Pacemaker

Hi!
Im getting a pacemaker implanted next week and I am beyond scared. I am 22 years old and had a cardiac ablation done two years ago that went terribly wrong. I ended up in cardiac ICU for six days. Needless to say I feel like I have a reason to be worried and scared. I also have POTS.
I would love to know if there is anyone out there that might have some words of kindness or reassurance. I keep reading things online and its scaring me. Im the "one in a million" chance that something will go wrong, with EVERYTHING.

6 Comments

it will be over soon

by capecod - 2014-05-26 03:05:08

i know how scaryy this can be. i had an implant 1 month ago. i dont remember anything after they wheeled me into operating room. woke up and it was over. like kmom, i couldn't get up until the next afternoon before i went home. worst part was bedpan!!
hope you feel better. so many folks here have had good experiences so this time there are things that CAN go right for you.
sending good thoughts your way

try not to worry

by bluebowtye - 2014-05-26 09:05:40

Hi!

Of course you are worried and scared knowing you have to undergo pacemaker surgery next week. Anytime you have to go under the knife it's a scary thing to think about and reading about "horror stories" online doesn't help. Unfortunately more people post about their bad experiences instead of how good everything went. I am not an expert by any means but the majority of people do get through their PM surgery just fine with very few complications. From what I have heard the thing to worry about the most is a possible punctured lung and that is rare.

I had mine implanted just over 3 months ago and the worst thing for me was before when they were inserting the IV's in my hands. She got the left one in ok but had trouble with right and finally had to pull it back out (OUCH) and reinsert in the bend of my arm. She was very nice and kept telling me how sorry she was.

The surgery itself was uneventful. I remember them wheeling me down the hall to the surgery room. They were so friendly and were talking to me the whole time they were prepping me. I was just under local anesthesia but do not remember anything about the surgery itself which lasted an hour to an hour and a half. I remember them asking if I was awake and I told them yes. My eyes were still closed but I could feel them working around my PM site. It was not painful, just a little pressure. The next thing I know I was fully awake and they told me it was all done and had been a success and they wheeled me up to my hospital room where I had to spend the night. I did have some pain and discomfort and it was hard to get up to go to the bathroom but I was told to have the nurses help me. I was on Tylenol 3 for the first few hours and then just regular Tylenol which seemed to work ok. It was not a horrible experience by any means.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with your ablation. I have never had one and really know nothing about them. I also do not know what POTS is but as far as the pacemaker surgery itself I think you will be fine.

The worst part for me was the waiting and worrying beforehand. My PM need came about very suddenly and was totally unexpected. I only had 5 days to think about it. I did not find this site until afterwards but it has helped me so much. The people are very knowledgeable and supportive and it was very comforting to connect with other people going through the same thing as me. I did not know anyone with a PM and knew nothing about them.

I wish you the best of luck. Please try not to stress out too much and let us know how it goes. I will be thinking of you next week and praying all goes fine. .

Take care,
~Sheila

pacemaker

by Pacemum - 2014-05-26 09:05:45

One bad experience can be upsetting. However, my daughter who is now 14 is now on her third PM. We have have had no real problems with any of them or the procedures. When she had her second implanted just before her 8th birthday we spent one night in hospital. With her third which was just last year we traveled home the same day.

Hope that this helps to reassure.

worst thing about getting PM

by kmom - 2014-05-26 10:05:18

I think the worst thing about getting a PM was having to lay still for 8 hrs afterwards. That was tough for me but you have to because you don't want to dislodge the leads. Other than that it's a piece of cake! I felt better immediately but have different issues than you. You'll do great. Keep us posted! When will you be getting it??

@Sheila I had only 3 days to think about mine ha! and was estatic when they told me I was going to get a PM!

Don't Google

by Jonny - 2014-05-27 10:05:28

Best thing is not to scare yourself by Googling for information. Stay on this site to get the answers to your questions by using the search function at the top right of the page. This is the place where you will get answers to your questions from the most informed of people - those who've already been through it.
Getting the PM implanted is normally really straightforward, and can be quite interesting if you just have a local anaesthetic - that's if your science trained like me I guess.
Best of luck.John

Quick and Easy!

by Mywingman - 2014-05-27 11:05:14

Mar. 19th got mine by surprise. 2ndt Degree Heart Block Type II. Procedure for implant all went well and quick. Took less that 2 hours to do. In less the 15 hours at the hospital I was on my way home. I was accessed in less than two months and now back to work as a commercial pilot. Still working on fine tuning the PM for my exercise program. Life is good!

Blessings on the procedure to implant.

Victor

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