Pacemaker

Guys I went in to the hospital yesterday for a stint and came home today 12/17/15 with a pacemaker the doc said I came to see a plumber and needed an electrican. my question is when will I be back to normal and not have to worry about bleeding to death?

3 Comments

How about now?

by Tracey_E - 2015-12-18 04:12:11

I don't think there has ever been anyone who bled to death from getting a pacer...

Complications happen less than 1% of the time, most often dislodged leads or infection. That said, it can take some time to learn to trust the pacer to do its job. As we heal and get back to life, it gets easier to forget it's there and trust that it will take care of us. It's a high tech computer, much more dependable than our wonky electrical systems.

Not sure what you mean

by Theknotguy - 2015-12-18 04:12:40

Not sure about your comment about bleeding to death. Don't know where that idea comes from as having a pacemaker doesn't automatically mean you're going to bleed a lot.

Not uncommon for testing in the hospital to uncover a hidden problem. Apparently they discovered you had an electrical problem and took steps to take care of it. It's a lot better than waking up dead.

As far as recovery time, that depends upon you. You're OK to be miffed about the situation - a lot of us are. But if you keep a positive attitude about it you'll heal faster. It's OK not to like the pacemaker - I don't necessarily like mine, but I do like the effects. My other option is to be dead and I don't like that option at all.

"Normal" time for recovery is 4-6 weeks for the wound to heal and scar tissue to form. Some people heal faster, others take longer.

They tell you not to raise the arm on the PM side and not to pick up anything over 8-10 pounds with the same arm for four weeks. It gives your body time to heal and the scar tissue to heal. After that you can start exercise but need to take it easy at first.

If you look around the forum you'll see people with pacemakers leading "normal" lives and, in some cases, better than normal lives. The pacemaker isn't a hindrance it's a help.

Welcome to the club. Feel free to come back with questions. We have a lot of people with a lot of knowledge.

I hope everything else goes well for you, that you heal quickly, and that you're able to adjust to your new life.

Welcome to the club siggy

by IAN MC - 2015-12-18 08:12:41

Did you go to the wrong operating theatre by mistake and they said " Well as you're here " . ( If that is the case I'm glad it wasn't a gynae theatre.) or did you suddenly develop bradycardia as they were about to shove a stent up your artery ?

Please tell us more, you must have had symptoms of angina for them to even consider a stent ?

Still, glad you've got the electrical problems sorted out and I hope you have a quick recovery

Ian

You know you're wired when...

You’re officially battery-operated.

Member Quotes

I had a pacemaker when I was 11. I never once thought I wasn't a 'normal kid' nor was I ever treated differently because of it. I could do everything all my friends were doing; I just happened to have a battery attached to my heart to help it work.