So Appreciate Your Responses

You are wonderful!! I so appreciate all of your comments/experiences with bras and with sleeping those first weeks. Like one of the responders, I don't know what to expect. Never even THOUGHT about the bra thing until I got online. Did not expect a lot of pain either but I guess there is a fair amount of discomfort. How long did it last? What are the biggest lifestyle changes you have had to make? Does using a cell phone or iPad cause you problems? What has been unexpected? How is the pacemaker working out for you? Any and all information that was/is helpful for you, will be great appreciated! I'm a little scared about this life-altering step (4/3) but...not a lot of options! Having information helps. I tell my kids, "Knowledge is power!"

7 Comments

Lifestyle changes

by Bostonstrong - 2014-03-21 11:03:01

I spend less time on the floor from face plants and have more energy. Having a regular pulse rocks! The only thing I have done differently since getting a pacer is to check my bag instead of carry it on on my first flight 1week post op. Have done 3 1/2 marathons post op, jumped off a 300 foot cliff twice (paragliding), swam, sailed, hiked, run, walked, taken several vacations, and basically did whatever I wanted. Including returning to work as manager of a busy NP managed rural health clinic.
I took my niece and nephew (20 and 23) to San Diego last fall and by day 3 they were begging for mercy, THEY needed a day to recup resting by the hotel pool. Neither one could keep up with me. I just had knee surgery, that is slowing me down more than the pm. But not for long:)

Knowledge:)

by Tick-tock - 2014-03-21 11:03:53

I had a bit more pain than I had expected; however everyone is different. I think around week 4 or 5 I felt like a million dollars. I have ran a couple 5ks since my surgery in sept of 2013. The have not had many lifestyle changes except for discomfort with some bras, and difficulty lifting weights. My problem is more from my leads, which I will be getting fixed 4/4. I have no problems using my iPad, I phone, and microwave at the same time :) I have traveled and experienced the full pat down by the tsa. In the beginning I had some problems with my pm setting, but a quick office visit and some tweaking of my settings it made a huge difference. I now know the setting that works good for me, and will have my new pm set at 60/130 which works well for me. As stated in a previous post, ice will be your best friend. I have had a number of surges and have been closed with glue, and stitches. My surgery for my pm, the surgeon used staples, and I have to admit it was the most comfortable. I was petrified of lifting my arm at night, and found comfort using my sling I had from my rotator cuff surgery( only while I slept ). Just know that the worst part of this experience is the waiting! Best of luck!!!

challenges

by bluebowtye - 2014-03-22 11:03:30

Hi LitLady,

My biggest challenge after getting my PM was mental. It was just so shocking to me that I needed a PM at my age of 52 when I thought I was healthy and doing everything right for my heart. I soon learned that all of that was only for the "plumbing" part which is indeed in great shape. It was the "electrical" part that was not. I also learned there is no known cause and nothing you can do to prevent this type of heart condition. After a couple of fainting episodes and lots of tests and wearing the Holter monitor for 24 hours I was diagnosed with 2nd Degree Mobitz Type II AV Block and was told I needed a PM ASAP. I had never heard of this before and had very little time to process / research it since my surgery was scheduled for 5 days after my diagnosis. I was in total shock. I do not know anyone with a PM so that made it hard too. (I found this site after the fact.) I The surgery went well and for the most part I am finally starting to feel "normal" again. My biggest discomfort after the first few weeks was due to a remaining stitch in the incision that had not fallen out. Once the Dr. got that out I immediately felt a lot better the next day! My other issue was the fact that I was in pretty good shape before implant and now it's taking me some time to get back to exercising like I was. I have started walking 2 miles a day but don't feel like lifting any weights yet. I'm hoping I can slowly get back into that soon, even if it is just a few reps with light weights a couple of times a week. I have mostly good days but still some bad. Sometimes I just don't feel well at all and don't know if it's due to the PM or not but I try to keep taking one day at a time and am thankful they figured out my problem and that I didn't faint while driving or doing something where I could have seriously injured myself or someone else. I am also thankful for the technology of pacemakers so people with my condition can be fixed and live mostly "normal" lives. I hope the day comes when I don't even think about my PM anymore and I can do all the things I used to do.

I wish you the best of luck with your surgery. This site has been a tremendous help for me. Take care!

~Sheila

New PM

by Theknotguy - 2014-03-22 12:03:52

All heart patients are the same, all heart patients are different. About your questions:

As said in previous posts, pain is relative to you. What doesn't bother me may really irritate you. Personally I feel it's more of a mental thing. If you feel the PM will help, you'll probably feel less pain. If you take the attitude the PM isn't going to help you'll probably feel more pain and discomfort as well too.

Discomfort? I had a lot of trauma prior to getting my PM. So I had a lot of discomfort. The PM pocket was "tight" because they didn't let me exercise. Then there was the pinched feeling if I put pressure on the PM pocket. As a previous post said, ice packs really help. Mostly it was just ... quit doing what was causing discomfort.

