After the operation

Hi, I am a new member. I am 34 and five days ago I got my first pacemaker. It took two operations in one day to get it right. During the last few days I got gastritis, sore gums and a migraine and feel not very energetic at all which probably indicates that my immune system is low. My heart rate though feels fine and constant. Now and then I do feel that I cannot breath terribly easy. Everybody told me that I would feel great (apart from the wound) immediately after the operation. Not feeling very confident about all this at all at the moment.
Has anybody else had a similar experience?

Would be great to have your input.
Many thanks,

Dimitris

3 Comments

Welcome! You are not alone!

by Swedeheart - 2008-05-19 07:05:04

Welcome to this great site!

I am also new to the pacemaker world. I have had mine just barely 3 months. My general physician also thought and told me I would feel great right away after implant.... it took me 2 months before I felt I could really get better. It takes our bodies quite a bit of adjustment for many of us. Some folks do feel better right away... and some do not.

We also tend to think about the PM all the time and wonder what is happening... it can be pretty scary! I know I have had way too many anxious moments about it all. Learning how it works and that it will get better has helped me manage my anxiety about it. Sometimes I feel I have to labor a bit to breathe and it isn't generally when I am doing something requiring exercise... it just feels like my breathing is "lazy".

I go in in a couple of weeks for my first "real" adjustment since implant. My doctor's nurse told me that they like to make sure everything is all settled before they really change the settings. I am hoping the newer settings will help many things all around. I had a visit where they checked my PM at 3 weeks post implant, but they didn't change much at that time. My settings are on factory settings... 60 and 130. I also had a great deal of difficulty sleeping for the first 6 weeks or so.... I couldn't get comfortable and sleeping on my back got very tiresome. Once I healed enough to sleep in more normal positions for me I started to feel better.

Remember, you have been through a lot. You have a new device that is assisting your heart and you need to give it all time to heal. The doctors are much more optimistic about recovery time ~ it does make those whose hearts have major problems feel better right away because they begin to get proper blood flow and oxygen! If you have heart block or some other issue that isn't life threatening it may or may not be noticable in how you feel.

Good luck! Hopefully others will post to your question as well.

Swedeheart

Hello Dimitris!

by jenh - 2008-05-23 03:05:58

I'm 35, pretty close to you in age, but am actually now on pacemaker #4! I know that they always say the surgery is just a "simple procedure" (and for many people it is), but I've found that for me, after surgery, it can take as long as a couple of months before I really feel 100% 5 days really isn't all that much time in the big scheme of things.

As Swedeheart mentioned, you'll likely be going in for initial adjustments soon. If things still aren't feeling right, talk to your doctor. It's important to make sure the settings work for you and your lifestyle.

Just keep hanging in there, taking it easy, and letting your body heal.

I'm sure you'll be feeling better in no time!

Jen

Thanks you both for your comments!

by Dimitris - 2008-05-26 05:05:19

Thank you for your messages. It is very helpfull to hear from your experience. I start to feel much better now but still not back to my old self as I get tired/ exausted very easily. I have an check up appointment tomorrow and will discuss these symptoms as you suggested.

Wish you both well,

Dimitris

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