10-3-2011 Surgery

I just had surgery a few days ago. I went into the ER 4 days prior to surgery w/ chest pains, dizziness, slurring my words, confusion, & headache. At the time I was leaning towards me having a stroke. All tests ruled that out (thankfully). I am 47 years old. There was a wonderful cardio doctor on call that night and almost right away he knew what I was going to need done. My heart rate was 38 and it didn’t go up much more than that. Even during the stress test the highest it reached was 106, and as soon as I stopped on the treadmill it went right back to the 30’s as fast as can be.

I still don’t think it has hit me that I have a pacemaker inside me. Right now I am dealing with not being able to lift my left arm (never knew I used it as much as I did apparently till I was told to not use it), not being able to drive, shower without help, pick up the house, or go to work. I feel helpless. I am taking beta-blockers 2x a day, and pain meds for the incision where the PM was placed. I’m very concerned as to what the scar will look like, and if the pacemaker will be visible under my skin?

12 Comments

Not to worry!

by donr - 2011-10-06 01:10:10

Scar will reduce itself to a fine line looking like any other scar you may have. Just give it time. Will the PM show? Probably only if someone knows it's there & where to look. Also depends on your qty of sub-cutaneous body fat & how deeply they planted it. I can feel mine, very easily. Wife says she cannot see it at all. But I'd swear I can. I don't care whether it can be seen or not. At 75 & married for 52 yrs, I'm not making like Charles Atlas & trying to wow the chicks on the beach. To me, it's a badge of honor.

I also take Beta Blockers daily.

It's normal to feel helpless at this point in your recovery. About 4 weeks out of the 6 week restriction on raising your arm you will have to remember it - there will be very little discomfort.

Look at it this way - you just lost a knife fight w/ a pro! You'll eventually get over it in fine shape. Scar will be nearly invisible. You'll have FULL use of two things - arm & HEART! All else is a minor nuisance. BTW: Do not be surprised if your PM itches a bit for a while till you get used to it. I promise you - you will be more aware of it than anyone else - unless you mount a neon sign over it w/ an arrow that says "PM HERE!"

My guess from your post is that you are a woman. It is normal for women to worry about the scar being visible. If you are married, ask husband it it matters to him - he's the only one that counts when opinions on what you look like when dressed as for a shower.

Don

Scar

by Janey L - 2011-10-06 01:10:33

Hi. I am 3 weeks post PM & just wanted to say that I too was worried about the scar & PM box. My scar is much smaller than I expected & I can't see my PM box under my skin (& it is under my skin & not in the muscle). I am very pleased with how it all looks. I am only 5 feet tall & quite petite, so I expected to see the PM box.

The left arm restriction was a shock for me too! At first it hurt too much to use it anyway, so that stopped me. But now my pain has gone, I'm trying to remember not to lift it too much yet & sometimes forget!!

I soon got the hang of showering & washing my hair with just my right hand. I don't drive anymore but I am still off sick from work. It's only this week that I've felt up to doing things around the house but it's great to be slowly getting back into things. You'll get there. It might not feel like you will at the moment (& I was in pain for 2 weeks so I couldn't do much)......but you'll feel a bit better each day & gradually do things again.

Wishing you all the best & a speedy recovery

Best wishes
Janey

10-3-11 surgery reply to Don

by djtirrell - 2011-10-06 02:10:21

Don, Yes I am a 47 yr old woman. Thank you very much for your reply. My arm and not being able to lift it does bother me, but i have to remember i can't for good reason! I should'nt worry about a PM scar I know, and instead let it be a good reminder to me that I will live a better quality of life!!!!!

