Newbie post

Am wondering if others have had these experiences and what suggestions you might have.

I’m a 68 yr old, quite active, woman, potter, metalworking student, etc, etc. Lifestyle is fairly healthy and I’ve considered myself healthy. However, there’s always been a heart murmur and in 2005, a life long hole in my right atrium was patched with amazingly wonderful results.

For the record, I’m thinish and a slight built 5’ 4”. This seems to be relevant.

In Jan ’12, very unexpectedly and suddenly, my heart became highly erratic. Halter monitor readings looked liked those for two different women, one experiencing random, non-rhythmical, earthquake track looking patterns and the other showing repetitious delays in any heart rhythm. A Biotronik, 2-lead, pm was inserted one night following a couple of 9 second lapses in short order. Thankfully, my cat woke me before the 3:30am Dr call so I was somewhat alert.

Went home in short order thinking all that was necessary was to heal over the next couple of weeks and I could get back to what was important. Didn’t heal so a second surgery was done to re-position the pm deeper and clean out the pocket. Didn’t heal. A third surgery, same as the second.

This time, at first, the pm was nestled deep enough so I wasn’t wearing a tire on my chest. At least for a while, until I rolled over to sleep on my left side. From that time onward, the device poked a corner out and up against the inside of my skin, producing a sense of inner abrasion. Fast forward to this Jan, when the irritation increased and a noticeable discoloration plus occasional swelling showed up below the lip of the raised corner.

Up shot of showing my interesting pm off to the dr is that three days ago, the fourth surgery, same as the second and third, took place. I’m home, feeling fine, arm in a sling and taking it easy. The pm feels in a deeper spot, but is quite sensitive to any touch. Dr said pressure bandage could come off yesterday, with a shower this am. If a similar bandage could be found, think it’d be a good idea to re-dress it, except that the adhesive pulled skin off sensitive areas around the incision.

So, any comments, ideas, suggestions are welcome. I so want to get past this healing process and get back to my life and my studio.

varmit

2 Comments

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by varmit - 2013-03-11 11:03:40

Thanks for the comment, Frank. We too decided that next time would be with another Dr, even though it would me a several hour drive; at this point, a small price.

In all fairness to our Dr, the skin problem was possibly a reaction to the adhesive, until now unknown by either of us.

As with your experience, I too had a 24hr drip prior, which was continued about 15 hrs post op. I'm continuing with the same antibiotic, by pill, for 10 days. He doesn't seem to be taking chances.

Do not know anything about how the pacer has been restrained. It its a Biotronik, rather than a Medtronic, and there's no information in the one booklet I have.

So far this go round is going smoothly and have lots of hopes it will be successful. The only discomfort are shooting pains -- like needle pokes -- which occur randomly. Hoping these are healing pains and not something going amiss.

Thanks again for the comment. Living out in the wilds of the Mojave Desert, we often feel stuck without resources. I really appreciate the communication.

Varmit

Welcome

by ElectricFrank - 2013-03-11 12:03:37

Welcome to the forum. Sorry you are having such a time with the little beast.

I don't have much in the way of suggestions other than wondering about the surgeon's skills. If you keep having problems you might want to have a second opinion. That's not to say that the doc is doing anything wrong. There are some of us that have bodies that just don't like foreign objects. I do wonder about the doc just telling you to take the bandage off after 3 days when you have a history of problems. Also, putting a bandage on in such a way that it had adhesive sticking to sensitive tissue.

As a comparison, the cardiologist that implanted mine gave me a antibiotic drip before and after the surgery. He sutured the pacer down in the pocket per Medtronic instructions. I did avoid laying on my left side for about a week, but only because it wasn't comfortable. Mine healed rapidly with no inflammation or infection. A recent replacement for battery went the same way.

best wishes and be sure to keep in touch,

frank

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