workouts and coping

Hello all I had my PM installed in Nov 2013. I am a 49 year old healthy women. I have went back to most of my activities. I do boxing workouts on a heavy bag. Does anyone else do this type of activity? I have been experiencing tightness around my PM. Its not overall chest tightness, like muscle soreness, its a tightness around the PM feels almost like its being wrapped up or choked.
Is this still part of the healing process? I am still in shock that I have this PM and feel when I call my cardio office they can't really answer since most of the patients I saw at the office were not in my age group or physical fit relm. I almost feel like I am wasting their time and bugging them with questions.
SO I am bugging you all and asking questions of those who know....fellow PM folks.

14 Comments

Finding another Doctor

by Lurch - 2014-07-24 01:07:14

Fortunately for me, my wife was using another Doctor within our insurance plan. I had some previous interaction with him regarding issues my wife had faced and liked him.

I hate to sound bigoted, but I think my previous doctor just got too old and wasn't willing to keep up. My new doctor is much younger and stays on top on most medical issues.

I also talked to other people about their doctors; what they liked and didn't like, etc.

If you really want to check out a Doctor, talk to nurses that interact with them. They really know the scoop!!!

As for the time it takes a PM to get "settled" into position, afraid I don't have a definite answer. I can tell you that I am at a little over two months (almost three) and I am comfortable that mine isn't going to fall out!

Absolutely

by Lurch - 2014-07-24 02:07:26

The restrictions that I received on lifting over my head and no more than 10 pounds were only for a few weeks. That gives the body time to create some scar tissue around the PM and/or wire. It prevents the wire from putting loose.

If you got yours installed in November you should have no problems lifting.

I look at the lump as, I now have something that might save my life on day. Some people get tattoos, I got an automatic jump starting device!

workouts

by culver001 - 2014-07-24 02:07:51

I guess it might just be the swelling and the discomfort of the skin against the device at a rigorous movement. that makes it feel like its going to fall out. Some of it might be psychological, too. just the fear of "what might happen or could happen" to this thing attached to my heart. It is very disturbing to me how you can see the outline and feel the device at touch. I also don't care for the fact that you can see (I think its the leads) leads coming out the side of it. it causes a lump in that section and when i move looks gross. :(
Can or will we ever be able to lift anything over 10lbs? and anything over our heads?

workouts

by culver001 - 2014-07-24 03:07:12

I guess i need to call and clarify with my doc. i think if i hear him say its ok that will help get my over-worrisome mind off the idea that i might rip a lead out. that is my worse fear, tearng something out of my heart. well i am so happy this site is here it really does help to communicate with people in the same situation. no one else knows or can even fathom the mind set we have to have and what issues (worries) we think of daily.

lurch

by Tracey_E - 2014-07-24 04:07:09

I've found that not only having a young dr, but having one who is athletic, makes a huge difference. My rep and cardio are both runners. They understand that being active is a priority for me and they understand since they have the same priority. I've had some challenges over the years related to my settings. Between them, they've gone above and beyond to make sure I can still work out and do whatever I want.

weights

by Tracey_E - 2014-07-24 04:07:56

Clarify with your dr but most of us are not given restrictions on weight or going overhead. I was told up to 20# during the healing time so 10 is fine for sure. I do Crossfit so regularly lift all sorts of things. This week I've done deadlifts (115#), ground to overhead (70#), pull ups, push ups, kettlebell swings (35#), overhead squats and I forget what else. But nothing was even close to 10# and I go overhead all the time. I've gone 5 days a week for over 3 years now.

You won't tear it out of your heart. They are put in with slack, the excess coiled behind the device. So, even if you managed to give it a good tug, it'll pull on the scar tissue and therefore hurt around the device but the leads will be fine. We've had members in serious car accidents, the leads did not budge in the heart. Once we've had them for a year or so, they're so stuck in there that it takes a specialized laser to get them out. The only risk is if the leads are right under the skin, don't do anything that will pinch them. That can cause the insulation to rupture.

You also won't damage the pm, it's titanium. There used to be a video on Heartbeat International's website of a boy (in a 3rd world country that they serve) who was shot in the chest. The pm stopped the bullet and saved his life, and kept on pacing.

All of these worries are perfectly normal!! As you have it longer and do more and more, it gets easier and easier to simply trust it and forget to worry. I'm on my 4th, got my first one 20 years ago. I do not hold back and have never had a problem.

Great read !

by lahbigbro6 - 2014-07-24 10:07:30

After reading this, it made me think a lot. I have babied my 2nd pacemaker more than my 1st. Since it is smaller it feels tighter in my chest. Very thin upper body. I am going to do more things but take it slow ... Have good workouts !

Just my opinion

by Lurch - 2014-07-24 12:07:29

...but the PM sits on top of the muscle in your chest. Do a work out on a heavy bag would definitely use that muscle a lot!

I went body surfing with my Grandson last week. That exercise used my chest muscles a lot and I really felt it! I could definitely tell that the muscle had been rubbing against my PM/ICD and was a little sore. Soreness was gone in a couple of days.

Don't feel like you are bugging your medical team. They work for you, you pay them!!! Best thing I ever did was fire my previous doctor!

just my opinion

by culver001 - 2014-07-24 12:07:44

I miss body surfing!! Good for you!
It just aches and with not really resting it. I guess the agitation is really reminding me that it is in there. I worry that I might harm it or rip it out of my chest as it feels its bulging out. It does bulge out due to lack of body fat but it is secure after this amount of time yes??
How did you ever find a new doc you were comfortable with?

working out

by Tracey_E - 2014-07-24 12:07:55

No, you are not wasting their time or bugging them! If they are a good practice, they will be happy to invest whatever time it takes to get you feeling good and able to do whatever you want. Never apologize for calling with questions. Every dr I've ever discussed it with would rather have a lot of questions than someone feel bad or ignore symptoms that need treated.

I sometimes get better answers from my rep than my cardio. My cardio doesn't have anyone else like me, but the rep covers a large territory and has quite a few young active patients. I've been the youngest in the waiting room for 20 years now. At least now they assume I'm there with a parent rather than a grandparent ;o)

As the pm heals, scar tissue thickens around it, insulating it. You aren't going to hurt it but it can get uncomfortable if we work the muscles around it hard. I back off whatever caused it and ice until it goes away. Pinching the leads is the only danger to worry about, the rest is just discomfort.

Thanks all

by culver001 - 2014-07-25 12:07:51

Thank you ALL!! I can't believe some of you are on a numerous device!! I will not worry about that n how uncomfortable that might be or the recovery time. I will just handle each present day as it comes...at least that's my plan!!

replacements

by Tracey_E - 2014-07-26 08:07:31

Replacements are nothing! Really, I promise. I've had early appointments and been home fixing my own lunch, then gone on vacation less than a week after. Leads are good for an average of 15 years but there are 30 yr old leads out there working great. They only replace leads if there's a problem. Most of the restrictions we have the first time are for the mew leads so none of that to deal with. Most of the soreness is from creating the pocket, now that's numb with scar tissue. The only thing we have to do after a replacement is take care of the incision until it heals.

replacements

by culver001 - 2014-07-28 05:07:08

I am really not looking forward to the replacement. ANd what do you mean pocket?? they have to make a NEW pocket for it?? I truly am clueless on this whole PM life! you mean they dont just pop out the battery and slide a new one in and then tape you back up??? oh God!!

pockets

by Tracey_E - 2014-07-29 09:07:50

No, they don't make a new pocket! They use the existing one which is all numb scar tissue. So yes, they pop out the old one, put in the new one, tape us back up. It's super easy.

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