Question about vacation planned after surgery

I will be having a pacemaker implanted next Thursday-I have had few symptoms, but frequent 10 second pauses at night. Initially I was told I did not need a pacemaker because I am pretty active, and 40, but a second opinion convinced me otherwise.

It may be optimistic, but I am scheduled to work the following Monday, and have a long planned vacation with my wife and another couple the following Friday involving hiking, kayaking, and snorkeling. ( will waterproof the incision site with tape and gauze.) I am planning on wearing a sling to keep me from doing something I wish I hadn't.

I would welcome any input on things. My surgery is not urgent, so I could reschedule, but my work schedule is 6 weeks out.

Thanks for the advice.I have learned quite a bit on the site and welcome the information.

10 Comments

I forgot how much trouble I had

by natandhop - 2013-03-08 05:03:07

Hey there, since my yr anniversary is right around the corner, it's funny how I can't remember well enough - so that is the good news.

Take time now so you won't have to later.

Happy Friday!

March 14th is an excellent day for a PM implant

by natandhop - 2013-03-08 07:03:15

Good morning, my 1 yr anniversary with my PM is March 14th, that's a lovely day for a surgery.

Even though you are quite fit, your body still must heal from the actual surgery and getting use to a consistent heartbeat. 4 days of rest after surgery then returning to work seems a bit overwhelming to me. I embraced my 2 weeks off - but we all heal differently. I started walking on day 2 but that was it.

Things you are not to do, raise your arm over your head, poke on or around your incision and keep it dry for 3 days - I think that's the time for keeping dry.

There are lots of helpful people on this site, so you'll be able to gather a wealth of information to help you make the best decision for you. This is a glorious journey to having a strong heart and long life!

I wish you well,
Natalie

Oh, Boy! A Dentist gets his due!

by donr - 2013-03-08 08:03:55

Good AM to you, Jeff.

I second Natalie's comments. My first thought was that going back to work on the following Mon was a bit overly optomistic, considering the movement limitations on elbows & shoulders she mentioned.

But.....as an orthodontist. you do all your work w/ your arms DOWN - so IF (& that's one great big IF) all goes well for you, like it did for me, you could conceivably pull it off. BUT...I would not plan on it. There are too many unknowns that can jump up & bite you (none of them are teenagers - I'm speaking metaphorically) such that you will not feel the least bit like even torturing a teen!

Natalie did not tell you the details of some of the unpleasantness she experienced, but they were more than a few in the period immediately post-op. I remember them, because I exchanged more than a few notes w/ her.

We are all as different as mouths full of teeth that need straightening when it comes to recovery. Read ALL the posts up on the board right now for a sample of the misery some go through. Now they are far & away the tiny minority of PM hosts, but a reality for some.

I walked out of the hosp looking for Arnold Schwartzenegger, ready to take on the world & figuring I'd start BIG. Not all of us are that lucky. Fortunately, I was in GA & he was in CA, so I settled for a new-born baby to start my crusade. Which was good - I could not raise my arm any higher than you will be allowed, either, & Arnold is a lot taller than I am.

Just make some contingency plans in case you come out the other end of that lost knife fight you will be in feeling a bit punk & wanting to take something a wee bit more powerful than Tylenol.

At least you are going into this great adventure w/ a positive attitude. You at least will have a fighting chance of it all working out well for you.

Don

I think hiking should be fine

by ma_ku - 2013-03-08 09:03:02

Not sure about kayaking as that could involve some strenuous shoulder work for which the consensus seems to be that it would be ill advised. Could you be a passenger and let others do the paddling? -)

I was told not to shower for 5 days after surgery to avoid the wound getting wet/infected. After 1 week my wound looked pretty sealed tight to me so snorkeling might be possible I guess - especially if you tape it up good. The harder part might be limiting your swimming action (shoulder again) to avoid movements that in theory could dislodge wires. On that, when I asked my consultant about the risk of wire dislodging, he said that they really don't know why the wires dislodge in some people. He knows of some patients that have essentially "swung off a monkey bar with one hand" a few days after surgery with no problems, and others who babied their shoulder for several weeks and had a wire dislodge. On the whole though, he said that it was best to avoid excessive overhead arm action and lifting heavy weights for a few weeks. I guess you need to figure out if the risk is worth it. I am trying my best not to raise arm over shoulder level but have forgotten a couple of times when reaching for a plate etc.. Will see how the checkup goes next month...

