Most Recent Messages in Surgery & Recovery

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Tip to keep your arm down while sleeping

I am a recent PM guy. I was told not to lift my left arm over my head for 6 weeks.

My tip to all while sleeping is to by a lanyard at the drug store or at Walmart. Loop it around your left arm before you retire for the night and clip the clip to your PJ's or whatever bottoms you sleep in, works for me and it prevents the arm from going behind your head while sleeping. Works for me!

If you sleep in the buff, maybe you can attach it to your belly button ring or some other par...

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Hair and sex

Hello....I just had my first pacemaker inserted one week ago. It is killing me that I cannot blow dry my hair!! I was told to wait 2-3 weeks before lifting that left arm above my shoulder to hold a brush. Does that seem about right? The last thing i want to do is dislodge a lead.
Also, when is it ok to resume sexual activity? Is it ok after one week if i am really careful?
I understand that these are really trivial items when considering the big picture....but i am asking th...

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Surgery went well!

Hi All,
My surgery took no time at all and I was home pretty fast. It took about 20 mins. I had no medications and no IV at request as I didn't see a point. The IV hurts worse than them going through my neck and numbing it. Everything for now looks as good as it can be.
My vena cava is narrowed by 40% they said that if my pressure was above 5 they would need to do open heart and reconstruct the vena cava. My pressure was borderline but at t his time I will not need open heart b...

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Dumb doctor

I was getting ready for my surgery and discussing my pm with surgeon. The procedure they planned to use would interfere with device (pm) function, so we were discussing what to do. I suggested they call Medtronic and/or my cardiologist (who is not in the same system). After 2 hours of trying to find someone, they got the anesthesiologist involved in the discussion as they are in charge of heart function while under. Oh, what a winner!!! He wanted to know what prompted the device placement and I...

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Open heart surgery tips?

Hi Friends:-)

I was wondering if any of you ladies out there that have had to have open heart surgery for one reason or another might be able to offer some tips. What type of shirt did you find to be the most comfortable during recovery? I assume bras were out of the question for a good while but was curious to hear what others experiences were like.

I know, of all the things to be worried about I am worrying about undergarments!

Any other tips that may help re...

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Thanks to all of you!

I was planning on sending out a post as soon as I had a chance but hadn't been able to get on yet. Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers. I go in for surgery on Wed it shouldn't be too big of a deal at least I keep telling myself that.
They will only be checking to see if they will need to place a stent or not. I'm lacking a lot of energy but doing very well so am hoping that this will not be anything big and I won't need more surgery.
I appreciate all of your thoughts and...

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Surgery set for SVC Syndrome

Hi Friends!

Just giving a quick update. To recap for those who do not remember me, I developed superior vena cava syndrome after my fifth ablation for inappropriate sinus tach. I was supposed to get a pacemaker during the last ablation but the EP was able to keep me from going into a junctional rhythm, so for the time being I am pacer free. However a few weeks ago I started to have sinus pauses; I will be getting a pacer after all.

Since my last post I made the decision to...

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Frustration

Pacer Chicks and Men,
I need to complain so if you don't want to read this I understand. I am very frustrated at the way things have been going with my health. It seems like it is completely up and down. The people that know me well on here through the years know my story by now.
Last week at my regular Dr's visit I went in not feeling well and not only got told that I had a sinus infection but that he also could hear that my heart was not sounding right. That he could tell tha...

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Upcoming implantation

Hi
I wrote earlier about whether or not I should get a pm. Thank you for all of your comments. I finally made the decision and am going to get it this summer. I was originally supposed to get it on Monday, but they want to put in an MRI compatible pm so they are waiting for it to arrive from Europe. My appt now is Aug 31st. They are going to put it under my breast in order to hide it since I'm only 22. Has anyone else had this? I start nursing school about 10 days after the implantat...

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Can anyone help with this please?

Hi. I have a question to ask please. For those of you who have been following my story...I had an ablation 9 days ago for focal atrial tachycardia. Originally I was going to be having a sinus node modification with possible pacemaker, but my EP found I actually had atrial tachy (& not IST) so did an ablation which went very well.

My question is this. My resting heart rate since the ablation is 80. Before the ablation it was 100.....so it has come down. But I've been going on walks thi...

