4 days post op pacemaker implantation

Hi everyone. After many months and hospital stays for severe sinus bradycardia and tachacardia (more so bradycardia) and sick sinus rhythm syndrome... My cardiologist implanted a pacemaker on Feb 13th 2015. I'm struggling with intense pain at incision site and shoulder upper arm and neck pain on the left side. Pain only getting worse. No sign of infection. I'm ignorant to all of this. I am not raising or using that left arm at all. I have a lot of bruising by incision site. Getting up, standing is so so painful. Like tearing or ripping or stabbing by incision and my collar bone. It just excruciating. Is all this par for the course? I also have severe fibromyalgia and have had shoulder surgery on that left shoulder. Dr explained something called "frozen shoulder syndrome" and that nerves may have been cut and with my fibromyalgia those neves may never regenerate or may take many many months to do so. I'm just so anxious. :(
I cannot find any comfortable spot to lay. I can only lay on my back which is becoming old very fast.
Dr said six weeks recovery but others are telling me many months of recovery. I'm at my wits end with this pain....
Still have some dizziness. But the pacemaker is pacing when it needs to. And that's a very unnerving feeling. Also every night at 1am the pacemaker "tests" itself.
Any support or life experience would be appreciated. Much thanks. Peace and comfort to all.
Shannon

4 Comments

Cardiologist and rheumy both said

by ShanB - 2015-02-18 01:02:34

Cardiologist and rheumatologist both indicated that the healing will be slower and the pain greater. It's just very anxiety producing. And I already suffer severe anxiety. So I am feeling like it's all in my head.
It's only been five days. It's just new and being new it raises anxiety.
I wonder too if depression and anxiety are a side effect of the surgery as well.
Feeling lost is all...

A Lot On Your Plate!

by Artist - 2015-02-18 03:02:40

Shannon, My heart goes out to you. I had a friend with Fibromyalgia and I know that it is a very difficult and painful condition that amplifies your body's reaction to pain and discomfort. It is very normal to experience some depression and anxiety after having PM surgery. It is a common remark from members here. After all, we are faced with a feeling of increased vulnerability and uncertainty. As time goes by, most of us talk about how grateful we are to have this modern medical miracle helping to improve our cardiac function and quality of life. It helps to have someone to talk to and as your surgical site heals you will find it easier to completely forget that you have a PM and just get on with life. I think that you need some specialized attention in addressing the unique complication of having surgical and Fibromyalgia pains. I hope that you have an understanding family/friends. Coddle yourself but do try to keep your arm mobile to prevent the shoulder from freezing up. Your healing may take some extra time, but in the long run you will feel much better. Your PM settings will probably be tweaked some more so that you do not feel dizzy. That could also be a side effect of some medications and those can usually be adjusted or changed. I went through several medications before getting the right fix. I no longer have trouble with Bradycardia and my Afib/irregular heart beats are almost non-existent now. Best wishes. Let us know how you progress.

not normal

by Tracey_E - 2015-02-18 08:02:21

Call your dr, we all vary in our tolerance for pain and how quickly we bounce back but that is not normal at all. Your fibromyalgia dr may be more help than the cardiologist. Hope you feel better soon!

Shoulder

by ShanB - 2015-02-19 04:02:47

Yes, on top of severe fibromyalgia and herniated discs I also have had major rotator cuff surgery on that left shoulder as well as the right one and my left knee ACL and meniscus twice. So I'm just a pain all over. I am moving my left arm as much as I can so to prevent the frozen shoulder syndrome but I can't move it up for a few weeks Drs said.
I am fighting a fever now. Not convinced it's from surgery site. But am on antibiotics now anyway. I was given five bags of antibiotics while in the hospital for almost two days last weekend before and after PM surgery.
I will get through. The journey will just be slow and longer than normal. Doing my best to think positive. It's hard because I'm alone in this as my husband is in a nursing facility and we are separated and divorce down the line.
Anyway, thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. I am on no sleep and it's 4:30 am. Going to try againg for sleep.
Shannon

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You run like the bionic woman.

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