pacemaker made redundant

Dr. David Malcolm

In April 1999 I was diagnosed as having a problem with the conduction system in my heart. The fault was intermittent but when it occurred caused the heart rate to drop to unacceptably low levels. A pacemaker was implanted so that when the heart wasn’t properly working it would take over and do the job. I had regular six monthly pacemaker checks here in Shetland and these consistently showed that the heart was working on its own about 70% of the time, the pacemaker being required for the remaining 30%. 

In March 2007 I was admitted to the hospital because in addition to the conduction problem the heart was now beating too fast. I had now developed what is called the ‘Bradycardia / Tachycardia Syndrome.  Bradycardia which means too slow and Tachycardia meaning too fast. This didn’t take the doctors too much by surprise as the problem which I had was normally recognised to be progressive. With the passage of time it was expected that the conduction problem would deteriorate and I would become increasingly dependent on the pacemaker as well as developing this tachyrhymicic problem.  I was commenced on a B-Blocker for the rapid heart rate problem.

On Thursday evening of 29th March ‘07’ Catherine and Stephen were meeting in their home with their cell group. Pete was also present. Catherine phoned to say that the group had a burden to pray for me and to anoint me with oil as per James chapter 5. She asked if I would be agreeable to this and I replied in the affirmative. Since I could not be physically present it was decided that the group would anoint a hankercheif with oil and lay hands on it and pray for my heart’s healing. A day or two later the hankercheif arrived in the post and well impregnated with oil!! By an act of will and choice I sat in the Lord’s presence for 15 minutes having placed the hankercheif on my head and seeking to be open and receptive to whatever God wanted to do.

Because of the recent problems the first pacemaker check was carried out three months following the time of my being discharged from hospital. The technician reported that over the proceeding 12 weeks the pacemaker had not been called into use at all – the first time this had happened since it was implanted eight years previously. I have had three pacemaker checks since that time, the most recent being four weeks ago.  On every occasion I have asked the technician how much the pacemaker has been called into play and each time he has reported that it is not really being used at all.

I should perhaps also say that about three weeks before the last pacemaker check I discontinued the B-Blocker because of side effects. Since a whole year had elapsed between my admission to hospital and the cell group praying for healing and anointing me with oil I decided to write to the Cardiologist in Aberdeen who advised as well as inserted the pacemaker back in 1999. I asked him if he could explain why the pacemaker has been more or less redundant for the past 12 months especially in light of the fact that the normal course of events with my condition would be one of progressive deterioration. In his reply he informed me that some adjustments had been made to the pacemaker at the time of my admission to the hospital a year ago. However, he did express surprise that the pacemaker had not been used at all and agreed that this was most unusual. I have just received a second letter from him yesterday and I quote, “ Unfortunately I really can give you no other explanation than I previously tried. It is a bit of a mystery why your pacemaker would no longer be required. ” I have also asked the technician several times if he has any explanation and if he has come across this situation before. To the best of my knowledge he has never come across this before and although he attempted various hypotheses to try and explain what had happened, on each occasion he has ended up saying that he really doesn’t know and cannot offer an explanation.

May I take this opportunity to thank the Church for your interest in my welfare and in the wellbeing of our family. This is especially touching since I am aware that most of you don’t know me / us. I really do appreciate your love and concern. Let me leave one Scripture verse with you which once again comes from the book of James.

“Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights in whom there is no variableness or shadow caused by turning.”

To God be the Glory