Living With an ICD: The Device You Hope Never Goes Off, But Saves Your Life If It Does

When most people think about surviving a cardiac arrest, they imagine the moment itself. The collapse, the CPR, the defibrillator, the hospital stay.

What they don't often think about is what comes next.

For many survivors of sudden cardiac arrest, the next chapter involves living with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), a remarkable piece of technology that sits quietly beneath the skin, constantly monitoring the heart and ready to intervene if something goes wrong.

Following my idiopathic cardiac arrest in June 2024, I became one of thousands of people living with an ICD. It is a device I am incredibly grateful for, but living with one brings challenges that are difficult to understand unless you've experienced it yourself.

What Is An ICD?

An Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator is a small device, implanted beneath the skin, with leads connected directly to the heart. It continuously monitors your heart rhythm and can deliver treatments if it detects a life-threatening arrhythmia.

Sometimes this treatment comes in the form of pacing. In more serious situations, the ICD can deliver an electrical shock to restore a normal heart rhythm and prevent sudden cardiac death. For many people, it is quite literally a lifesaver.

The Physical Reality

Most people see an ICD as a medical device.

Those who live with one see it as a permanent companion.

You are aware of it every day. You feel it when you lie in certain positions. You notice it when you exercise. You become conscious of seatbelts, backpacks and even hugs in a way you never were before.

The discomfort isn't usually severe, but it's a constant reminder that life has changed. For some people, that's reassuring. For others, it's complicated.

The Mental Battle Nobody Talks About

The biggest challenge often isn't physical, it's psychological.

Every ICD recipient knows that the device is there for a reason. It exists because there is a possibility that your heart could develop a dangerous rhythm again.

That knowledge can be difficult to carry.

Many people spend months wondering:

"What will it feel like if it goes off?"

"Will I know it's coming?"

"Will it happen while I'm driving, exercising or at work?"

"Will it happen in front of my family?"

You can reach a point where life starts to feel normal again, but the possibility never completely disappears from your mind. It becomes part of your new normal.

When The ICD Actually Fires

For me, the fear of the unknown became reality several months after my cardiac arrest.

Having worked hard through rehabilitation and returned to playing football, I experienced what every ICD patient hopes never happens: my device delivered a shock.

It's difficult to adequately describe the experience. One moment everything is normal, the next, an enormous surge of energy courses through your body. The event itself lasts only an instant, but the emotional impact lasts much longer.

There is relief because the technology has done exactly what it was designed to do, but there is also shock, uncertainty and a renewed awareness of your own mortality.

The days and weeks afterwards can be just as challenging as the event itself. You replay what happened. You wonder whether it will happen again. You question activities that you had started to enjoy once more.

Yet despite all of those emotions, one fact remains undeniable:

The device worked, and I am here because it worked.

Christian Eriksen And The Reality Of Living With An ICD

In June 2026, football fans around the world were reminded of the reality of life with an ICD when Christian Eriksen collapsed during Denmark's international match against Ukraine.

Five years after suffering his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, Eriksen later confirmed that his ICD had delivered a shock and that the device had done exactly what it was designed to do. Thankfully, he recovered well and returned home to his family shortly afterwards.

For those of us living with ICDs, the incident was a stark reminder of something we already know.

Having an ICD doesn't mean the underlying risk has disappeared. It means there is a highly sophisticated piece of technology standing guard every second of every day, ready to act if it needs to.

Watching Eriksen's experience unfold brought back memories of my own ICD shock. It also highlighted the incredible value of these devices. Without them, many of us simply would not be here.

A Remarkable Piece Of Technology

At The Idiopath, we spend much of our time talking about CPR and defibrillators because early intervention saves lives. My story is proof of that.

But my journey also highlights the importance of what happens after survival.

The ICD implanted in my chest is not something I wanted. It isn't something I enjoy having. It creates anxiety, discomfort and occasional fear.

Yet it also provides something incredibly powerful: protection.

Every day, it quietly monitors my heart without me thinking about it. Every day, it gives my family reassurance. And when it needed to act, it did.

For all the challenges that come with living with an ICD, I wouldn't be without it, because sometimes the technology you hope you'll never need is exactly the technology that keeps you alive.