Anxiety with leads being moved

Hi there,

I am almost at 3 weeks now since surgery. I feel great. I'm fully back at work, driving and my life is pretty much back to normal besides not being able to lift five pounds. However, now I'm worried that with me being back to my regular life I might have pushed myself too hard and my leads might have moved. There's no sign to point to that but I just have anxiety. Is there any sign that would tell me my leads have moved? Should I be worried? It's jus the return to my normal life so quick that has scared me. However, my pacemaker has been working great and I've been going on daily hour walks. 


6 Comments

Not moved

by Lavender - 2023-05-13 21:42:26

Your leads are settling in more with each passing day. We ALL wondered if we would pull one out of place. It's not going to happen at this point with just daily living. It sounds like you're doing really well! Don't worry in advance. 
 

Something I read that I remind myself of when needed:

Try not to focus too much on possibilities that may never happen, and probably won't.  That way lies madness.

 

On the other side of anxiety 

Is a life adventure🥰

leads

by Tracey_E - 2023-05-14 11:37:16

If they were going to move, it most likely would have happened in the first 48 hours. Restrictions after that are strictly precaution. 

I was told 20lbs, most are told 10 so 5 is very conservative. You are fine!

Leads

by Aberdeen - 2023-05-14 17:28:33

If you are feeling well your leads will not have moved. Try not to worry!

any day now

by dwelch - 2023-05-14 21:14:26

For me around three/four weeks after a device (I am on number five) you get a visit they physically check the incision, interrogate the device.  And then after a few months.

Depending on condition and settings, in my case resting rate was 40s or lower, and lower limit was like 50 or 60 on that first device, so taking my pulse for a full 60 seconds, confirmed that I was still alive and the device was still working (as it was never below the lower limit).

The periodic interrogations at the doctors office, the tests that make you feel strange, race your heart, then feels like someone is sitting on your chest.  They are testing the leads, if you yanked one out (you didnt) this would see it.   

On my first one I actually managed to move the device so far, that a lead moved down around the device and ended up on the top, the skin side.  And it remained there, kinda visible until number two.   Not broken, not pulled out of either end, etc...

You are mostly past if not past the first hard part and that is the physical, the second is the mental and that can take more than weeks.   

You WILL get to the point where you forget about having a device, like a belly button or middle toe, until you bump into it or your calendar shows an appt you wont think about it.  Im 35 years in and even the scars dont remind me if I see them in the mirror.  (hardly remember to come to this site and see what folks are asking).  You WILL get there it is not an IF but a WHEN.   (no I dont wear a bracelet or anything like that, do have the card in the wallet). 

Be confident

by My4boys - 2023-05-15 14:50:30

Give yourself the full 3-4 months to heal ...keep your activity fairly normal.. just dont over strain your upper body...

im 8 weeks into my implant and just the other day had my check in with my MD ... he was very happy with my anchors!!

I started doing pretty much my old self after one month... just didn't strain too hard..

you will be fine.

mike 

Look at your pacemaker scar

by Gotrhythm - 2023-05-16 13:39:14

Is your incision on your chest healed up completely? If so, you can be confident that the leads are solidly in place and will stay there. The exact same process of scaring has been going on inside where the leads were attached to your heart.

Anytime you worry about the leads, just look at the scar on your chest. It's not going anywhere for the rest of your life. Same with the leads.

You know you're wired when...

Your friends want to store MP3 files on your device.

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