Advice please!!!!

It's been one week since I had my PM put in. I'm 43 and had bradycardia (normal rate of 32-36) dropped to 29 at night! Last week I was anxious about pulling the lead wires out. I carried my arm in the "sling" position until my check up. Now I am over that. My biggest concern now is how weak I am feeling after surgery. Most of the time I feel great, but today I tried to go back to work and I felt shaky, light headed. Could this be because of surgery? I would love to start walking/exercising again but I can't imagine starting now!! Any advice? Do I just need to be patient and give myself a chance to heal? Thank you for your advice!!!

3 Comments

recovery

by Tracey_E - 2014-11-10 08:11:56

We all heal at different rates but most are not 100% after only a week. I would expect to feel tired if you worked a full day today! You can start walking now, just make it short and take it easy. If you feel good after, do a little more tomorrow. Or wait another week or two to try, there's no right or wrong time to get back to it.

Are you still on any meds? They can cause problems. Also, not sleeping well affects us. I tend to nap a lot after surgery so I eat erratically. Sometimes at the end of the day I'll think back and realize how little water I got, or how long it's been since a decent meal. My point is lots of things can make us tired, shaky, lightheaded.

If you consistently get dizzy on exertion, mention it to your dr. That could be your settings.

Recovery takes time

by TJ319 - 2014-11-11 03:11:03

To add to other comments, recovery takes time. My doc told me, after a few months of frustration on my part, that I was not going to be fully recovered for around 6 months. I was 65 very fit and active a year ago when mine was implanted. I had similar symptoms to yours, low HR and AV block. I have found it helpful to "take whatever my body will give" as I return to fitness.

feeling tired

by bluebowtye - 2014-11-11 12:11:17

Hi,

I went back to work 2 1/2 weeks after my implant and I felt that was too soon and I have a desk job! I had the same feelings you describe. It took me almost a month to really start feeling good again and I felt great and had NO symptoms prior except for 2 fainting episodes one night. As Tracey says, we all heal differently. Some people feel so much better right away and others like me take much more time. I had some good days during my recovery period and some not so good. The best advice I can give is listen to your body. Getting a PM is a huge adjustment to both our bodies and minds. Try to take it easy as much as possible and do not over do it. I could really tell if I did too much too soon. If you want to start walking start slow and easy and go from there. It was winter when I got mine and my doc did not want me walking outside in case I slipped on the ice which could have pulled out my leads. If things do not improve over the next week or so I would check with your doc.

Good luck to you,
~Sheila

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