Doing great!

Hello!

I had tons of complications with my first pacemaker 12/11, heart infection etc. I had new pacer implanted in my abdomen 5/12. Complications there also, fluid around heart and in lungs, needed a pericardial window procedure. I am now in cardiac rehab working out at 90% of my target heart rate. So grateful to get to his point. I was an exercise addict before my pacer was implanted. Doing 45 minutes cardio and 15 minutes strength training 3 times a week. I walk 2 miles 4 times a week. I did lots of obstacle racing before the pacer, don't want to take the risk of dislodging the screw that is in my heart so I will be skipping those. I really never imagined I would be exercising like this again. I feel strong and healthy! As one of my doctors told me while I was in the ICU, never, never give up.

3 Comments

Great positive post

by Grateful Heart - 2013-03-05 06:03:02

Glad to hear you are doing so well.

Sounds like another vote for Cardiac Rehab!! It really does make a difference, doesn't it? Just getting back to moving while being monitored by the Nurses. I bet you'll get back to full activity in no time.

Good for you. I like your username too...LOL.

Grateful Heart

Thanks Grateful Heart!

by Grateful1 - 2013-03-05 06:03:14

Yes I really think Cardiac Rehab is effective and a necessary step we need to get moving and to build confidence. I also have fun at my Cardiac rehab, the nurses are hilarious! We laugh and make light of what scared me to death not that long ago. Everyone in the group is the for the same reason and you develop a bond with the group.

Grateful1 - my concerns

by donr - 2013-03-06 05:03:56

Below is a comment I made for a woman who was afraid of roller coasters & dislodging a lead.

I just read your comment about perhaps dislodging a lead after nearly a YEAR! I hazard a guess that to get that lead out, I'd have to crawl inside your heart w/ a 3 ft wrecking bar & rip it out. That sucker is embedded tighter than a 2 week old tick in the ear of a hound dawg!

If you are going to do an obstacle course w/ greater impact & inertial forces than I experienced below - a Jeep Cherokee at 35 mph in the right shoulder 9 wks into an implant, I'm gonna stay away from the places you go.

Don
Begin cut & Paste::
Let's put inertial forces in proper...
Comment posted by donr on 2013-02-25 19:52.
...perspective.

I took a Jeep Cherokee in the right shoulder through the door post on our Chrysler minivan. The Jeep was doing 35 mph when we collided.

9 weeks before, I had a new lead implanted. Here's what happened to me:
8-12 broken ribs
broken collarbone
collapsed lower right lobe of lungs
Lacerated liver
bruised kidney
Fluid around heart
created an aneurysm in the aorta, just above heart.

Cardio & ER Doc Daughter said the impact was great enough to have killed me by ripping my heart from its moorings.

Now for the important part - the NEW PM lead was not affected at all. The X-rays taken in the trauma hosp showed it was as good as new.

Now - does anyone out there think that the forces experienced on any coaster running will beat that?
End cut & paste

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My pacemaker is intact and working great.