Bruise on PM

Need some input. A couple weeks ago I found a bruise right by my PM on the lower left side. Just happened to have an appointment with my EP, PM interrogation, stress echo, etc. Did 15 minutes and 18 degrees on the stress test and everything looked great.

My EP made no big deal about the bruise and said the PM is so strong it could take a bullet.

Now I have even a bigger bruise and tenderness. I discovered something in common. They appeared after we had spent time at our summer home. I jet skied and kayaked on both occasions.

When I jet ski I go hard and jump waves and turn hard. When I kayak I go as hard as I can for about an hour.

Do you think one or both of these are the cause? Could it be caused by the straps on the life vest?

Just looking for some thoughts? It' pretty tender and causes me a little concern.

Thanks,

Jerry

3 Comments

Just a guess...

by Lurch - 2014-07-23 06:07:54

The action of turning the JetSki might be overworking the muscle below the PM causing the muscle to contract, hence causing the bruising.

At about six weeks or so out I went body surfing with my Grandson. The area where my ICD was implanted was very sore, but I did not bruise. But, I typically do not bruise easily at all.

Your PM...

by KAG - 2014-07-23 08:07:28

...is a chunk of titanium. I think your EP is correct in that it would be very difficult to physically damage your PM. Depending on the caliber of the gun a bullet may not scratch it. Though I'd probably not want to try it out.

Your body isn't quite that tough. So I would imagine that any hits or rubs, like the vest straps, against that chunk of titanium could cause bruising.

Kathy

Immune to bullets....

by donr - 2014-07-24 01:07:11

....hardly. The case is not that thick or the device would be too heavy. The Titanium plates in the Flak Jacket I schlepped around during my 365 day sabbatical in Viet Nam were heavier gage materials than the walls of your (& mine) PM & any supersonic bullet would go right through at least two layers of them plus several layers of ballistic Kevlar & embed itself somewhere inside your body cavity. Slowed down, yes, but stopped - NO.

Pistol bullets were/are sub-sonic & much more blunt tipped than a rifle bullet. They would sometimes perforate a Titanium plate, but the Kevlar stopped them - usually.

If a bullet did not perforate your PM case, it would at least put a wicked dent in it, crushing the electronic guts to the point where they would not function.

You want to stop bullets, you have to upgrade to the current body armor that the troops wore in Iraq & Afghanistan. It consists of special ceramic plates about 1/2 inch thick & backed w/ Kevlar. The ceramic stops the bullet & shatters in the process. The Kevlar backing stops the razor-sharp shards of ceramic from cutting you to pieces.

My Steel Pot is off to the current crop of Soldiers & Marines who wear that stuff all the time. I tried on my son's body armor before he left for Iraq for a 15 month desert vacation & i was hard-pressed to stand up - & I did not even have the first bit of gear strapped on.

Donr

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