I am 41 years old, halfway into my 3rd week post implantation and feeling pretty good. Been doing lots of cardio (walking, stationary cycling) and started running again yesterday.

We all heal differently though so listen to your body.

Good luck

Mark

I'd wait

by Tracey_E - 2013-03-08 09:03:04

Hiking, snorkeling and kayaking are three of my favorite things. Can I come? :o)

If it's not urgent and you can't put off the trip, do it after your trip. We need to keep the arm lower than shoulder level and not lift for 6 weeks. Hiking is fine but I can't see snorkeling and kayaking without breaking those rules.

You can waterproof the site all you want, but it might still get wet and ocean/river water is NOT something you want near a fresh incision. Don't risk an infection, aside from the fact it can be life threatening, it takes months and months to heal. Even the smallest thing that increases the risk of infection is too much, imo. I just got stitches out of my foot a few days ago. I put on waterproof bandages to take a shower every morning, more days than not the water leaked around the bandage.

Last, a sling isn't a good idea. It's important to move the arm while healing. People who wear the sling too much tend to get frozen shoulder.

If you have a desk job and have the surgery Thurs, you should be ok to go back to work Mon. Can you leave early or sneak off for a nap if you get too tired? I found I didn't feel bad, but I did get worn out more quickly than usual.

Good luck!! You should bounce right back from your surgery and it's really not a big deal to get a pm, but I do think your plans are a little ambitious for less than two weeks after.

I'd wait too.

by Many Blessings - 2013-03-08 09:03:21

I agree with all of the others. I think it's too soon to try and do all of that. If you run into any trouble, you'd be miserable. The risk of infection alone, or your PM moving in the pocket is enough to say wait if you can. It just takes a few weeks to heal, so if you can, wait for a bit. It's just not worth the risk.

Too ambitious

by IAN MC - 2013-03-08 09:03:56

I can relate to you a little as I had a long -planned vacation exactly 7 days after my implant . I had the dressing removed on Day 6 and set off from the UK to the South of France on Day 7. This involved my driving over 600 miles on that first day of the vacation.

No problem with the driving but my wife had to load and unload the suitcases from the car ( the divorce was fairly painless ! )

I did loads of hiking and even played some tennis in week 2 ( underarm serving though ! ) . I was tempted to go kayaking but decided against it mainly because of the risk of infection as Tracey said . I would also have avoided snorkelling if that had been an option.

Although having a PM implant really is not a big deal it does need a little bit of restraint and patience in the first 6 weeks . After that everything is possible.

Best of luck and enjoy your work on the Monday ( are you mad ? )

Ian

water

by Tracey_E - 2013-03-08 10:03:48

I was told a week for showers, but at least a month for ocean or any other body of water that can carry bacteria.

I would definitely wait

by Jax - 2013-03-09 01:03:26

Going back to work on Monday would be ambitious.
It takes time to heal...and you don't know how yr particular recovery will be. You have to follow certain restrictions and it would be cumbersome for you to vacation right now. I believe in first things first. -- you have to take care of yr heart. A pm is a minor procedure but still a procedure.

Stop and think about it

by ElectricFrank - 2013-03-09 01:03:49

First off I am an active sort and was back walking several miles the day after surgery so I'm not over cautious. Sp here's my take.

Hiking should be OK unless you need to carry a backpack. One of the straps will be pressing on the surgical site and won't feel at all comfortable. Just think how it would feel carrying a pack if someone had stuck a knife in your chest just under the clavicle.

The kayaking might not be too bad unless you did a rollover. At that point you aren't going to passively stay under water in order to keep from using your left arm in any position that helps get you upright.

The same with snorkeling. Just keep in mind that the left arm will need to stay below shoulder level. That would make for some interesting swimming. I guess you could resort to doing it all with your legs.

In all these situations it is the unusual or emergency situations that would concern me.

How about putting off the pacemaker. If it took a second opinion to convince you maybe it isn't that critical.

best wishes,

frank

You know you're wired when...

Your ICD has a better memory than you.

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My pacemaker was installed in 1998 and I have not felt better. The mental part is the toughest.