I am back.......

• by biceps72
• 2011-11-08 12:11:44
• Exercise & Sports
• 1408 views
• 3 comments

I had a Pm implant 6/7/11. I had classic bradycardia and passed out twice. My heart rate dropped into the low-mid 30s at night. I have been an avid exerciser most of my life. I was in shock when I found out I need a PM!! I didn’t want to believe that I had this problem after a life time of training, never smoking, drinking moderately, eating well, no recreational drugs -- a pretty dam clean life.

I vowed to get back to my cardio and strength condition following the PM implant. It has been 150 days and I am there (actually there about 40 days ago). I will be 62 in 2 weeks and can bike hard for 60 minutes or go hard on an eleptical glider for 45 minutes. I can flatbech 110 lb dumbells in each hand for 10 reps.  My cardiologist has been my biggest fan!

Getting a PM was a piece-o-cake. Basically nothing for me. The 6 week healing time went slowly but I did ride an exercise bike almost every day. 6 weeks of lifting no weights took a toll but I knew it would come back slowly but IT WOULD COME BACK.

My only problem, which is not gone totally, was what I call "post PM anxiety." I have had anxiety most of my life so I am not sure my anxiety will ever go away.

My anxiety about getting a PM is now gone however. I now feel "safe" because I know my heart rate won’t stop while I am sleeping. I am way better off with the pacemaker -- WAY BETTER OFF.

My message is a simple one. Getting a PM is pretty easy -- not a thing to worry about. The 6 weeks post PM is a pain in the butt, but you pretty much have to do not much until you are healed a bit. After that, given you work with your cardiologist, you can do mostly anything you want to do.

It is up to you. I really think most of us need to embrace our PMs because they allow us to live a normal life.