Bit of fear.

easy

by Tracey_E - 2017-10-17 09:43:15

Are they leaving it i the same place? At 11 it could have been either in the chest or abdomen. If it's staying in the same place, the worst part of getting the second one is the anticipation! After that, you'll know how easy it is. If the first was a 10, the second is more like a 2 or 3. I'm on my 5th. Last year whe I got  my newest, I had an early appointment so was out of there by 11, grabbed lunch on the way home, took a little nap, then worked a few hours.

Assuming your leads are good, they will go in the same place, take out the old one and test the leads. The new one will be programmed and ready to go so as soon as they check the leads they make the switch and close. That's it. The restrictions after the first surgery are due to new leads,  most of the pain the first time is from creating the pocket. Now after so many years, that pocket is all scar tissue so it gets numb. The only thing we have to do is take care of the incision until it heals. Even that is easier than it used to be because most of them use tape or glue instead of sutures which means we can get it wet. 

Good luck! 

Pacemaker change

by Selwyn - 2017-10-17 14:04:11

As easy as changing a plug. Disconnect the wires, put in a new unit, screw fix wires back into unit. That's it!

Local anaesthetic always stings a little, then everything goes numb- can't feel a thing.

You don't have to restrict your arm movements after the surgery. All leads are soundly in place.

Just like getting a mobile phone upgrade- you can now have the latest model with the best features!  

Just remember, the person doing the surgery does that more often than you eat breakfast! 

Kind regards,

Selwyn

Hmmm, I understand

by jp - 2017-10-19 04:25:23

Hi Megiemay

im sorry your nervous, and I understand. It’s so hard to control anxiety. I’ve had a very challenging year and a half, including near death, a helicopter ride to an intensive care unit, and the docs couldn’t do a thing to save me. I was going to live, or not. Recovering has been a grind, lots of up days, but more than a few scary down days. But here I am. The doctors and hospitals have this so down that the surgery is really considered pretty minor. I did some studying about pacemaker inplsnts and found that there are problems, but most are very minor, and corrected. A study confirmed only one death in 75,000 implants. Basically that’s about 500 less than deaths from all causes. So you’d better be careful crossing the street!  But when they go to do your surgery you’re actually safer than you are outside. 😉 

But maybe none of the facts will give you comfort, sometimes our fears aren’t rational, they just “are there, and can’t be explained”.  I can only add that the one thing I wish I could change in my last year and a half, and that would be I would have worried less.  That’s because anxiety is a totally wasted emotion.  It helps nothing, and causes us to suffer unnecessarily.  And stress does make us unhealthy.  So if you think about it, stressing over your outcome may hurt your chances.  The doctors and nurses will do their best to help your procedure be a success.  Won’t you consider helping them like a good team member?  By pushing yourself to have a positive outlook, you will actually help them and your own chances!  How about this?  Allow for the possibility that you’ll have a terrific outcome.  Just maybe you will have that!!

Good luck!  Please let us know how it goes  ❤️