat protection when windsurfing, mountain biking, skiing and all sports where there is a chance of impact.
What would you like to pass on to other device carriers?
To me having a Vital Beat shirt and shield is a no-brainer; why should you take any risks when you and your device can be protected by the shield? I love my Vital Beat gear and will never practice sports without it!
