New to the Pace Maker world

Hi, Im a 48 year old woman and I received my St. Judes pacemaker July 3rd. On my first check up 2 weeks later I mentioned to the cardiac nurse that something did not feel right and it turned out that one of the leads had moved so I was rescheduled for surgery. I had surgery on July 31st and they ended up replacing the lead as it was not working correctly. Im having a really hard time learning to trust "Penny"(my husband named her!) Prior to getting Penny I had been back and forth to the dr's so many times complaining of not feeling well, lots of pvc's and heart irregularities. I then started having near fainting spells which were very disturbing to me and again i went to the doctor and was told every thing is "fine" I had one more test done and they finially discovered that I had intermitant third degree block and had the surgery a week later. Since having the 2nd surgery I just still can't relax and believe that everything is fine. Will this ever go away. Im feeling tired and exhausted still but hoping it will go away soon. My heart rate seems to be low at times as well even though the pacer is set for 60. I would appreciate any comments or comforting words from a fellow "pacer" Thanks

6 Comments

I"M new..and doing great

by LIVE_STRONG - 2008-08-06 02:08:04

I had a St.Jude PM implanted on July 25. So I am pretty new.
I can see why you feel a little uneasy..but all we can do is try and adjust.
I am 45 years old and have a healthy heart..I am very athletic...just had a slow HR. Too slow..low 30's.
I have had my share of problems..mostly hesitant about getting it..and then trying to understand it all.
There are some great people on this site with much more experience than I....but I did just get mine too.
I went for a 2 mile walk today..so I am getting back into the swing of things..although..I know I still have some recovery time ahead. I still have my arm in a sling..and still have at least a week or two before I can move my arm above my head.
We just had a conversation about pm and leads moving..they should be sutured down on implant so they do not move...some people did not have theirs done correctly. I felt fortunate to find out mine was sutured properly....I would have never known to ask if it were not for the wonderful people on this site!
From what I have been told here..our anxiety level will decrease over time....we need to adjust.

Best Wishes, Holly

hi jcheezer

by jessie - 2008-08-06 02:08:32

don't worry . it gets better. i was tired like for a long time like maybe 4 months. i was quite ill and had to recuperate. i had literally for sure 3rd degree heart block in aug 2006. it is coming up for my second anniversary. relax it will get better. it is quite an adjustment for sure. so emotionally it may be awhile before you are there.keep coming here. it is like great support. take care jess

takes time

by Tracey_E - 2008-08-06 07:08:05

I can see why you're having a hard time trusting it! Know that what happened to you is rare and pm's are very dependable overall.

Healing is both physical and emotional. It takes time to get used to the idea that your heart doesn't beat on its own anymore. And you just had two surgeries, so it'll take some time before your body heals and you are feeling yourself again. You'll be feeling better than your old self before you know it!

That said, if you count your hr and it's below 60, get them to check it again. Don't wait for the next appointment, get them to check you sooner. If you're set for a min of 60, you should never count anything under 60.

It will get better!

by bambi - 2008-08-06 12:08:56

Hi and welcome to the club! It's especially hard when just adjusting physically and emotionally to a pacemaker is a big deal, and then there's a complication! I think you will learn to trust your pacer over time. I know from experience that if you know something's not right, it usually isn't! It's usually that "last" test that tells them so, too! Trust your instincts about your own body. Let us know how you're doing!
Bambi

thanks for the response

by jcheezer - 2008-08-07 02:08:38

As I said in my first email im new to this so thanks to the 4 people who responded it means alot to me. Today is one week since my second surgery. Yesterday I was feeling quite sluggish and my heart rate felt slow. My cardiac nurse said that sometimes because I have so many pvc's that when I take my pulse I won't necessarily feel each beat.(does that make sense?) Im trying not to dwell on this and that everything is fine. My first checkup appointment is not until August 21st so not sure if I can wait that long. Also I hear that some of you wore a sling for a while after surgery, I suggested this after having to go through the surgery so soon after the first one and my cardiac nurse said I could if I wanted but that it was not necessary because she worries about getting frozen shoulder. Did many of you wear a sling? and for how long? I welcome your response. Jean

slings

by Tracey_E - 2008-08-07 09:08:30

I only wore a sling until I was discharged from the hospital, I didn't even take it home. I didn't move my arm around much or lift it above my head for a month, mostly held it by my side. If you feel better with a sling or are afraid you might overdo it, give it a try.

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