New Owner of a Porsche PM

Hi,
I'm 36year old female and have had a pacemaker and ICD implanted in the last 2 weeks. It was a bit of a shock to me as someone who trains daily if not twice a day and generally looks after myself. My HR was 32bpm at rest and had been for around 8 months, whilst I slept it was around 18bpm. I had continued to train and noticed Inwas extremely fatigued (assumed it was long shifts) and I was dizzy most of the time but again assumed it was a lack of sugar... Anyway, I a routine medical at work and after an ECG I was taken in immediately for surgery as I had grade 3 complete heart block. My body had adapted but I was apparently very lucky. No reason has been found for this happening, an MRI showed my heart was enlarged but I was told this had happened through training with this issue...
In general I feel fantastic, my fatigue has gone, I sleep well and my energy levels are through the roof! The hardest thing is not using the energy as I'm only 14 days post surgery. I am the proud owner of an biotronik Epura 8 with build in ICD. This is running my heart around 98% of the time which may be a little concerning but I have been told it should last around 14 years... Technology is amazing! It's set to reach 165bpm and whenever I check my HR it's 60bpm at rest.
I have a few questions, I went back to the gym immediately.. I only walk on the treadmill, cycle and do leg work currently.. Does anyone have any advice on when I can start to run and do a little more. The site of the PM is still a little tender and nips every so often. Also swimming... I swam 3 miles a day previously, I've heard rumour that due to the PM being on top of the pectoral muscle I won't be able to do this?
Last question is regarding how much it protrudes, I have no issue with this cosmetically... It just seems to move around a lot and I can fell quite clearly the wires connecting. I am a firearms officer in the police and don't want the body armour to rub into the site as it sits where a Kevlar plate is.. If anyone could give me a little advice and maybe experiences this would be appreciated...

Kerry

4 Comments

balance ?

by oldearthworm - 2015-10-17 02:10:25

Is there such a thing as too much exercise and activity ? I am an example of too little, IMO .. But, an extreme amount of energy .. this may not be so good .. think of the heart stress ..knowledgeable doctors should chime in here ..
I wonder what is an enlarged heart ?? its a muscle ..if one trains and exercises all the time , I'd think the heart would increase in size, like any other muscle ...
Well, my best to you with your PM ...I must admit, I'd love having some of your energy, Kerry..

Protruding PM

by Good Dog - 2015-10-17 04:10:36

Hi Kerry,
Just an FYI......you could have had the PM implanted under the muscle to keep it from protruding and/or rubbing on your vest. Keep that in-mind for when you get a replacement.

You should not be raising your arm above your head (as in swimming) for at least a month or as instructed by the doc. Your leads need time for tissue to grow around them and make them secure. After that you can do as you please.

You should be able to resume all normal activity without any restrictions in due time at your own pace. Just stay in-tune with your body, because it will tell you if there are any problems. I was playing competitive basketball 6 mo after having mine implanted and I remember taking my pulse often. When it was too fast to be able to count and I felt well, I knew I had no reason for concern.
Unfortunately, when I first received my PM, nobody told me much of anything and it was at a time before the internet. So I had to kinda learn what I could do. The good news; I found that I could do anything I wanted!
The longer you have your PM, the more you will forget you have one!
Wishing you the best!

David

Can answer a couple of your questions.

by Lurch - 2015-10-17 12:10:56

Or at least provide my thoughts....

Swimming - yes you will be able to swim, I do it quite often. Once your incision site totally closes you can swim (at least that is what my EP told me). You will initially find that your implant site will get a little sore from using your pectoral muscles while swimming, but it gets better quickly.

Body armor - depending on how your vest fits you should be OK. As with anything it will take some getting used to. If you have form fitted vest, just make sure it covers the implant site. I can tell you from experience, taking a blow to the ICD hurts!!!

I can feel the attachment point for the wires on my ICD also. In the first few months, mine moved around a little. It is now about 15˚ counterclockwise from where it was initially placed. I think the pocket has created scar tissue to keep it from moving so much now (implanted 18 months ago).

Good luck and enjoy your career. I was in police services for 40 years...

Kerry---Is it a BV pacemaker?

by jvaltos - 2015-10-18 01:10:46

So, I read your initial comments and am left a little perplexed.

Recently, the BLOCK-HF trial demonstrated that pts with a high degree of AV block (you said 3rd degree) and heart failure, should have a BV pacemaker-defibrillator implanted.

I am just curious as to what device you have.

Some EPs and non-EPS have trouble with implanting advanced devices, and simple don't offer them to the proper pts as a result.



And yes, exercise can be too vigorous, but typically only results in an enlargement of the Right atrium and right ventricle with an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation

JDV

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