Movement

Good morning and Happy Halloween!! Question, I can now start to slowly lift my left arm over my hear, but now my arm does not want cooperate with me..lol I only wore the sling for 5 days so it is not that I have not used my arm, but I have been very careful to not raise it too high as my leads fell twice before I even left the hospital(3 surgeries in 2 days). So I am not sure if down deep inside I am not letting it raise up. It feels real tight from my incision over my shoulder to my shoulder blade and then under my left arm when I try to raise it over my shoulder.

Does anyone have any exercise suggestions to stretch those muscles and when do you think it will be ok to go get a massage? I am 4 weeks out from getting my PM.

Thanks!!!

7 Comments

7 weeks before lifting arm!

by flutetooter - 2014-10-31 04:10:13

The number one thing my electrophysiologist who installed my pacemaker told me was NOT to lift my left arm above shoulder level for 7 weeks. No ifs, ands, or buts. I wore the sling ONLY overnight in the hospital and was told not to wear it at home, but to move the arm slowly and frequently to avoid frozen shoulder. This is to allow the scar tissue to from around the pocket and leads. What directions did they give you for this? Do you have a printed street of "go home" instructions? What kind of a doctor put the pacemaker in? Three operations in two days is not the normal procedure. Did he charge you for all three operations?

flutetooter

by Tinkergirl - 2014-10-31 04:10:48

To my knowledge he did not charge for all three the joke in the cath lab was the third was free...lol The reason I had three was my atrium is small and they had a hard time getting the lead to stay in place and not pace my diaphram. It was my cardiologist that did the procedure. When I went to my first appt. to get my staples taken out I asked him when I could start lifting my arm and said to give it one more week and start to move it slowly. I do have a printed go home sheet and it said 3-4 weeks, but it was very general instructions that is why I asked him last week in person. I go next Friday for my first visit with the St. Jude rep to check out my PM. The Dec. 3rd to see my cardio again.

It almost does not matter as my arm refuses to go up...lol

Angrysparrow

by Tinkergirl - 2014-10-31 04:10:53

Thanks!! I will try those exercises.

I want to go get a massage too, I will have to ask next week when I will be able to do that, I sure need one!!

Massage

by Theknotguy - 2014-10-31 08:10:35

You should be able to get a massage at the 4 to 6 week period. Have your cardiologist / EP write a prescription. Then go to a licensed massage therapist. The prescription means insurance will cover the therapist if anything goes wrong. (Highly unlikely)

My therapist started working and found problems where the leads go in under the clavicle. She has been able to get the muscles in my neck to relax where they have been irritated by the leads. She also found where the muscles in my back were cramped because of the electrical activity.

She's been a tremendous help.

I'm just over 4 weeks post PM

by Shaun - 2014-10-31 12:10:55

I've been trying to keep my left arm moving, but I'm in no hurry yet to lift it above my head. Guess I'm a bit apprehensive about whether it's all settled and what might happen. Looks like you are braver than me, well done :-)

Not Braver

by Tinkergirl - 2014-10-31 12:10:59

I am not braver, it is so sore from not moving it!!! The muscle by my shoulder blade burns when I am sitting at my desk so I have to stand up a lot during the day to get it to stop burning. Trust me I DO NOT want a lead to come out again, twice was enough for this girl. I think half of my issue is like you I am scared to lift it all the way up!!!.

Try the shower

by KAG - 2014-11-02 10:11:40

I found that walking my hand up the wall in the shower with the hot /warm water on my shoulder worked great.

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