Having problem turning left..

Hello all ! I pulled my Godson out of ocean on 4th of July and ripped my atrial lead out of my heart. My pacer is a Medtronic Revo and I pulled the screw out my heart. It hurt a lot but the hospital said I was okay. So I went on for another month in massive amounts of pain. Then I collapsed on the floor of my EP's office and they figured out it was my lead shocking my phrenic nerve when I turned left or used my left arm. So I had another surgery to reimplant my top lead. Still 6 months later I cannot turn my head to the left, I cannot withstand vibration of any type (anyone tapping on me anywhere) causes me to suffocate. This happens when I hit a bump in my car, or when I laugh, sniff my nose, or raise my shoulders. The docs think I'm having a vagal nerve response. So we're turning off my atrial lead on Monday to see if that helps us figure out if the lead is the problem. Anyone had any issues like the problems I am having?? Not sure what to do next...So frustrated. I have a video of this problem too if seeing it would help you realize the issue.

7 Comments

BLESS YOU

by jude - 2014-02-14 10:02:15

This Vagal nerve response-can you feel your diaphragm bumping you? I have the bumping, where my stomach bumps out- the cardios call this the Hiccups! It is caused by the vegus nerve being hit by a pm wire. At least that is what the dr said. Yours sounds different. I can certainly understand your frustration!! jude

Voltage

by jwardlsu - 2014-02-14 11:02:31

I did feel the diaphragm until they turned down my voltage.have you tried that Jude? If you send me your email I'll send you a video of it so you can see what happens.

I pulled my Godson very hard. I also bent over. I was standing in the ocean when he was pinned tithe floor of the ocean. Another huge wave was coming and I bent over to pull him out.the water was not clear that day. If I didn't pull him out when I dud I couldn't have seen where he was.

Looking back I should have sat in the water and pulled with my right arm! But honestly all that matters is he is okay.

This is unusual

by donr - 2014-02-14 12:02:36

How long had your PM been in when you pulled the lead out? That must have taken a herculean effort on your part to do that.

This is the first case I've seen in here where the actions of a host were the cause of the lead being pulled out.

Don

Run for political office...

by donr - 2014-02-15 08:02:38

...you did not answer my question, but talked around it!

The question was "HOW LONG had you had the device when this happened?"

To more than one of us, it is an important question because people are always bring up fear of pulling a lead out of the heart & we try to answer based on what we THINK is a point at which the lead is thoroughly embedded in the heart wall. Yours is the first documented example of this happening at some measurable time post-op.

Do not fret over the "Should have's" of life. You reacted in an appropriate manner, considering the threat. People react to threats impulsively - they have no time to think about the most efficient way to do it - till after they've done it. You made the instant decision that your Godson was more important than your own well-being. Good choice, That's what separates heroes/heroines from normal people.

Congrats!

Don

Don - you are hilarious!

by jwardlsu - 2014-02-15 10:02:31

I had my device for 6 months before My accident. It is extremely rare to do what I did and rip the screw out your heart. I'm 36 so I am very active and I do not regret pulling my Godson out. Any person would have done the same thing for a child. I do wish I pulled with the other arm though!!

I've decided to ask my surgeon to send me to Cleveland Clinic or Mayo to someone who has seen a pacemaker trauma like mine.

It's just so weird. As if we didn't feel like robots already. To turn my head and suffocate is completely crazy. My neck hurts because I stopped turning it that direction!!


Jenny

Jenny: You are indeed a...

by donr - 2014-02-15 10:02:36

...rare bird.

I have the same problem - cannot turn left. But for a different reason - I'm so far to the political right that left turns are impossible. To do so, I have to make 3 right turns!

Hey, a resident of the southern terminus of the old MKT RR! We lived in the old HQ town for the MKT back in 1969-70 Parsons, KS. But that was probably well before your time - being described as a "Stay at home Mom." The MKT is now defunct.

Anyway, Jenny, back to your problem. I just cannot see how, after 6 months, you could have done anything w/i tour capability to rip that lead out - UNLESS - it was NOT properly installed in the first place. That would have been the equivalent of trying to take a tick out of your arm after it was embedded for a week.

I just find it hard to believe that you could have done anything so violent as to take all the slack out of your lead between the PM & the entry to the vein Then taken all the slack out of the lead between the entry point in the vein & the implant site. I'd seriously consider that you determine if that thing was installed properly from the beginning.

Don

Don

by jwardlsu - 2014-02-15 10:02:53

Yes, I have also heard that the longer you have it in the more secure it is. I did this 6 months ago and have had the problem with moving my neck, head for 6 months. It's awful in the car. Every bump makes me suffocate. We've tried numerous changes to the programming.

I'm just at a loss of how to fix it. I hope to come up with an answer for it and a fix. I'd be willing to move the device and leads again if that would eliminate this problem.

I have two young children. When they hop around next to me and bump into me I suffocate. When anyone taps me anywhere (like when they hug me) this happens too. It could be worse of course but I'm ready to get this problem resolved!

I will post the fix when we find it too. I can't be the only person who had a trauma cause damage with a pacemaker like this.

You know you're wired when...

You have a shocking personality.

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