I'm doing wonderful but.....
does anyone ever get the short lived desire to rip this clunk of metal out from underneath their skin?
Just wondering if these temporary bouts of insanity ever disipate?
Don't get me wrong, ya'll. I love my new life. It feels wonderful to feel well and "my age" again. I'm slowly picking up the pieces of things I missed out on the last 8 years. I now feel like I have my life back....somewhat.
It feels like I have a small deck of cards under my shoulder, and it's horrible when I cross my arm over my chest towards the other side. Sleeping on my right side, which has been my favorite side before the pacer, is impossible now.
Some days I forget that I even have a pacemaker. It almost seems unreal. I say to myself somedays, "wow, I have a pacemaker." How weird is that.
8 Comments
Yes, it can be annoying
by bobad - 2008-09-24 02:09:03
4 month user, never have gotten used to it. Of course I'm the type that can't wear watches, rings, or caps because they bother me. I'm sort of like a cat with tape on her foot. Don't get me wrong, I love my PM, it's just my body hates it.
yes, they dissipate
by Tracey_E - 2008-09-24 02:09:31
What Jane said, everyone's got something! I had my moments when I first got it but I truly haven't felt that way in years and years. All I have to do to be thankful is look around me. A lady at my church had her face reconstructed this week after having extensive skin cancer removed. Another mom I know is debating implants now that she's through chemo for her breast cancer... the occasional twinge from my pm and the check ups and the thumping and the battery changes every few years... annoying to be sure, but it's really nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Me to..
by turboz24 - 2008-09-24 03:09:38
I have the urge to cut it out on occassion. It's not really an urge, but the thought does cross my mind.
I'm always aware of the fact that my ICD is there, it's just that sometimes I'm more aware than at other times. It either pokes/aches or I see is sticking up through my undershirt in a rare glance at myself and then the though pops up about cutting it out.
It's been a year since I had mine inplanted and it feels as foreign now as it did then. I don't wear jewelry or watches either. Just like bobad, I even hate it when I have a hair on my head sticking up, it's blowing in the wind and it's really annoying......
THANKS !!!
by Angelie - 2008-09-24 05:09:57
Thanks for the response ya'll. It's good to know that I'm not going crazy. I mean, I've handled all of this extremely well, and I had a blast during my implant procedure. These occasional feelings, though, had me wondering what was wrong with my head.
I'm glad these thoughts are fleeting and not with me all of the time.
Thanks again,
Angelie
someone like me
by alice G - 2008-09-25 09:09:10
oh thank you i thought i was the only one who felt like this i know i have only had my pm for 2 months but they couldnt put it in the usual place and i have it lower and under my arm vertually. i have often wondered if they should have just said no we cant fit it and closed me up again. i think that would have been better . not a week goes by that iam not in pain and discomfort ive tried talking to doctors about it and they all say its in the wrong place and its getting stuck under the muscle in my chest but they cant do anything about it. i havent had a good nights sleep since i had it done like you cant sleep without it hurting or pulling when i lay on my side
Alice
by Tracey_E - 2008-09-25 12:09:15
Can they bury it under (posterior to) the breast? A reposition means more surgery but if it's that uncomfortable it's worth looking into. That's where mine is and I love it. They made my incision where you describe yours, but they tunneled in and buried it deeper so that it's behind the breast tissue. I have to poke around to even find where it is. My sister calls it my titanium breast implant :o)
Also, two months isn't that long if it is in a place where you move a lot. I felt a lot better after 6-8 weeks but it was more like 10-12 before I was 100% again.
Have you tried sleeping while hugging a small pillow with your left arm? That will keep you from rolling over on it or moving your arm too much in your sleep.
Yes, me too
by harrisonb - 2008-09-26 10:09:44
When I first had my pacemaker, it felt very heavy. It felt like it was weighing me down. Whenever I crossed my arm over my shoulder, I had the same problem as well. It just takes some time to get used to. After a while, I started to not even notice I had it. EVentually it just becomes a part of you and you will not realize you have it either.
Good Luck with everything!
You know you're wired when...
You have a little piece of high-tech in your chest.
Member Quotes
I wasn't really self-conscious about it. I didn't even know I had one until around six or seven years old. I just thought I had a rock in my side.
Not thaaat weird.
by Broken Hearted Jane - 2008-09-24 01:09:21
I definitely have those, "Wow, I have a pacemaker" moments too, sometimes. And then I think to myself, "Wow, some people have red hair." Everyone's got something.
The pacer is a foreign object and it's understandable that you reject it a little bit at first. It'll become less noticeable as time goes on, as is the case with a lot of things. I never really feel the urge to get rid of the machine itself. It feels like a part of me and I don't notice it until I roll over on my left or get hit in the shoulder. Kind of like wearing earrings.. You don't really feel you have them on until you get bumped in the ear. Your constant awareness of the device will surely fade.