please can anyone help

Hello all.hope someone can help...In short I had a reveal device fitted into my chest for 6 months the Doctor then decided that I needed a pacemaker this followed years of faints,illness etc..I had it done 2 weeks ago,.I have tried to rest but I am very stressed, and am feeling very depressed.,,I kept being told about how great I will feel and I would have so much more energy,well the truth is I feel much worse than I did before..I feel as though I,ve gone through all that anxiety surrounding the operation which hurt so much only to find now that i,m totally depressed and cant stop crying i want to rip this thing out of my chest..would they take it out?..The complications were that the surgeon could not get a wire into one chamber so had to put two of the three wires into one chamber also he could not get the sheaths on the ends so left them off....please ..any advice welcome..thank you linda

6 Comments

Hi Linda

by Ajfcabin - 2012-07-22 04:07:46

Hi Linda,
My name is Amanda. I had episodes of fainting and lightheadness for years and had a pacemaker placed a little over a year ago. I was upset and cried about it many times. I rejected my pacemaker and thought I'm too young for this! I went through depression and anxiety attacks on my honeymoon! I got my pacer a couple months before my wedding with my strapless dress- but it looked fine. I had a really hard time adjusting to it. I read posts on here, talked to my dr, ended up going to see a therapist and putting things in perspective. Yes I was depressed and anxious, but I could exercise (after the month of rest), I did get back to work, now I exercise more and feel better. I read some books on anxiety and depression and overcame it mostly. I had to go on zoloft for a while to deal with the depression- it was too overwhelming. I tried not to go on medication, but it ended up really helping me in combination with therapy. I had to accept the pacemaker- I call it pacey- pacey keeps me going and feeling fine. You're not alone. Any questions you have feel free to ask. I think anxiety is related to pacemakers to be honest- its quite a transition. But you have to think of it as a lifesaver. It takes a couple months to feel back to normal and be able to sleep normal/not have pain ect...give it time. Get help for your depression before it gets worse.

Sounds familiar

by Jax - 2012-07-22 05:07:18

I remember feeling the same way. I wanted to rip it out of my chest. Those were my exact words. It takes time to adjust to a pm--- rest and have just a little patience and you'll see like I did one day you'll wake feeling better. When you ask....when --it does take a while it's true but it happens. It took me maybe month and a half. I do feel better, no dizziness and no fainting and I've learned to love this device. With it I lead a full and active life style and so will you.

Sounds familiar

by Jax - 2012-07-22 05:07:51

I remember feeling the same way. I wanted to rip it out of my chest. Those were my exact words. It takes time to adjust to a pm--- rest and have just a little patience and you'll see like I did one day you'll wake feeling better. When you ask....when --it does take a while it's true but it happens. It took me maybe month and a half. I do feel better, no dizziness and no fainting and I've learned to love this device. With it I lead a full and active life style and so will you.

wow...

by polrbear - 2012-07-22 08:07:41

There were more than a few days that I wanted to remove my first ICD. There were more than a few things wrong over time: perpetual pain, decreased range of motion, bad scarring, and, the cherry on the suundae, is that it was placed against my wishes. I worked on a cardiac floor at the time and had a number of moments where I was in the stock/medication room and tempted to grab a scalpel from one drawer and a bottle of lidocaine (and accessories) from a chest tube kit and remove the d&%# thing.

Mine ultimately required removal, as it was placed underneath the muscle fascia. While that technique is not wrong, it's no longer current and a poor choice for a young, active person. After I switched EPs, some testing was finally performed. The previous one was placed on assumption instead of testing, so we had learned enough to realize that it was also either unneccsary or the wrong device for my needs.

OK, enough of the pessimism. Jax is right. It takes some time to get used to is. Six weeks is realistic. Three months may still be needed. If it's taking more than that, your cardiologist should probably examine it (or at least a careful look by the pacer/ICD clinician).

Things I had to work on for adjusting (note that I had problems, so this list is longer than I hope is average):

finding a pack for bicycling that did not bother my ICD
figure out a good sleeping position (I'm a side sleeper)
padding the seat belt of my car
adjusting/modifying shoulder stretches
swimming strokes (when my cardiologist finally allowed)
people seeing very obvious scarring (mainly when running shirtless in warmer weather)
how I lift sheet goods and longer items
lifting the ambulance cot
how I hold my shoulders when doing detail work

I know there's more, but that's the off-the-top-of-my-head list.

I should get a low better, but it doesn't happen overnight.

Dont get depressed, get the surgeon

by ElectricFrank - 2012-07-23 12:07:23

If the surgeon can't even assemble the leads properly and then proceeds to wire it up wrong it's time to get it fixed by another doc.

frank

Double Wow

by ElectricFrank - 2012-07-23 12:07:30

I hate to think what some of you will feel like when you reach my age of 82 and various body parts start slowing up.

It isn't that it takes time to adjust to a pacemaker. It is more a matter of handling resistance to change.

After my first pacer in 2004 and a replacement in 2010, each time I hit the ground running.

frank

You know you're wired when...

Titanium is your favorite metal.

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My pacemaker is the best thing that every happened to me, had I not got it I would not be here today.