feelings

i feel sad is that part of recovery.can i use power tools or is my life over.

4 Comments

Should Be No Sad Feeling

by SMITTY - 2011-01-13 06:01:41


Hello DH,


Your life is definitely not over. In fact you are probably entering a stage where life will be a lot better. Feeling sad is not part of the recovery any more than feeling sad would be part of the recovery for any other minor surgery you may have. Of course if you are taking any heart medications it is possible that could have you feeling sad.

As for the pacemaker, don’t be like many of us and think that thing has taken over the full time job of making your heart beat and without it you will die. In reality a pacemaker is nothing more than a helper for your heart.

More precisely, the pacemaker generates the electrical impulse and the leads carry that impulse to your heart. The pacemaker case is where the battery and circuit board that provides the information to regulate the heartbeat are stored. The leads go from the generator to the right upper and lower chambers of the heart, where they are anchored.

Through the leads, pacemakers receive signals from the heart, interpret them, determine the heart's activity and respond when needed by sending signals back to the heart along the leads. The signals cause the heart to beat.

The pacemaker continuously monitors the heart's natural rhythm and paces one or both upper and lower chambers if the heart rate drops below a certain number of beats per minute. This low number was programmed into the pacemaker by your doctor and may be changed a necessary. The patient does not feel the electrical signal that is sent from the pacemaker.

I guess I’m saying is don’t make the mistake many of us have. That is thinking that pacemaker is keeping you alive. It is nothing but a helper and if it quit working this minute all that would happen is that your heart function would return to what is was before you got the pacemaker.

As for the power tools, I use about any type power tool you can name and none have ever bothered mine. You will need to exercise caution if you plan to use an electric welder but that is the only one I can name.

I wish you the best,

Smittyy

Feeling Sad

by Pookie - 2011-01-13 10:01:26

Sometimes some of us feel sad after having our pacemaker or defib surgery. Perhaps we are grieving our life we once had, but if you stop and think about that (if you are thinking that way) we probably felt tired all of the time or dizzy or short of breath. Now that you have your pacemaker, after a bit of recovery time, you should be feeling good.

If you still feel sad, then perhaps you should talk to your doctor about it. A lot of members have gone through this, you are not alone, and we are here to support you in any way that we can.

Give yourself some time to heal, both physically and emotionally.

Your life is certainly not over, it's just beginning!!!!

I felt sad too, but in time I felt A LOT better:)

Pookie

Life Over?

by ElectricFrank - 2011-01-14 02:01:16

That's up to you, but there is no reason that you can't get back to the activities you enjoy. It may take a little workaround, but even that is unlikely.

And the best part is that once you get the pacemaker adjusted, you will feel more like working with those power tools.

best,

frank

Sad? Why?

by donr - 2011-01-23 03:01:36

You have just started the first part of the rest of your life!

Sad, apprehensive, scared, curious, unsure - all a part of entering a new land not knowing what to expect. Both of you (owner & parasite PM) have some adapting to do. It will take time. The list of things that the literature they hand out recommends against is scary. No electric toothbrushes; electric shavers; chainsaws; strong electromagnetic fields. Man, it's enough to make you a cardiac cripple.

I was scared to death when told I needed a PM. Fortunately, my Cardio's head nurse told me after spending several hours poring over strip charts in the hosp's telemetry room to figure out what was wrong w/ me. She also had time to sit w/ me & wife to put us both at ease w/ the situation. You really need a professional in your Dr's. office to answer questions. We can help, but the pro is a must.

I went through at least 4 untoward events that really scared me during the first few weeks hosting a PM. During that time, I learned what I could & could not do. F'rinstance - the tooth brush & razor were not a problem. High voltage cables w/i a few inches of my chest were - I darned near fell off a ladder when I discovered that! Chain saws don't affect me. Nor do any of the power tools I use - circular saw, table saw, hammer drill, you name it, I use it. BUT - you have to learn that for yourself the hard way - use them. Be aware of any ill effect they have. I've even taken electrical shocks right hand to left hand - no sweat. I recorded the time & next PM download checked that time for an event. Nothing. Involved in a serious car accident - no PM problems. For what it's worth - I have several battery powered electric drills; I have inadvertently used one & applied force to it w/ my left shoulder. No effect.

One thing I would recommend - if you use a table saw - you do not want to take a kickback into the PM. That would hurt. I bought a flak jacket off e-bay that I slip into when ripping on the table saw. Any well padded left chest insert should protect you.

Now there are certain things I DON'T do. Climb the TV Channel 5 tower & hug the output of their antenna. Have an MRI. Put magnetic name tags on my left shirt pocket. Mow the lawn (Hated doing that, anyway, so the PM is a great excuse.)

Spend some time figuring out what you can & cannot do & then have a heart to heart talk w/ the PM. You tell it- "Look, you are stuck w/ me. you will go where I go & do what I do. Whether you want to or not. Any questions?" I got mine in Feb. In Aug, I went on a 18 mile nighttime hike w/ a bunch of 18 yr olds over really rough terrain. Not being stupid (Crazy, yes; stupid, no) while prepping for the event, my wife followed me in our car, just in case something happened. It didn't.

Let not your heart be troubled. You are master of your own fate; captain of your own ship, blah, blah, blah.

Now go out & have a great day.

Don

You know you're wired when...

Your favorite poem is “Ode to a Cardiac Node”.

Member Quotes

One week has passed and I must admit that each day I feel a little stronger.