Leads

Thanks for all the comments, they really help.
Today is one week sense the surgery, I know I'm probably more paranoid than i should be but, i feel little tingles and still some soreness, trying to be overly cautious with my left arm as it worries the hell out of me pulling the leads out. i woke up this morning with my arm out of the sling and above my head. Could i have pulled leads out and if so would i be able to feel it. I dont go back to the doc for 10 or so days. Sorry for being so dang needy, never in my life have i felt like this,
paul

7 Comments

I did the same thing!

by natandhop - 2012-07-08 01:07:38

3 nights after the implant I awoke with my arm over my head - scared me so I placed a pillow on my left shoulder/arm and that helped me to remember to keep my arm down - not always but most of the time.

I did not pull out the leads - I think you have to be much more vigorous than what you or I did.

Everything your feeling is normal and will become less and less noticeable as the days pass.

It's now 3 months after my implant and most days I feel great and am reaping the benefits of the pm. I'm 45 and coming closer to feeling 10 years younger as my doctor said I would. However, it has been through lots of effort addressing other issues that reoccurred as a result of the need for the pm.

If you don't have anything else going on for you, you'll probably heal quickly and be back to enjoying your life without noticing your new attachment. :O)

I wish you well today,
Natalie

it's fine

by Tracey_E - 2012-07-08 02:07:01

Everything past the first 24-48 hours is just precaution, raising your arm once in your sleep isn't likely to do any damage. If you pulled the leads out- WHICH IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY- you would feel like you did before you got the pm.

I like to hug a small pillow with my left arm when I sleep, keeps my arm down and keeps me from rolling over on my sore side. Most don't even go home from the hospital with the sling.

Be careful about wearing it too much, it's important to move the arm so your shoulder doesn't freeze.

Leads

by 49young - 2012-07-08 02:07:41

Thank you guys very much for the info, it is good to know others who have went through the same thing, I;m very impatient and want to be back to 100%. I havent even told many of my friends just dont want them to think of me as weak--- I know that sounds stupid but, ive always been the one to get u the earliest work-play hard and enjoy life. This thing came on so sudden, the doc said my electrical "Circuit" just quit! No warnings, nothing
Thanks again
paul

Thanks for input---LEADS

by 49young - 2012-07-08 03:07:11

thanks Don

Gee, why am I not surprised...

by donr - 2012-07-08 03:07:17

...at anything you wrote.

Go down a couple posts to ohiolaura & read what she said. Nearly a carbon copy of your post!

What I told her was that when you have an electrical heart failure, it's just like your TV quitting - it's sudden & no one ever figures out WHY! Usually w/o any warning at all.

About that shoulder & the leads. Don't sweat it. There is a significant amount of slack in the wires before they even enter the vein, so you would be hard-pressed to ever stretch them that far. Also, they run down the vein about 6-8 inches & there's some slack inside your heart. As long as you don't grab a banana, run into the dining room & start swinging from the chandelier w/ the arm on the PM side & start eating the banana w/ the other hand, you should be OK.

Here's the solution to the arm over the head during the night. Put on a tee shirt w/ the PM side arm inside the body as opposed to sticking out the arm hole.

If you don't like that, get a sling & have a canvas belt sewn on it to keep the elbow at the waist & sleep w/ that on. That was my solution.

Don

short of breath

by 49young - 2012-07-08 07:07:51

After a i walk sometimes i get a little short of breath, is this normal or all in my head
thanks
paul

sob

by Tracey_E - 2012-07-08 10:07:30

Mention it next time you have your pm interrogated. It's likely your settings need adjusted. The ones they send us home with often aren't what we need for activity. If that's what it is, it's common and an easy fix.

You know you're wired when...

You have a dymo-powered bike.

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So, my advice is to go about your daily routine and forget that you have a pacemaker implanted in your body.