please help

hi im 27 and have just joined the site after having my pacemaker fitted 3wks ago. im concerned as i still feel nt much better i am dizzy /foggy/unsteady all the time have headaches blurred vision feel detached from reality and ive had had this for 5yrs i ended up having a pacemaker as when i had my appendix removed they found my heart rate was low and had 24hr recordings after that which was showing my heart rate dropping to 37bpm to 49bpm to 117bpm. im so tierd and want to get on with my life as i never go anywhere as im to dizzy and when i do go out and feel unwell it kicks off a panic attack which doesnt help. ineed to get better as i have 2 children a boy who is 3yrs old and a daughter who is 8months old and they need me. please anyone give me any info thanks xxx

5 Comments

Keep Asking Questions

by Jules - 2008-04-07 01:04:19

Hi and Welcome

I had my pacemaker fitted in January. I like yourself had the same feelings. Writing into this site and listening to the answers were a tremendous help. You realise that you are not the only one, things will get better, and one day your life will be back to normal.

I am on the mend and I would say over 50% back to health.

Hang in there, message if you want to.

Jules

Chelle,

by Swedeheart - 2008-04-07 01:04:25

I will parrot what others have said before me. You are not alone! I am on day 43 since implant and have had the same symptoms post implant that you list. It took me 4 weeks before the symptoms quit full time. I still have some of them, but at least it isn't 24/7 any longer. I am "older" so I anticipate my recovery might be slower than some, but I am not trying to take care of a young family as well.... many times the doctors seem to relay the message "this will make you feel much better".... and we all hope for immediate results. It takes quite a while for most of us... give yourself time to heal. I realize as a Mom you will put your children first, and that is admirable... but you need to elicit the assistance of family or friends so you can heal or this will take you longer before you feel up to par.

Check with your EP about the settings, and understand for all of this ~ the settings are trial and error until it works. You also want to be sure not to lift too much, follow your post-op directions. Lifting or moving the arm on the implant side could make your leads move or migrate and then you will possibly need more surgery and have to start over at square one. Pick up your little one with your good arm!

I had a terrible problem with panic/anxiety and my doctor prescribed Ativan for me. It really helped, but it did slow me down and it may or may not be a choice for you with young children to watch over and care for.

Good luck. You will feel better, but I have found through reading a lot of posts and literature and communicating with others it is not a quick fix. This takes quite a bit of time. I am an impatient person so it is hard, I want to get on with my life asap! But I am learning that I have to do it slowly. This forum is a great place to get information and ask questions. So anything that comes up and you need answers, ask away!

Good luck. You will feel better in time.

Swedeheart

Help is Here

by gentlben4u - 2008-04-07 01:04:28

I have had my PM for about 3 months. I felt the same way you did, anxious, nervous, depressed, tired, listless, angry, and many more emotions. I am 47 and have two kids. I was only in the hospital and no one in my family wanted to help me with simple household chores. I think I pushed myself too hard because I still have some pain at the incision site. Try to feel positive and talk to me if you need help.

Ben.

Getting on with our lives

by ted - 2008-04-07 09:04:25

Having gone through a frightening experience, and still running scared, it is quite natural for us to "want to go on with our lives".. A good friend and fellow pacer got me to realize that now I have a real good chance of getting on with my life whereas before I got my pacemaker, I could have died before my time was up. So we are the lucky ones to have been given a second chance at living to old age and having the energy to do so. As others have said, I know that time and good medical care will heal you and that your anxiety and panic will be a thing of the past. I hope that you do not rush out and demand that your doctors give you Ativan or some other benzodiazepine. These are very misused drugs and quite addicting. Some doctors like to pass them out like candy because it keeps the patients from complaining. Benzos are supposed to be taken for very short periods of time to get over a death, tragedy, panic attack, etc.. Too many folks wind up addicted and acting like zombies because they felt good at first, so why not just keep taking them. Best of luck to you.

I slept for days

by heckboy - 2008-04-07 12:04:34

Your being tire after a surgery is normal. The mental and physical mileage is significant.

Part of your issue is time to recover and part may be to the settings of your PM. there are so many ways it can be adjusted that you need to educate yourself on how it works. based on how you feel, you can ask for certain adjustments. Your EP will likley have suggestions to make as well. Don't be afraid to keep going back. I was going back all the time during the first few months, sometimes the next day to get settings changed. I finally found something that makes me feel as close to normal as possible.

It takes time. I know you don't fee like you have it, but you're gonna have to carve it out somehow. You'll feel better as your life gets back to normal.

BTW, I'm 46, active and have been pacing for about 4 years.

You know you're wired when...

You have a high-tech ticker.

Member Quotes

I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for pacemakers. I've had mine for 35+ years. I was fainting all of the time and had flat-lined also. I feel very blessed to live in this time of technology.