4 days post op

Hi all! I had my first PM placed at 5pm on Friday and the surgery lasted for 2 hours and went very well, despite being over 3 1/2 hours late(got called back to preop area at 11:45am for my scheduled 1:30pm surgery and didn't go into surgery until 5pm) I am physically and mentally exhausted after spending a night at hospital. Now also surgical site and pacemaker area very swollen and painful...Hubby is taking great care of me. It was quite traumatic as I was awake and heard and felt most of what was happening to me even tho I asked several times to please put me out...when it was happening and afterwards first few hours...I was a wreck, but then turned a negative into a positive, by saying "Hell I am a badass woman because I made it thru pacemaker surgery awake!! I spent one night in hospital and flew home on Saturday morning about 36hrs post op. My site looks great! Still extremely tired though...is that normal and when did every one begin to feel like themselves again? Thanks in advance and happy to be part of this group of amazing people :)

4 Comments

Give yourself time!

by Suz - 2015-05-11 09:05:51

I was 43 when I got my pacemaker, so I thought I would bounce back quickly. It took a couple of weeks to feel normal again and what I didn't expect was the anxiety and depression immediately after. Now, five months later, I just returned from the gym and frequently forget I have it. Give yourself time, follow your arm use restrictions, and allow your husband to pamper you a little!

not surgery

by knb123 - 2015-05-12 08:05:16

Congratulations on receiving your pacemaker. My PM experience was similar and yet different. For starters, I had a procedure, not surgery. It did last about two hours and I was aware of my surroundings but didn't feel any pain. From your description it sounds as if your implantation team could have given you a bit more sedation to calm you.

Even with a good outcome like yours, a hospital experience can be stressful. Procedures and even surgeries get delayed because sicker patients need to be taken care of first (that stands to reason, doesn't it?). And forget about getting a good night's sleep! My overnight in the ICU was full of people drawing blood, taking my vitals, etc.

Glad your husband is taking such good care of you. Take it easy; be thankful that your site looks great (some of the people on this site have not been so fortunate).

You Poor Thing!!!

by MathTeacher - 2015-05-12 08:05:38

I waited six hours for my procedure at the hospital, so I can appreciate what you went through. I was freaking out over being awake. However, my guys were really great and had me so sedated that I didn't remember a thing. I had nightmares of experiencing what you did. Yes; you're one badass woman! I iced my site (20 minutes on and 20 minutes off), and within two days, it was looking really good. Are you icing? I didn't have much pain (just in the middle of my chest - probably from where the screws were put in my heart). As far as being tired, I originally had mono (which wrecked havoc on the heart) but I read from a few people to expect to be tired for the first three to four weeks. After all, your body is adjusting to foreign objects. I'm three weeks post surgery tomorrow and feel it does me good to still sneak in a little nap in the afternoon. Back to work on Monday, so that's going to end.

time

by abbygirl - 2015-05-12 12:05:05

Yes, give it a little time. Mine was an emergency pacemaker implant because of a failed ablation. I went into Torsades and they rushed me into surgery.I was 48, it was a week before Thanksgiving and I was going to have a housefull of people. I stayed overnight at the hospital for 2 nights and went to work on Monday. I never thought about what had happened, that I had nearly died and now had this little machine keeping my heart beating, until my family came in for Thanksgiving. They were aking me about it, making me sit down, telling me to rest. But I felt fine, had no problems except for my arm in a sling.That was 13 years ago and I still have no problems. I don't even think about it now.

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I, too, am feeling tons better since my implant.