POCKET TENDERNESS

After 7 months, the device pocket is still quite tender.  I'm working out now, and it is more tender afterwards.  Is this common?

6 Comments

Me too

by BarbD - 2019-07-09 11:42:39

I'm 2.5 months out and my incision/pocket area is still very tender, especially where my bra strap rubs the incision.  It gets more sore afterwards when I execise or even when I raise my arm up for a few minutes to wash my hair.    I'm not sure if this is normal or not but its definitely uncomfortable. 

yes

by Tracey_E - 2019-07-09 13:52:56

It's normal to feel it if you are working out more, you are pulling on fresh scar tissue. Ice should help and it should get better over time, but there may always be some moves you want to avoid. You won't do any damage, but if something consistently makes you sore you'll want to find something else to work the same muscles. My most recent is 3 years old and I'm very active. The only thing I avoid now is ring rows because they get deep in the pectoral. Anything else goes. I do Crossfit, btw, so all sorts of bodyweight moves and barbells.

Yep! Count me too.

by AgentX86 - 2019-07-09 16:41:43

Mine was very tender for about nine months, then it got a lot better fairly quickly. After 18 months, it's still not perfectly normal (the leads seem to chafe the back side of the skin) but neither is my sternotomy scar, after 4-1/2 years.

 

thanks!

by SamanthaS - 2019-07-09 16:47:47

I realy appreciate all these responses - it sometimes seems that it will never become "old hat" but at least it's no longer keeping me from doing what I want!

Pocket Tenderness

by Piti - 2019-07-11 16:55:04

Me three, four, or five.  I'm 3 months post op, pocket still tender, moving my left arm in towards my body in anyway pushes on the device.   My surgeon told me I was free to do whatever exercise I wanted, but noticing many things make it more uncomfortable.   And yes the bra strap is an ongoing issue.  I've heard people say that having a PM in no big deal, you don't even know it's there.   I'm waiting for that to happen.  

 

tenderness

by SamanthaS - 2019-07-11 16:58:49

I saw my EP today - some people may have more tenderness than other - I said, of course I will!  Cross body stuff is difficult, cannot get more than my left fingers to my right shoulder.  Otherwise, the rest of the shoulder stiffness is improving.  But I didn't need to make a follow up with him for the first time - he said he will follow me from "afar."  Happy dancing today!

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