I am so worried!

It wil get better

by MissFitts - 2018-07-28 19:46:49

It  sounds as if your inability to do anything is more related to your mental state than your physical condition. Yes, it is a shock to consider yourself a normally functioning person one day, and a couple of days later  your life is dependent on a chunk of metal in your chest.

But you need to be positive, because you have your PM those children will continue to have their mum around. 

I am a new PM owner, (May 9  2018) with little experience compared with most others on this site, but things will look a lot better than they do now at day 3. Yes you will be active again, just let yourself recover physically and gradually you will accept what has happened and your emotions will adjust to and accept your new PM friend. Everything will be OK.

Take a deep breath

by Grateful Heart - 2018-07-28 19:53:45

And realize you are still here.  Yes, having a PM is very scary at first but like the rest of us, you will learn to live with it and even embrace it.  You will be active again.

Knowledge is power....learn all you can about your condition and device....and then you can educate your family and ease their mind....and yours too.

It's only day 3 so this is all very new to you.  There can be a mourning period so don't fight the crying....but then decide it's time to move forward with your new normal.  I just had my first replacement after almost 10 years so I'm at day 9.  Still very tired and still hugging ice but I know what to expect...so that makes it easier, I know.

Acceptance and attitude is key.  You'll be ok, I promise....we've all been there.

Ask any questions or concerns...that's why we're here.  A sense of humor is important too!!

You got this!!

Grateful Heart

Too new to offer advice

by NanTastic - 2018-07-28 20:05:03

Hi!  I had my PM put in 2 weeks ago due to bradycardia, and I do feel better.  I was very uninformed about PM, but am learning more now.  I was trying to do too much as soon as I got home from the hospital and the Medtronic tech could tell when he checked it a week after surgery and warned me not to use my left arm so that scar tissue could form around the lead wires.  I am now using a sling and it is frustrating to do even simple tasks - like bathing and dressing- with just my right arm.  So my only advice would be to take it easy and allow yourself to heal properly.  

Ditch the sling Nan

by Grateful Heart - 2018-07-28 20:10:50

You need to use your left arm or you will get frozen shoulder...very painful. 

Just do not raise your left arm above shoulder level for a few weeks.

Grateful Heart

Hey

by bluevelvetcake - 2018-07-28 21:02:19

I just got mine about 6 weeks ago. I was in complete shock when I got it and felt completely lost and out of control in a way. I didn't in a million years ever expect a pacemaker, in fact, my mother had a triple bypass only a few years older than I am now. So electrical issues wasn't anything I ever considered. Ironically, everything I did to keep the plumbing issues at bay worked but i couldn't stop this. I'm 43 with three kids and am busy. I also am moving my daughter back to college in a few weeks. I feel ya. 

One thing that completely helped me was a person on this site gave me insightful links to research. I am the kind of person that if I know what is going on then I feel more in control of the situation. So researching and watching videos ect helped me gain mental stability in an otherwise chaotic situation. 

I had the hosptial tell me I had heart blocks so I had a sense of direction as to watch to research. Do you have any explanation of why they would think you needed a pacemaker? Do you have a slow heart beat? Are you sure you didn't pass out from your glucose levels?  Even after the hosptial had done a monitor and tests and put that pacemaker in, I still went to a recommended EP to find out exactly what was going on. He did his own testing and come to find out it is exactly what the hosptial diagnosed me with. The good thing about seeing the EP was I felt slightly rushed at the hospital and not really quite sure what was going on. Sitting down in a relaxed office after a month of tests really helped me feel much better about my situation. Perhaps this would help you out as well? Also, the hospital had put me on meds too and my EP took me off of them two weeks later. I felt so much better after that. I would definitely say you need to make an appointment with a sit down doctor to make sure the hospital did everything for you that is specific to you. 

Also, I don't know when your kid goes off but I was literally jogging after two weeks and I felt like complete crap after the surgery and then boom I felt suddenly a lot better. My point is, you should be able to help your husband move your kid in even if you aren't carrying anything. Lucky you not having to do any heavy lifting, ha ha. Just kidding. 

Gratitude

by Chiben - 2018-07-28 21:56:59

thank you so much everyone! I am going to see the EP on Monday for EKG and follow up. I will also ask about this lightheadedness that started this afternoon. 

I am so grateful for the support!! 

Worried!!

by AgentX86 - 2018-07-28 23:10:42

I looked at having to have a pacemaker, not as something bad, rather something that was going to make my life better, if not save it.  Though I had the same attitude with bypass surgery - the damage is done, time to fix it.  Even after four years of heart surgery, ablations, cardioversions, all sorts of feeling like crap, the heart stuff didn't scare me nearly as much as diabetes.  My wife was diagnosed twenty-five years ago and I wouldn't trade for a second.  And you now have both issues.  You're dealing with your diabetes and the pacemaker will be no different.  In fact, it will be far easier.  It may be a little bumpy for the next few weeks or even a few months but when everything gets settled down you'll hardly know you have it.

Welcome to the Club!

by NiceNiecey - 2018-07-29 16:57:40

No, you didn't ask to be here but now that you are, we're rolling out the red carpet for you!

When you see your new doctor on Monday, be sure to ask for a diagnosis.  What you wrote sounds a bit spurious as to why they gave you a PM.  What type of device did you get?  One lead, two, defibrillator?  In time, you'll learn the lingo.

In the meantime, know that while 51 is young for a PM, there are lots of MUCH YOUNGER people on this website, including parents of babies.  I was 55 when I got mine on Christmas Eve a few years ago.  Although it was the strangest gift I ever got for Christmas, it has turned out to be the best.

I am SO THANKFUL that PMs exist and that God let me get one.  After a rough start, I have never looked back and can do everything I did before the PM only better and with more energy.  That such a device exists is remarkable. WOW!!!

Keep coming back to the Club (LOL) and learning.  The people here are in the same boat as you; perhaps a different model but still the same.  They will help you navigate this new adventure and, in time, you'll see what a difference a little contraption under your collar bone will make!

Niecey