New pacemaker
Today makes it 5 weeks since my implant. I'm back driving, without any complications. My implant, I have named her "Minnie" because she feels like a little mouse parked under my collarbone, and regularly gives me little bites. I know, she's doing her job, and I'm especially grateful to her for keeping the pump going when I'm asleep. The holter monitor told us the heartbeat gpt down to 28 when I slept. My arm and shoulder is still a bit sore and I'm trying to adjust to the new emotions I am feeling. My darling wife tells me that it shows in my face. My next door neighbour is on his 3rd pacemaker, making it 20years, and tells me to expect a surge in energy and a feeling of well-being, I am anxiously waiting :-)
1 Comments
You know you're wired when...
You can finally prove that you have a heart.
Member Quotes
Good luck with your surgery. It will improve life amazingly.
keep on truckin
by dwelch - 2018-03-29 00:54:23
Im on pacer number 5. You should get to a point where you forget it is there. there is the occasional bump over the site pinching the skin, that is a good reminder. Some of this is adapting to it, avoiding hitting the shoulder/site, dealing with the seat belt, etc. My latest one is a three chamber so I sometimes get belly bumps, where the signal crosses over to the tummy muscles and I get a couple/three beats, oh yeah, I have a (new) pacer...
it is kind of strange, having these things for literally decades my primary problem has been the car seat belt and even though I deal with that two or more times a day I still sorta "forget" I have a pacer, you always know in the back of your mind, but the focusing on it and is my heart working now, what was that was that a strange beat, should I call the doc. These things all pass. It becomes second nature to tell the security folks next to a metal detector you have a pacer, the machine isnt going to hurt it but their lawyers have fear it will so for fn you can go through sometimes and see if they catch it. the TSA doesnt find that funny though..
It will be like your thumb or big toe, you know you have it, you see it or feel it every day but you dont dwell on it...
The soreness and tenderness will pass. it does take months if I understand right for the scar tissue to form and the leads to really settle in. I would give it a year assuming a few week, few to six month and then a one year checkup each with possible tweaks, to get you dialed in. After a year you would hopefully be dialed in. There is a near infinte amount of experience at this site. You will over time get used to your new with pacer rythm, and know when it is strange, when to call when not to. First time in five pacers I did have an issue worthy of calling and that got my docs attention "you never complain or have issues" she spent the weekend going thorugh every beat of my holter data, and called me in, with the rep and tech made an adjustment and all was well. The belly bumps I dont mind, I have no desire to try to change the settings to completely get rid of those...
You will get to experience the periodic (annual or whatever) pacer checks where they turn stuff off to test each lead, sometimes feels like an elephant is on your chest, or they race your heart and you start to breath harder, all part of the experience. As much as you feel you want to dont punch the techs that forget to warn you when they are going to do that to you.
When anxious or in doubt, take your pulse for a full minute, no 10 or 15 second shortcuts...If it is not within limits, check it for another minute.