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Was I missing something

I had my PM put in in spring 08 after the surgeon who did my ablation messed up. I was released from the hospital two days after I got my PM. But now, reading around on here and other sites, was my doctor supposed to put me into rehabilitation to help me better recover? I have become so week and out of shape since I got my PM. I'm wondering if I should have taken some sort of physical therapy or rehab. Or is it too late to have it now? I want to get back into shape, lose some weight. But exercis...

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Very recent PM Implant Questions

Received a St Jude 2210 implant on last Wednesday. Cardio Tech set the parameters to keep my heart between 60 and 120 to start out.

Today I had an A-fib event in the morning of 113 BPM and the PM seemed to pick it up after a few minutes and lower my beats, later my pulse went down to 43 BPM for a few minutes, this was in a 10 hour period recorded on my Garmin GPS watch chest strap.

Does this mean the PM is not working properly? puzzled? Hope to talk to someone on Monday. An...

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pacemaker

I just got an ADDR01 pacemaker, two weeks ago.so far so good. I didnt realize how bad i felt, untill after i got the implant. i feel great so far. I am glad to know that there is a site out there where people can express concerns, and talk about their implant problems. C J

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When can I mow my lawn safely?

Hi All: New PM guy here 4 days out of surgery and recovering.

Stitches out next week, feeling better daily.

I cut my own grass and do my own yard work @ 68 years. I have a self propelled power gas mower that I use for my yard work to cut the grass.

Based on others recovery experience, how long before I can mow my grass safely without screwing up my PM implant?

Would appreciate any advice any lessons learned from the PM Pro's and best practice norms. J...

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Time it takes to recover/

What about Summer heat? I rode bicycle for 90 minutes in about 95 degree heat, humid weather. I have pacemaker for 18 days. Unless I had have damaged something with out knowing it, I felt OK. Is it safe to have sex? I did try it after about a week after implant, I tell you, my heart was pounding really hard. I am almost seventy, doing it twice a week now. Is there any harm? We all know that sex is good, but not worth dieing for.

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3 days post-op progress

Hi everyone. Thank you for all your good wishes after my ablation procedure on Tuesday. I said I'd let you all know how I'm getting on post-op...

I have a question for anyone who has had an ablation, as I've never had one until Tuesday. Did you get missed beats &/or ectopics afterwards? I ask because yesterday I had quite a few. I'm guessing it takes time for the heart to settle down after having the catheters in & having the ablation done...but how long does it take to settle? Did yo...

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2nd Day With a PM

Just got out of the hospital. PM Tech said he set my new PM parameters from a low of 60 BPM to a high of 120 BPM. When I stand up I become dizzy? My heart watch indicates 59 to 60 BPM. Is my initial setting too low? Or is this dizziness a normal side effect?

My cardiologist recommended a PM because of 3 years of P-Afib and major swings in pulse rates which were no longer controllable with Sotalol 80 mg x 2 daily. He said he could not increase Meds dose unless I had a PM to prevent ver...

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Bees in your head?

Has anyone ended up with a woozy head and a buzzing when you turn your head too fast? It feels like when I was getting off Effexor. I also have a heaviness in my chest and hard to breathe but I'm taking my Lasix. This just started yesterday, surgery was 6 days ago. No pain other than normal soreness.

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Frustrated!!!!!!

I am so frustrated!!! I'm scheduled to have surgery next week. Part of the procedure requires use of material that interferes with my PM so we've been dealing with what to do. I have a VERY bad history with the cardiology dept at this hospital, but there's no other doctor within my network or 200 miles that does this surgery (it's on my hip) so I'm stuck. I talked with Medtronic, the mfr of my PM and they're able to to provide a rep to be present during the surgery in case anything goes wrong. T...

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How Long Should Pain Last

I just had my surgery 4 days ago. I notice that when I stand or sit or lay a certain way I have pain. Is the from the tenderness and the weight of the device? It also itches like crazy. How long should I expect this pain to last? I hate laying down all the time but that's the only way to get rid of it.
Thanks

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Member Quotes

Hi, I am 47 and have had a pacemaker for 7 months and I’m doing great with it.