Biggest lifestyle changes? No real lifestyle changes. As the pain and discomfort wore off I went back to doing the things I was doing before. I can no longer pick up the 90 pound 4x8 sheets of plywood at the woodshop. Have to leave that to the younger guys. Weight limit is 100 pounds per shoulder. No big deal as I wasn't lifting that much most of the time anyway.

We have people on this site with PM's who are skydiving, skiing, weight lifting, swimming, biking, running, training for marathons. So a lot of people are carrying on with a pretty normal lifestyle. And that's in spite of the fact they have a foreign object inside of their bodies.

There are no electronic devices in the home or daily life that will affect the PM. Don't have to worry about phones, ipads, microwaves, radios, etc. Some people say they feel effects from going through security devices in stores but I haven't felt anything.

Unexpected ... were people being worried for me. They try to limit what I'm doing which is detrimental to my health. I need the exercise and they're trying to make me sit. Not good.

How is the pacemaker working out for you? The biggest change is being able to do things that I wasn't able to do before. Pre-PM I was volunteering at a charity workshop. Would put in my four hours and come home beat. Post-PM, put in my hours and came home feeling great! Wow, what a change.

Took my son's dogs out yesterday. Did four miles in the AM, did three miles in the PM. Had a car ride and did some running around in the middle. Pre-PM I would need to take a nap. Post-PM the dogs were exhausted and I was still going. Slept good last night though.

Other knowledge... I read somewhere that a lot of PM people get depression. Haven't been able to get really good statistics on that. But I did schedule some sessions with a psychologist dealing with trauma and heart issues. It did help.

Big surprise! Medical people try to be helpful but they can be wrong! I was at one medical location where they showed me how to put on a shirt post PM. When I asked how long I'd have to dress that way they told me the rest of my life. Wrong! Four to six weeks and you're back to normal. Overall I'd have to say 80% of the information medical people gave me about PM's was wrong. Wish they could get their stories straight.

You don't have to worry about RF (Radio Frequency) EMF (Electro Magnetic Frequency), or Magnetic fields. So that means nothing around the typical American household will bother you.

RF. I drive under broadcasting TV towers that put "waves" on monitor screens from the radio/TV signals being broadcasted. We've got a guy on this site who is running a short wave radio station. No problems.

EMF are electro-magnetic frequency. Some people say they have problems with store security devices - I don't feel a thing. We've got people on this site working in a power plant and on a diesel-electic locomotive. Those are tremendous EMF fields. No problems. So that is tremendously more that what you would encounter in the home. I volunteer at a woodshop. No problems with the electrical motors that run the equipment. Also jump started my daughter-in-law's car. No problems with the running motor in my SUV or her car.

Magnets. I've taken the magnet from one of those magnetic name tags and put it directly on my PM. No problems. Most magnets in the home aren't that strong so you don't have to worry about magnets around the house.

That doesn't mean there isn't any RF, EMF, Magnetic fields that will bother the PM, just that you aren't likely to encounter them in the normal home environment.

What you can do. Educate yourself as much as possible about your condition. The more knowledge the less fear. I joined a local heart group that has doctors give lectures at the regular meetings. Just had a lecture on sleep apnea (which I have) and heart disease. Knowing more about it helps me take better care of myself.

Don't forget to thank your care giver and people who support you. It's difficult for them because they feel helpless. So let them know you appreciate your help and educate them when you can. Let them know their mental support means a lot and helps keep you going.

Hang in there. Life gets better.

Theknotguy

Pacemaker recovery

by Diamond Jules - 2014-04-07 07:04:33

I had my pacemaker put in 18 months ago and the only thing that reminds me I have one is seeing it in the mirror when I undress (it sticks out quite a bit)! I even forget to mention it sometimes such as recently when I met up with an old friend and also when I went for a job interview!!! They really are amazing things!

I too have the same condition as you Sheila but it wasn't sudden, it was 'brewing' for years but it will change your life for the better.

My scar (well, scars, because I had op twice due to loose lead displacement) looked grim at first but seemed to improve daily till they pretty much disappeared but that can depend on your skin type.

At night when I needed to keep my arm down I tied a length of bandage around my wrist then around my waist which was comfortable so I could move it around but not up far.

I mostly read that it's advised to keep iPhones etc at least 6 inches away from implant but also once read to keep it 28 inches away!

New Pacemaker

by LitLady - 2014-04-08 04:04:38

I've had my pacemaker for one week. My incision is on the mend but I'm still sleeping in the recliner and not my bed. I have so much more energy than pre-surgery! Even though I'm not 100% yet, I am alert and ready-to-go. My bpm is set at 60 which is a good norm. I am finding however that I'm not ready to go to sleep at 11:00 PM and I wake up before 6:00 AM. Could all this energy be keeping me from sleeping more? Perhaps my body needs to adjust to the new metabolism. Did anyone else have trouble sleeping? Pre-surgery I was tired all the time so that was my "normal".

LitLady

Typing error!

by Diamond Jules - 2014-04-08 04:04:47

Sorry, my last message should of said that once I read on a site written by a hospital or doc or someone official, that they recommended iPhones etc be kept 18 inches away (not 28)!

You know you're wired when...

Titanium is your favorite metal.

Member Quotes

My quality of life is better already and I know it will extend my lifespan.