Thankful for Pacemaker last Feb.

--Also just dropping by to say how thankful I am to have had my pacemaker put in a year ago. We had several lovely vacations, did gardening and hose remodeling and I had other abdominal surgeries in July - all with extra energy to spare. Right now I especially glad to have that energy boost because I am coping with a horrible fall my husband had on the ice on Jan. 6, landing on the back of his head with a subdural and subarachnoidal brain hemorrhage. After 3 1/2 wk. in intensive care and regular hospital care, he is now getting intensive physical training in a rehab center for lost weight and muscles, but seems mostly fine as to minimal, if any, memory loss. He is a runner and biker still at 78, and was in top shape. I would never have been able to cope with all the 24/7 care and hospital visits without this wonderful pacemaker! I expect him to be discharged in a week or two, a tiny bit changed in personality (for the better-lol) but in fine physical shape again. What a miracle!

2 Comments

Toot: A benchmark my Cardio....

by donr - 2015-02-03 08:02:00

.....gave me a year ago. I'd just had belly surgery to pull out half a colon & spent nearly 2 full weeks in bed in the hosp trying to recover.

Came out w/ (Drum roll, please) severe loss of weight & severe muscle atrophy. I was 76 at the time,. Not a real jock, but always very active. I got home & could piddle around no more than 10 min & I was exhausted. Also I was demoralized. Went to a cardio appt w/ Good Wife & the Great Man walked through the door, white coat trailing him in the wind. He shook my hand, sat down & looked at me & says "Don, we have to talk." I said "Why, it's her appt." He responds, "But you need it. You look like you just lost your best friend." After a bunch of scratching on a pad & explanations, the bottom line comes out this way: At our age (76 at the time) plan on spending 4 days recovering for every day you spent immobilized lying in a bed. You deteriorate very quickly at advanced ages. That 4:1 ratio begins AFTER you are able to return to normal activity and feel pretty decent. Call that 25 days - that means over 100 days to recovery of some reasonable level of activity.

You need to be prepared for him getting demoralized & frustrated because he cannot return to his previous level of activity as fast as he wants.

Whatever you do w/him when he gets home, do NOT let him sit in a chair all day - get him up to walk at least every hour at progressively greater distances - if he can handle it. If he can't handle it, make him do it anyway. Prevents pneumonia from creeping in & improves his self confidence that he can still do things.

Donr

Thanks again done

by flutetooter - 2015-02-03 09:02:59

Your advice is always spot on--sometimes life saving and usually soul saving. You must have just written this. I am not quite as much snowed in as the last few days (12") having a pathway from my street to the front door, but my brain is total "snowed in".

Just this past Thanksgiving my 4 grown children, 3 spouses, and my husband and I were doing some "what if" conversations. .....What are all the computer passwords and account numbers; who are your emergency contacts; what would you do about driving; do you know who to call for furnace problems (new furnace a month ago); what if the power goes out (it did yesterday); who are the helpers available for yard work and snow shoveling (they came); and real biggy - what about insurance (would you believe other than Medicare, it went into effect on this Jan. 1st)?

I just got a crash course in possible widowhood, and I don't like it much. The checkbook is full of corrections, the house is too quiet, the well wishers have no clue as to the complexity of the situation - just "get well soon". At the same time I am trying to maintain MY body so I can be of help to my husband in this long haul to recovery -- which IS expected, thank goodness. More in a post later today about his physical therapy, occupational therapy (arms), and speech therapy (memory, word retrieving, decisions making, personality changes.) A Flutetooter trying to play the right notes.

You know you're wired when...

You are always wired and full of energy.

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I had a pacemaker since 2002 and ever since then my life has been a total blessing.