How much of your pacer can you feel?

Now that I have recovered enough to get back into a regular work out schedule I am starting to drop the weight I put on post surgery (5 lbs so far) and I am noticing that I can feel every little bit of the pacer. I was told it was put in in the muscle but I can feel the outline clearly, feel where the leads connect and I swear I can even feel the leads themselves. I sort of expected it to be more of an indistinct lump not something when I can feel so much of the outline.

9 Comments

Fatso

by Smart Redd - 2009-07-27 01:07:38


CoBradyBunch,

I thought I felt mine move during the early days after implant. Dr. poo-pooed me. Now, over a year post-op, I can distinctly feel everything at the top of the ICD and just barely make out the shape of the lower part. Methinks the device is laying atilt. Certainly not what the surgeon planned.

Good luck with your healing and dealing with your bionics.

Red in WI

I can feel it!

by dw5281 - 2009-07-27 03:07:36

Hi

Ive had mine for 18months now & I can see every bit! i can see the outline of the pacemaker, where the leads enter the vein & the leads themselves! I can also lift it & move it about! I should make it known that I am only a small build so there's not really much to hide it under!! I don't really mind to be honest I'm used to the lump now - though I did look like I'd had one breast implant for the first month or so!!

Lost weight and can see it

by johnb10000 - 2009-07-27 04:07:28

I lost a lot of weight and you can see the pacemaker sticking out. I can see and feel the wires near the heart but I can't see or feel the wires from the pacemaker to the heart.

When the pacemaker was installed I weighed about 240 pounds and found out if I kept eating the side effects from the drugs weren't as bad. I got to 280 ponds then lost over fifty pounds in the past six months. My ideal weight is about 200 pounds.

It has shifted a couple of times where it is less noticeable.

Even if I reach 200 pounds I will still keep my shirt on in the pool.

QUITE NORMAL

by pete - 2009-07-27 04:07:39

Yes its quite normal to feel every bit of your pacemaker . I can feel my wires/leads as well . You are advised not to "fiddle" with it. Cheers Peter

anwer...

by turboz24 - 2009-07-27 07:07:18

How much of your pacer (ICD) can you feel?

The whole thing, wires, connector plugs, etc.

depends

by Tracey_E - 2009-07-27 10:07:47

It should settle in more over the next few months. How it looks/feels in the end depends on your build and your surgeon, just how deep it is. Some doctors are hesitant to put it too deep in the muscle because it can cause discomfort so buried isn't truly buried.

I can feel a little lump where the leads were put in the vein but I can't feel the leads themselves. I can barely feel the edges of the pm itself, but that's very rare and I don't know anyone else here who can say that.

a bunch...hopefully

by Cyborg Runner - 2009-07-27 12:07:02

I too had the same feelings after my installation last summer. Even more so as the swelling went down. Now that I have been back in full training, it sticks out more than ever, including where the leads come out of the top of the unit. I take this as a good sign that my body fat has decreased making the unit more easily seen.
Now that I've had my PM for almost a year I am proud at races to look and see that I have this thing in me and I can still crush most of my opponents.
You will grow used to seeing it and feeling it. It is what it is, there is not much you can do about it. Or, you could become a fatso and then you won't see it at all..

can definitely feel the top of the unit

by COBradyBunch - 2009-07-28 01:07:56

connectors, at least one wire. Whole thing is about two fingers below my collarbone.

feel the wires

by Hot Heart - 2009-07-30 07:07:29

Hi there, i can feel my wires as well, so i just dont mess there. I sort of feel safer knowing they are near the surface, easily accessible.

I do make sure I dont get sunburned there and always put on a bit of moisturiser when i do my face, but i cover it with fake tan as well.

HH

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