Giant Hemotoma Question Also still hard to breathe

Hey All ~ Well over past 12 days it's kinda been hell :( Two trips to ER then at 1 week check-up I'm told that the Ventricle lead was firing but not sending a message so next day they schedule another surgery to reposition. During procedure my shoulder was moving on the ER table (while under anesthesia) and then my heart kept racing each time he tried to move the lead so he pulled the lead completely out and let my heart rest for 15 or so minutes then repostitioned it and kept me overnight in CCU/Telemetry. The once flat pacemaker implant is now a huge swollen hemotoma and I still am short of breath/winded and I can NOT breathe without crazy intense pain. Went back to the ER where they were concerned I had a blood clot in my lungs because my D-Dimer blood test came back quite high so they did an Angio CT w/contrast and no blood clot but I still can't breathe without terrible pain and sleeping is SO difficult because laying down increases the pain. I can't see the surgeon for another week but they ARE getting me in to see the Biotronik Tech (RN) in the morning to see if the pacemaker is working. I am going over to a hospital in Seattle on Thursday for a consult/second opinion. The nurse at Virginia Mason said I should NOT be having all of this going on.

My question would be . . . If any of you had a huge hemotoma HOW was it treated? They had me icing it in the hospital but when I got out they said not to??? So It's just hurting and not getting any smaller it's almost like a third boob and I am sooooo NOT amused!
Thank you for letting me vent.

2 Comments

Hi

by Pookie - 2014-05-21 04:05:37

I had left a post on the main wall asking anyone if they had heard from you to see how you are/were doing, so I am so glad to see that you have posted. I am, however, so sorry to hear what you have been going thru.

The main thing is: is that you are keeping on top of your situation and that you are not hesitant to go to the ER when you need help.

This is just a wild guess and I could be totally wrong, but what you describe sounds awfully familiar to what I went thru just days after having my pacemaker implanted.

One of my leads (the ventricle) poked a small hole in the heart wall; it continued to bleed into the heart sac hence filling it to the point where my heart could no longer beat; pacemaker or not. I had emergency surgery done and it fixed that problem. It is called Pericarditis.

An ultrasound of your heart should show them everything they need to know...in my opinion.

Another thought I just had which is actually one of the risks clearly spelled out prior to pacemaker surgery is the small risk of having a lung punctured. It's not that uncommon actually.

I am certain they will be able to diagnose your problem, but waiting for your appointment isn't helping matters any, so please do not hesitate to go to the ER again and again and again if you feel you need to go.

You are in my thoughts as well and I pray they find the answer quickly.

Wishing you nothing but the best & please keep us up to date if you can as a lot of us are concerned about you.

Take care,
Pookie

Thanks Sunshine and Pookie

by stormynw - 2014-05-21 09:05:41

Well I'm going to Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle (2 hour drive and 35 minute ferry ride each way) tomorrow for a second opinion/consult. I really think it's the atrial lead. I'm not sure if it's possibly nicked a nerve or possibly somehow has irritated my lung all I know is that it hurts to breathe it hurts to stand straight up and breathe and it REALLY hurts to lay down in bed :/ So pretty much just plain hurts to breath. What bothers me most is that nobody is really listening to me so hopefully I'll learn something tomorrow. I'll keep ya posted.
Regards,
Dami

You know you're wired when...

You have a maintenance schedule just like your car.

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