10-3-11 surgery reply to Janey

by djtirrell - 2011-10-06 02:10:23

Janey~~~ i hope your recovery continues to go smooth for you! I have heard some people say that they feel "great" right from having surgery...I wish that were the case. I feel "tired & weak", and what I can't seem to get use to yet is noticing my heartbeat, as if it were to beat out of my chest. Before the PM surgery that was something i didn't feel (of course w/ having a low HR in the 30's) I'm just looking forward to adjusting to this and feeling better in time :)

Debi

Heartbeats

by Janey L - 2011-10-06 04:10:48

Hi again. Thank you for your message. Just to reply, I haven't felt any heartbeats since the PM, apart from when I check my pulse. Only sensation I have felt in 3 weeks was this weird "impulses every second, for 60 secs at a time". I felt that twice. PM tech said it was the PM testing itself & you usually don't feel it, but occasionally you do. I only had it twice in the last 3 weeks, about a week after implant. Oh, & one episode of what the tech said was "pacemaker mediated tachycardia"...but only had that once. Apart from that I don't feel anything....but I know others on here do.

I felt very tired for 2 weeks, almost to the point of exhaustion. My arrythmia nurse said it is normal to feel tired after any surgery but he felt that I was exhausted not only from the PM surgery but also because I had an ablation 3 months ago, which then caused sick sinus/bradycardia. For me it was an accumulation of things. He advised lots of rest which has definately helped.

We are of a similar age, I am 49.

Thinking of you...

Best wishes
Janey

Tired

by djtirrell - 2011-10-06 06:10:36

This is just all so new to me Janey and this site has had some really good & helpful information. I was really tired before i had the PM put in, and maybe i just thought i was going to feel bionic right after surgery...LOL. I am tired alot still, although i really feel it is due to the surgery recovery

Look at what you went through

by donr - 2011-10-06 10:10:11

before the PM implant. That trip to the ER was NOT a party! So you get to recover from the shock of that, plus adapting to a new little buddy in your chest. Debi, like Janey says, you have to give it time. But - not forever. A reasonable amount. AT your first checkup, ask the cardio WHY!? But don't expect much of an answer if he is stumped by the situation.

You did not say why you got the PM - that can have bearing on why you feel pooped all the time. One question - what was your NORMAL HR before the PM? Did they set your base rate lower than that? That can make you feel tired & pepless.

There are all sorts of things that can make you feel this way. To go further, any of us would be guessing.

Don

Reply to Don

by djtirrell - 2011-10-06 10:10:12

Don~~ My HR before the PM was averaging 38 to low 40's. My doctor set my PM in the low 70's. What brought me into the ER last Friday night was dizzy spells, slurring words, confusion & headache. I sure never expected to be leaving the hospital 4 days later w/ a PM. I'm sure i will get to feeling much better quickly. I am NOT dizzy anymore, and that is a blessing :)

You did not READ THE QUESTION!

by donr - 2011-10-07 11:10:36

Debi: I asked what your NORMAL HR was before all this mess started. Were you a lifetime 60? 68? 70? 80? F'rinstance, I was a 72 my entire adult life. They set me at 80. Drove me batty! They brought me down to a 75 & I felt FINE. Cardios seem to do some of the dumbest things imaginable when they GUESS where to set your base HR in the PM. It's almost like they throw that piece of paper in the trash before throwing darts at a board to select a rate for you.

Don

My normal rate prior to PM

by djtirrell - 2011-10-08 08:10:11

Don~~~ Sorry about that. My normal HR before all this happened was mid 60's-mid 70's.

Tired!

by donr - 2011-10-09 12:10:58

Debi: I asked about your normal rate because if they set your PM to a pulse rate lower than your normal rate you can feel lethargic. They set me too high & I felt hyper alert. Sounds like they set you about right. AT THIS POINT, I'd just give it a bit of time to see how you progress. NO progress at feeling better & I'd get to the cardio ASAP. Read Janey's comment above about starting out great, having a bit of a setback & now getting back to her old self.

Don

Is it meds or the PM?

by ptink422 - 2011-10-15 03:10:06

I had my PM put in three weeks ago this coming Monday, and the only symptoms I had prior were maybe one or two second dizzy spells 3x in the past 6 mo. Right now my biggest complaint is feeling foggy and having the bed spin when I go to bed at night. They have me on amlodipine for the high blood pressure. I am just wondering how much longer before the fog clears? and is it just adjusting to the PM or is the amlodipine to blame- I already split the pill in half and take half in the am and half in the pm, which seemed to help some.

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