justinstephen

VT, sudden cardiac arrest and cardiomyopathy survivor here. I also have an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) like the subject in the article. From a technological standpoint it's an incredibly interesting thing. On one hand I have this fantastic piece of implanted technology that has on different occasions saved my life. It has a 10 year battery life, supports wireless communication and at regular check ins provides a wealth of data to the electrophysiologist about ongoing heart activity (I'd love to have my own API with at least read access to the device).

On the other hand he does a great job describing the PTSD the accompanies the torture and pain the device can deliver. There's something psychologically unique to the fact that this device is embedded inside you, capable of delivering a horrific blow enough to knock you off your feet at a moments notice. From a PTSD standpoint it's as if your assailant is always with you, but permanently implanted within. You can't ever escape it, there's no opportunity to remove yourself from the environment or the factors causing the PTSD. You have to learn to come to grips with that, I've found that makes the recovery much more complicated.

Beyond that, glad to see the cardiac risks of extreme athletics start to get some public attention. There is a certain pull in extreme athletic circles to chase numbers, a sort of oneupmanship to push the limits of what the human body is capable of. Unfortunately at times it's not pretty when some find exactly what those limits are.

Edit: To give it some perspective, I was 31 years old when I had my device implanted.