Wooden Anniversary

5 Years
60 Months
1461 Days
157,784,630 Heartbeats

My Pacer is officially 5 years old. God how time has flied! My pacer continues to be completely transparent in my life. I don't feel it while sleeping on my left shoulder. I don't notice it bouncing while running or cycling. I sometimes forget that I can't walk through metal detectors. Every checkup has been a non-issue, and my Cardiologist is fully supportive of my athletic endeavors.

When I was waiting in the ER for the surgery to start, I was approached by the Pacemaker Rep who asked me what style of pacemaker I wanted. Did I want the smaller device with the smaller (re: shorter life) battery? Or did I want the larger device with the longer life battery? I simply asked, "how much larger, and how much longer?"
"~20%, and 12 years vs 7."
That was a no brainer... I took the larger pacer with the longer battery life. After my first 5 years, I still have an expected battery life of >7 years, and possibly closer to 9 or 10 years. I'm not paced very often, but it is a 24/7 operation, class III (life saving) medical device, that requires constant monitoring of its sensors and recalculating of its algorithms. I'm very happy with my decision, and the resulting life of the device...

In the past 5 years I've accomplished more athletically than I did prior to my implant:
I completed my first Marathon.
I completed my first Triathlon.
I raced internationally in the World Duathlon Championship.
I won my first race, any race, of any distance!
I set PR's in the 10k and 1/2 Marathon.

I continue to challenge myself and push harder to achieve goals and to meet expectations. I never dreamed of doing some of the things that I'm doing today. Life is still a journey, and I continue to enjoy the ride. Here's to another amazing 5 years, and beyond!

BEN