Dr. visit day

hi everyone, i will be joining you all .today is Dr. visit and will schedule my surgery . a bit nervous. love to hear from you, have a great day, elle

5 Comments

Welcome.

by terrythetech - 2013-02-11 01:02:48

Hi Elle,
Terry here. Been there. Not to worry everyone here is and will be rooting for you. Ask a lot of questions and remember there are a lot of people out here willing to listen and support you.

your upcoming surgery

by Hope - 2013-02-11 02:02:35

Hi! Elle, There are many kind, understanding and experienced people across many miles on this site. We are happy you are joining us. I will be thinking of you. Just post and someone will be there for you. Hopeful Heart

Dr. Visit

by Grateful Heart - 2013-02-11 03:02:23

Good Luck Elle. Learn all you can on this site. Like Hope and Terry said, support is here for you.

Take care,
Grateful Heart

New PM

by SMITTY - 2013-02-11 08:02:23

Hello Dog,

I can understand your concern about the upcoming PM surgery. To give you an idea of what is involved below is something I have written about my PM surgery experiences. I got my first PM in 2000 and the 2nd one in 2009. Both were done in the same hospital but by different Drs. Both surgeries were almost identical. So to give you some idea of what you are facing:

I arrived at the hospital at the appointed time, which was 7 AM. I was given a some of the hospitals latest fashions to put on and told to lie down and get comfortable as it would be a little while before the surgery. I read the paper and watched TV for a couple of hours while other PM patients were also being readied for their PM . After about an hour I got an IV and spent the next 3 or 4 hours being "prepped" which consisted mainly of getting about a quart (at least it looked like that amount) of antibiotic through the IV and the surgery area cleaned and cleaned real good.
About noon the doctor showed up and examined the area for the implant. After another hour or so I was wheeled off to the surgery area where I spent another 30 or 40 minutes being "dressed or draped" for the surgery. Sometime after I got in the surgery area I received some medication to make me relax so they said, but what it did was make take a nap in about a half-sleep mode. I vaguely remember being told they were injecting a local anesthetic into the area where the surgery would be performed so I would not feel the anything. About 45 minutes later I was told, "okay Mr. Smith, we are through and your pacemaker is working just fine." I was wheeled back into a room where I had to wait for awhile to be sure I had no adverse reactions to any of the meds I had received. About 5 PM I was told I could go home.
I was not unexpectedly sore and my healing was no problem. I did have restricted use of my arm for a few days, the main thing being not to raise my elbow above my shoulder, or lift more than a few lbs. Each of us is different, therefore get slightly different instructions) with the arm on the side of the PM. I was n lot allowed to drive for about 24 hours and then for short distances for a week or so. All in all the pain is less than most dental surgery I have had, and since I was retired even with the first one, it did not interfere with any activates.

One last word, you will go home with your Drs best guess on PM settings. Most of the time these are good, but occasionally some people need to have those settings tweaked. If you think your PM is causing you a problem, if it is just that you think something is amiss, let your Dr know, otherwise he will have no way of know everything is not perfect.

Good luck to you and as your questons come up (and they will) post them here. You will find many answers from our members.

Smitty

Good Luck Ellie !

by lahbigbro6 - 2013-02-11 10:02:41

I had my 2nd pacemaker 2011. Basically my 1st one was a surprise and 2nd pacemaker olde hat. I was still worried, but thats normal. It will be ok, everyone is here for support. Wonderful site ! There are no stupid questions here. I ask all the time.

You know you're wired when...

Bad hair days can be blamed on your device shorting out.

Member Quotes

At age 20, I will be getting a pacemaker in few weeks along with an SA node ablation. This opportunity may change a five year prognosis into a normal life span! I look forward to being a little old lady with a wicked cane!