STUCK!!

OK. It is officially 2 weeks since the eveready bunny became my cousin. I got a 2 lead PM on 1/25. I am 59 and ticking. The shoulder is finally starting to feel normal, which I realize is a mixed blessing because it is harder to remember to keep it down. Hubby said he was going to tie it down if he saw me raise it, which so far I have not. I really don't want anything to happen to those leads...I want them to stay put.
My question is how long do the steri strips stay on? I think they are growing into my skin, They said don't pull them off - they would fall off. Has anyone every had them stay on forever????. Seems like I am being alittle whiny with all that everyone here has to deal with, because overall I feel great! Before PM, my HR was staying around 40 during the day and falling way lower than that at night with lots of pauses. Needless to say, with a resting HR of 60 I have lots of energy and feeling like a new person. I did my Wii step exercise and it got up to 75!!! I had no idea I needed a pacemaker... just thought I was getting old and slowing down.
I have one more week off work and am beginning to feel a little stir crazy. I probably could have gone back to work today, but I wanted to feel great and had the time, so I took it. Besides... it is snowing again this morning in Memphis and Memphians can't drive in daylight, and snow pretty much closes this place down. Since I live in Arkansas and drive 35 miles to work, I would not have even tried anyway.
I don't think I would have gotten through this new phase of my life without this board. EVERYONE! KEEP POSTING! (you too Pookie!)
If you are NEW... Keep Reading and Posting. These guys are GREAT!
I don't go back for my first check until 3/15. That seems like a long time to me from what is said on here, but I guess they figure I will call if anything goes amis. I am starting my "list" for when I go back. I know I need a print out of my "interogation". And I am sure I will have other questions. But right now I am just sleeping and enjoying my time off.
Hope everyone has a great week and stays warm.

9 Comments

strips

by Tracey_E - 2010-02-08 04:02:17

Mine are two weeks old today and were still stuck on there! I had a follow up today and the dr tugged them off. Now I'm all itchy :o)

post op 3 weeks

by irisheyes317 - 2010-02-08 05:02:29

And still have most of my steristrips. They are starting to curl but during my follow up last week, they told me to just leave them alone, that they would fall off eventually. I'm not even worried about them at all & feel a little safe with them there. I was also told that it would be OK to lift my arm to wash or curl my hair, but still, try to watch it for another week or two. The external incision is the least of the problems. They said I had 2 layers of actual sutures inside, that would eventually dissolve, but they were the ones that we really have to watch out for. So I figure, the longer the steristrips stay on and I'm aware of them, the more cautious I'm gonna be re: my movement. My big concern is the leads coming loose! It's bad enough that I have to do this again in 5-7 yrs... I certainly dont want to do it again, any time soon. LOL

irisheyes

by Tracey_E - 2010-02-08 06:02:08

Replacements are MUCH easier than the first time! Leads can last a lifetime and usually do not need replaced, just the battery. They go in the same place so it's all scar tissue. I've pretty much been numb there since my second replacement, I'm on #4 now.

Follow you doctor's orders

by Angelie - 2010-02-08 11:02:37

Leave the Steri-strips alone. They will fall off when it's time, and they will not grow into your skin.
Those steri-strips are helping keep your incision closed, and free from complications.

Good luck and welcome. Glad the PM is helping you feel more like a normal person again.

-Angelie

Everyone is Different ~ ~

by Carolyn65 - 2010-02-08 12:02:40

My steri-strips did not wash/fall off as mentioned to me. The PM techie removed them on a follow-up. She gave me some special "sticky" removal soap for when I showered, as the steri-strip "sticky" would not come off.

I followed each and every rule, written/unwritten when somone told me what to do/not to do. I did not want to jeporidize my leads/incision. I was so scared, I did not lift nor raise my left arm at all. Be sure and move that arm or you will get "freeze" of the use of the arm/shoulder. Just do not raise that arm obove the heart for a few weeks. The surgery "people" put my left arm in a sling while I was still "out of it" in surgery. When the sub doctor came the next morning on the weekend, he jerked the sling off & said I could take it home as a momtento, but not to isolate my movement of the arm/shoulder as I could lose the movement.

Each human is so different, but we all have the PM Club members to guide us through our questions/ difficult times or I would have never made it.

Hang in there, Carolyn G. in TEXAS ( :

battery

by irisheyes317 - 2010-02-09 01:02:23

My EP told me that they rarely replace batteries. He said that with technology these days, by the time my battery runs low in 5-7 yrs, there will be new and better devices and they'd just replace the whole thing. Battery life probably depends on how much one is pacing so I guess it could run low in less than 5 yrs! Lets hope when that time comes, a modern day Einstein will have invented a device thats about the size of a quarter, has a solar recharge and is totally wireless!!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3

You guys are GREAT

by qwerty - 2010-02-09 01:02:35

Thanks to all who responded, you are all the greatest. I will leave them alone, and I AM doing what I should. Glad to know that the "battery replacement" won't be quite so bad. I have to admit, even though I just got the PM, I was already dreading the battery replacement.

Thanks again to all on this board. You are all so helpful

battery

by Tracey_E - 2010-02-09 03:02:26

When I say battery, I mean the battery and lead generator computer- it's one piece so they wouldn't replace just the battery. Unless the leads are malfunctioning, they are usually left in place. That's why the replacements are so much easier than the first implant. I just had my 4th battery/generator replacement and one new lead. I still have my original two leads from my first implant. One of them is still working, we only replaced the one that went bad. Theoretically leads can last forever.

How much you pace is just one factor in how long they last. My first battery was estimated at 5 years but I got 7 out of it. I pace 100% but I'm very consistent in how I use it so they were able to turn down the safety margins to squeeze out extra life, and they turned off all the bells and whistles I don't need that use up battery power. Now, my last one only lasted 3 yrs! I pace the same as I always have but the lead went bad and they had to crank up the power to get the signal through.

Post Op

by richan - 2010-02-10 03:02:06

Hi Qwerty,
That is a great name. I just had my PM replaced (mid Jan 2010). My battery had under a year left in it - original placed in 2005. Like TraceyE said, they don't replace batteries. They replace the PM - and leads if necessary. The technology move so fast that by the time your battery runs down, the technology in a new PM is so much more advanced than the previous PM.
Anyhow my steri-strips did not "fall off" by themselves. When I went in for my "tuning" and print-out (2 weeks), my PM lady pulled off the strips. I guess that the residual adhesive stuff on my skin will eventually be gone.
Interesting, TraceyE, what did they tell you about the non-working lead?
Hope things go well for you Qwerty.

Richan

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