recovery concerns

Great site, I have been reading and learning but this is my first post. I am a 72 year old male that led a fairly active retired life up until this episode. I had a dual valve Biotronik PM installed on 4/28/19 without complications and have been home following recovery orders since 4/29. My first Doctor visit is 5/6 with my primary care physician and 5/10 with cardiology to check the PM. So my question is, I wake up most mornings feeling weak, lathargic, not much energy at all, this feeling follows me through most of the day although not bad enough to keep me off my feet doing some things around the house. I am not dizzy but occasionally a bit light headed and I rest or take a nap when I feel it is needed. lots of water during the day. From all you folks that have been through this, especially seniors such as myself, does this sound like a typical first week after surgery recovery?  I guess I was expecting to feel better quicker, typical old man thinking he is 25 years younger maybe. Thanks in advance for any comments or insight.

5 Comments

Recovery after surgery

by Selwyn - 2019-05-04 13:02:01

You need to have surgery. Your brain and body are all ready to go. Of course you can cope with this stress to your system.  Along with all of this hype. comes a payback/ recovery period.

It is perfectly normal to feel tired some days after surgery. There has to be a recovery period. Sometimes this takes the form of low mood. The bigger the operation the more likely you are to feel the after effects.

The older you are the longer the recovery period.

I would be trying to get yourself back to fitness in a gradual, graded way.

We know it is perfectly reasonable to have a period of recovery after surgery, often characterised by tiredness.  If you are still in a similar state 1 month hence, then I would be concerned that there is something else going on. 

We all react differently

by AgentX86 - 2019-05-04 21:59:48

Some jump right off the table and are ready to rumble.  The surgery takes a lot more out of others.  Some have a longer time recovering from the anesthetic (even a tooth filling would wipe my mother out for a week).  Others need their pacemaker adjust to get back in the game.  You're only a few days out.  Give your body (and mind) a chance to get it all together again.  Do talk with your EP about it though.  They can't help if they don't know what's bothering you

Check meds

by Jimmy Dinfla - 2019-05-05 18:26:27

Great preceding comments.  One other idea is to check the prescriptions.  Where any added?  Dosage changes?  Timing?  Different brands like changing to a generic?   My cardiologist had me on one that created similar symptoms to yours.  He changed to another med and I was fine.  I doubt the recent onset is due to age.

Hoping you get back to normal soon.

Opinion of my Doctor

by Alex265 - 2019-05-07 17:27:04

Feeling better since my original post and the weak, no energy feeling has gotten better with each day. My first Doctors appt. after my implant was yesterday and I was feeling good, BP, pulse everything as it should be. I described my earlier feelings and he said, in the absence of other factors, that it sounded like other cases he has seen. He described how, during surgery, anesthesia is gradually dripped in to your body, it does its job and you wake up but at the same time these drips are going from your blood stream into other organs and tissue throughout your body. The effects of this may not go away immediately from everywhere and some individuals will react diferently as the drugs leave the body over several days. Well that is my laymans explanation of what he said, I am sure someone with medical expertise can describe it better but it made scense to me. 

Slow recovery

by Brian Robert - 2019-05-21 13:53:25

I have already posted elsewhere on this site about am embarassing topic - Most men do it apparently though!  I am 70 and with no previous history of heart block. After having to have a lead on my Medtronic replaced after two weeks which has of course set me back another two weeks (Driving ban etc in the UK is for me four weeks) I have been feeling what I consider to be post traumatic stress syndrome. I have been virtually too scared to sleep as I think the device will fail. I have been widowed and live on my own.  I am quite an anxious person. I have experiencing strange things at night and even when waking such as "waves of tiredness" excessive hypnic jerks and trembling and even wierd euphoria  I think these are actually stress symptoms but they have made me think the device is not working. Indeed the first time round the system had indeed failed. I am considering CBT therapy.  The excellent Cardiac Unit I attended (which I sure is world class) do not tell you anything about likely stress. They just tell you the thing is working OK. For a few days after the second operation I have felt normal for only a few hours from afternoon to evening only. However at least today which is the sixth day after the second operation and after a poor sleep with a scary dream of the device failing I have felt normal and I am enjoying the lovely maytime (cool) sunshine of southern England. Will tomorrow be as good?

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