Recovery time/suggestions?

Had pacemaker implanted 6/10/15. Got it for heart pauses and bradycardia. Fortunately no fainting or emergencies. I was on a monitor for palpitations when they noticed that my heart paused for 3+ seconds 6 times one day. I'm 58 and not on any heart meds. PM just paces when my heart rate gets lower than 60 bpm daytime and 50 bpm nighttime. My resting HR before pacemaker was 54. Originally it was pacing all night and it was hard to sleep.

After surgery I was off work for 2 1/2 weeks then went back about 20 hours/week for 2 weeks. I'm still feeling quite tired. I was tired before I got the pacemaker but I could work 40 hours a week at my desk job. Now I hit the wall after 4 or 5 hours (it's like my brain shuts down). My EP Cardio says there is no reason I shouldn't be able to work full-time now. He doesn't think that increasing the rate would help with the fatigue. And he doesn't think the fatigue is related to the pacemaker and surgery.

It also seems like my brain is still a little fuzzy. I'm wondering when I will feel more normal again. I know we all heal differently.

3 Comments

sigh

by knb123 - 2015-07-14 05:07:32

Shellycleo, your story resonates with me! I, too, am a Baby Boomer; my PM was implanted four months ago. I had no unusual symptoms until one day I found myself winded after running up a flight of stairs at home. Two days later, I was diagnosed with full heart block and received the PM emergently.

Since then--though I feel fine now and have been given a clean bill of health--I'm looking back over the years and realize I'd been gradually slowing down without noticing it. (My husband says he noticed his own slowdown around your age.)

The point I'm trying to make is, it may be a little of both things: 1) you're still recovering from the procedure and 2) sadly, your body is aging.

Maybe you can ease back into FT work by building up to it, e.g., 5 hours a day for a week, 6 hours a day the next week, etc. I can commiserate with you about the fuzziness: again, I can't decide whether mine is PM-related or age-related...maybe a bit of both.

Meanwhile, grant yourself abundant time to return to normal. I know some people were running marathons after six weeks and others needed eight months or more before they started feeling normal again.

Hmmm...

by BetsyQ - 2015-07-14 07:07:53

I'm just 6 days post implant and I can't even begin to imagine going back to work. I'm 55 and feel frustrated that I'm falling asleep in my chair every few hours, so you sound quite amazing to me that you're even working at all. I keep hearing and reading about all of these people that bounce right back to normal life within days. I think some of us just take a bit longer. I keep telling myself to be kinder to myself and be patient. My advice to you would be the same. Can you ease back into working as knb123 suggested? I'm sitting here watching my garden grow like crazy with me unable to do much with it and although it's frustrating, I keep telling myself that with my new pm, I'll have many more years to tend it in the future. :-)
Betsy

Improving

by shellycleo - 2015-07-20 01:07:36

Thank you for your responses. I can feel the improvement. My mind was working better on Friday and my brain wasn't shutting down as much later in the week. Overdid it yesterday and have been extra tired today. Trying to listen to my body and be patient. When I found out I needed a pacemaker, I learned to knit. Knitting has been very helpful in the healing process.

You know you're wired when...

You fondly named your implanted buddy.

Member Quotes

My pacemaker is the best thing that every happened to me, had I not got it I would not be here today.