Aorta valve replacement and ascending aorta aneurysm repair surgery lead to the electronics of the heart being cut. Needless to say, a pacemaker was installed and I’m still alive. Not exactly what I was expecting to have at 36 years old. The pacemaker is odd and after two years of having it, I still struggle with it a little. I have zero restrictions besides “don’t get impaled” because it could dislodge a wire, but I feel like everyone in the world has that restriction. Also, there are so many settings, it’ll take a while for you and the doc to figure them out, like having a ceiling limit for your upper bpm. Though your doc might not set it lower than you can get your rate up too. All in all, it’s a scary thought but having it is a breeze and my lifestyle didn’t change of mountain hunting. The one thing I wish I knew before getting one, which was also a surprise and not planned, was that they can put them in different areas than the norm. The norm is right where your left shoulder strap on a pack lands…. I have made it work but would sure love my pacemaker tucked under a lower rib instead of where that strap lands.