SURGERY ON JANUARY 7

Hi, I'm schedule to have pacemaker surgery on January 7; and I have to say, I'm getting pretty nervous. I have sinus bradycardia and my HR has been getting down into the 30's and 40's. The question I have initially is how long does it take before I will feel well enough to go back to work. My cardiologist's nurse says that I should be able to go back to work within a few days. Does that sound correct? My surgery is on Thursday, and they say I'll be able to go back to work on Monday. How long will I be sore? I really appreciate any answers you may have for me. Thanks very much.

10 Comments

We all differ

by WillieG - 2015-12-27 02:12:36

My PM was implanted on a Monday afternoon and I drove 430 miles by myself 2 days later for my nephew's graduation. My reason for the PM was exercise induced heart block so I had felt fine before. The main problem I had on the drive was that my left arm was so sore I had to use the blinker light with my right arm. But three days later for the trip home, my arm had recovered enough to lift the blinker light. I was biking and hiking and flew out West a week after my surgery. So not everyone is tired! I was 61 y.o.

Good luck and I hope you have a speedy recovery.

One more thing

by WillieG - 2015-12-27 04:12:15

I did want to add that the mental adjustment for me was very difficult. It is hard to accept that you need a PM when you exercise 2 to 3 hours a day and have never seen a cardiologist and then to wake up from an EP study wth a PM. Afterwards, I still had the blocks biking up steep hills and had several adjustments in my settings. Then the blocks only occurred once a month and for a 3 month period, not at all. So I felt like I didn't need it and was angry that I had it. But 9 months after the surgery, they reappeared around a rate of 120 bpm vs. 160 before. It was then that I understood what my EP meant about Mobitz II being unpredictable! I would agree that it could take 6 months to a year to totally adjust. But it is important to understand that everyone is so different and it is impossible to know what your circumstance might be. Have a good attitude and in the long run, your health should be better!

Another newbie - does feel better

by techiej - 2015-12-27 06:12:07

I'm now 8 days out since getting my PM and I have to say that within 24hrs of getting it I was feeling better than I had in at least a year.

My Brady started following an unrelated surgery earlier in the year. I used to have a resting rate of 50-55 (am not an athlete) and after that surgery it would run in the low 40's and sometimes dip into the upper 30's. In addition, I had become very slow to increase the rate with exertion and couldn't get my rate much above a 100.

I'm not tired all of the time and don't get lightheaded and am no longer struggling to stay awake until 8:30 before going to bed.

Can't speak about getting back to work as I'm retired but if it wasn't for the restrictions on not raising the arm over the shoulder or lifting more than 10lb in that arm I would definitely be back to my normal activities.

FYI - my paced rate was set to 50.

Play it by ear

by NiceNiecey - 2015-12-27 06:12:31

Welcome to the club, Friend.

Please play it by ear whether you'll be ready for work. I was 55 when I got my PM and I was really exhausted for a couple weeks. Some of it depends on what your job is. My husband and I own our own business so I had flexibility. Those first weeks I would fall asleep at the drop of a dime.

I was also told by the doc that I could travel over seas a week after placement. No way!!! I was very glad I didn't go on that trip. I told my husband I didn't feel well enough to do it. Because the doctor said it was ok, my husband thought i should be fine. Thankfully my dear husband trusted me enough to make the call based on how I was feeling.

Only YOU will know when it's time to work 40 hours again. Let your employer know that you'll need to take it a day at a time.

All the best. I will pray for a great surgery and recovery.
Niecey

Listen to your own body.

by BetsyQ - 2015-12-27 06:12:39

I was told many things when I received my pm. Some were true, others weren't. I was told I would go home the same day I got my pm. I was in the hospital 4 days. I'm 55 and "retired" a couple of years ago. If I had been working, there is no way I could have gone back to my bookkeeping job the next week. I was exhausted for several weeks and would fall asleep at the drop of a hat. I was also not allowed to drive for 3 weeks. I truly hope you recover quickly enough to go back to work right away, but please listen to your own body. Each of us is different and recovers different. Good luck and feel free to sk questions.

