Pacemaker protector for seatbelt

Walmart

by Lavender - 2023-03-15 17:33:14

Folks here pointed me to the walmart faux sheepskin one. It's in the automotive department. 

Seatbelt

by Pmgirl - 2023-03-15 19:30:09

Thank you. I actually saw that one and wondered how it compared to the one that advertises on this site.

Seatbelt

by docklock - 2023-03-15 19:33:44

I've had a faux sheep skin one for many years -- well before my PM.  I didn't like the rough edge of the original seat belt. 
I bought mine thru eBay for less than $10.  Don't pay much attention to "brand names". They do have "real sheepskin" ones also.  
Honestly don't know how much protection they offer to protect the PM but I guess every thing helps.  

Seatbelt

by Pmgirl - 2023-03-15 20:11:26

Thanks. Ideally I would like to find one that somehow creates an gap directly over the pacemaker rather than cushions it with a pillow or padding. 
 

I'm beginning to think it's like finding a needle in a haystack. 

Pacemakers Are Tougher Than Our Human Body!

by Angry Sparrow - 2023-03-15 20:18:45

I accidentally found a great protection for my body in the event my seatbelt or restraining system is tightened.  I am not worried about my CRT-D my concern is for the pain caused by pressure on my device.

I make a major effort to protect my device from being hit, kicked, bumped or cold.  My comfort depends on my CRT not damaging the tissue around it.

I love wool, I tried sheep skin tube around my automobile seat belt, not quite right for my need. Sheep skin resists a lot of the ill's from fleece.

When you take a hit, spreading out the area of the hit lessens the damage, you need some type of protection that spreads the energy of any hit to your ICD.

When my seatbelt has been called into use it hits in a different spot than where  it rests when not being reactive.

Don r wrote an account of a nasty wreck he was in after his ICD implant.  He writes of his injuries and how well his ICD survived.  Interesting reading.

Seatbelt

by Pmgirl - 2023-03-15 20:31:45

Thanks Angry Spartow. I' m looking for something that will protect my still sensitive skin that's directly over my 6 week implant site.

Homemade

by Gotrhythm - 2023-03-15 20:43:41

As Sparrow says, your pacemaker doesn't need protection. If you're bothered by the pressure against the pacemaker, as I was immediately after my surgery, let me suggest my "fix."

Fold a washcloth into several thicknesses over the shoulder harness section just under the section that lies on the pacemaker. Secure it with duct tape. It will keep the harness from actually pressing on the pacemaker.

When you don't need it anymore, remove the tape and launder the washcloth and return it to the linen closet.

Seatbelt

by Pmgirl - 2023-03-15 21:09:46

Thanks Gotrhythm. Sounds like a good idea to avoid having anything putting pressure directly on the implant site and that sensitive skin.

 

Faux sheepskin

by AgentX86 - 2023-03-15 22:17:01

The idea of the faus sheepskin is to place it on the sternum, or just to the left, to raise the shoulder harness off the PM.  It's not going to protect anything (a fools errand) but it will relieve the pain of the shoulder harness.  The belt cover is better than fixes not specifically made for seat belts is that they don't tend to stay with the seat belt.  The $10 sheepskin cover has velcro to hold it onto the belt. It will probably need to be adjusted up and down each time it's put on but that becomes automatic, just like fastening it in the first place.

Seatbelt

by Pmgirl - 2023-03-15 22:28:30

Thank you Agentx86. I thought that a faux sheepskin was positioned on top of the implant, but the way you explained it, might lift the belt off the implant site. 
thanks.

Pain at insertion site

by IronMike - 2023-03-16 03:20:26

I dealt with pain a few years after my surgery. It was only if it ever got bumped or hit though. Seatlbelts didn't seem to bother it. After some time though, it completely went away. I don't have that pain on my skin anymore when there is pressure applied to it...guess I never worried about the seatbelt protectors after that. My pacer has taken some pretty good blows so I don't think it'd be damaged in event of an accident, but I supposed the leads could be. Better safe than sorry I suppose! 

What AgentX86 said🤣

by Lavender - 2023-03-16 08:46:02

My protector is not placed on top of the pacemaker. I don't let anything lay on it. I use it to lift the seatbelt up off the pacemaker by placing it on another area which gives just enough space to keep the seatbelt off the pacemaker. 😉

Accident

by AgentX86 - 2023-03-16 17:53:06

I didn't even think about that.  My pacemaker site was painful to the touch for about eight months but I wore the sheepskin for three and a half, mainly because it was there.  I didn't really need it anymore.

3-1/2 years after my PM implant, I did get in an accident that deployed all of the airbags (and totalled my truck).  I was pretty banged up (including a broken wrist) but no pain from my PM area (didn't even think of that until now). Because of the direction of the hit (front right quarter) I had to hit the harness pretty hard. I know an accident wouldn't hurt the PM but it didn't hurt me either.