You'll know

by chatterbox3110 - 2015-12-27 09:12:25

I had mine fitted 26 November for sinus bradycardia (sick sinus syndrome).

I was in hospital overnight and told not to drive for a week. Driving is sort of OK but does make me ache.

I feel tired a lot and had some issues with light-headedness when the PM clicks off and my heart takes over, but I went back to work after two weeks. I can't do everything at full speed yet, as I get a lot of discomfort in my collar bone, but not sure if its due to insertion or where I fell on the shoulder 6 days before the op (surgeon went mad when he found out as should area was very swollen) - I now think I went back a bit too early but in hindsight......

So its up to how you feel really, don't let people try to persuade you to do what you're not up to.

Please remember also that if you drive you need to inform the DVLA of the PM, you can download form H1 online or call DVLA and they'll send you one. You also need to inform your vehicle insurers.

Back to work

by Good Dog - 2015-12-27 12:12:35

What they told you is true. You will easily feel well enough to go back to work on Monday. As a Matter-of-fact, I would recommend it. The sooner you get back into the swing of things, the better. This is not a high risk surgery. Despite the complications of the previous posters, recovery is often more about the mental adjustment than the physical.
It is really likely that you will feel well enough to return to work on Monday. However, if you don't and you feel you need more rest, that shouldn't be a problem. Your excuse: you just had surgery! If you tell your doc that you need an extra week off, he will give you an excuse.
Above all else; Just remember that you are getting this PM to improve the quality of your life. You can rest assured that it will. I have 30 years experience living with one and can honestly tell you that it has had absolutely no negative impact on my life. Only positive.
I wish you a quick recovery!
Sincerely,

David

I think they're crazy...

by MathTeacher - 2015-12-28 02:12:46

I, too, was told I could be back to work pretty quickly...a week. After the pacemaker implant, you'll find that you can't move your arm very well, so you won't be able to pull a shirt over your head. Do you have a lot of button down shirts? If you can take off, then do that. My husband was murdered ten days after I got my pacemaker. I was in the funeral parlor in pajamas, since I couldn't move to get fully dressed. You should probably wait a week before you drive anyhow. I think the people in these offices should get a pacemaker implant themselves. I don't think any of them would suggest a week's recovery time. If you have the time off from work, then take it. I ended up missing several weeks, yet I also had mono, so I couldn't tell whether I was tired from the pacemaker, the mono, or my circumstances. It's a luxury to be able to take a nap when you need it, so I'd say take off at least two weeks. If you really feel up to it, then I'm sure your job wouldn't mind you coming back earlier, if you're ready. Better safe than sorry. Take the time to recover and take care of yourself. I think you'll be glad you did.

you be the judge

by knb123 - 2015-12-28 09:12:30

All of us on this site have had the pacemaker-implant experience but as you can tell, you received a wide range of answers to your question about returning to work on the Monday following your implant.

It's possible you'll feel well enough to return to work then, but don't feel as if you're a "failure" at Recuperation 101 if you don't. I'm a little older than you and personally, I was glad I was able to clear my calendar for two weeks post-implant. It gave me a chance to rest and emotionally adjust to my new normal.

By the way--when you cannot lift your arm above your head, it really limits your ability to style your hair. Since my spouse has little talent in this area, I had him drive me weekly to one of those "chain" hair salons, where I got a shampoo and blowout. It was a small extravagance, yes, but so nice not to have to worry about how my hair looked.

back to work

by Bee bee - 2015-12-30 03:12:07

I had my icd inserted on December 8th and this week is the first week I haven't felt like the icd was going to pop out of my chest and total awkwardness and uncomfortable feeling. I think you'd be able to go back to work 3-4 days after - I was at home doing lots of stuff around the house - without using my one arm ; ) or lifting.

I think though you may just have to mentally accept the 'feeling' is going to be a bit uncomfortable or weird for a few weeks and to expect that. It can be hard to feel so uncomfortable in the presence of a large group of people.

Having said that everyone is different and doing something is better for healing than sitting around doing nothing.

You know you're wired when...

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Good luck with your surgery. It will improve life amazingly.