discharge instructions

I finally read all my discharge instructions, aren't you impressed? LOL Some are standard, some are quite different from what I've heard from others here so I thought I'd share my doctor's take on follow up care...

1. Wound care- keep dry for 4 days. Shower ok after 4 days but no swimming or bathing until wound has been evaluated at follow up appointment

2. Activity
-no driving 1st month (I am soooooo discussing this one with him!)
-do not raise arm above head for 2 weeks but keep it mobile
-no heavy lifting (over 25 lbs), pulling or vigorous use of arms for 4 weeks.
-No golf for 6 weeks.
-Walk, cycling, other light activities ok immediately

3. follow up- wound check in 10 days, pm check in one month

4. call office at any sign of infection, dizzy or lightheadedness or you feel your heart racing or pounding

13 Comments

No Driving?????

by donb - 2010-02-01 04:02:33

Hi Tracey, No driving for a month? I would think that'll bring on a response from you! Don't think you had that rule with your initial PM. Maybe, you got the cover all instructions by mistake.
I was driving after the 1st week with my new leads & PM. Can't remember with my inital implant 17 years ago of waiting a month. Guess you gotta get a waiver!!! Huh

Guess how you & I will handle that one, just don't tell !!!!
Take Care donb

don't remember

by Tracey_E - 2010-02-01 05:02:11

Don, I don't remember the first time either! It was at least a week until I drove but I don't think anyone ever told me I couldn't. I remember my neighbor took me to the grocery store, pushing the cart was the problem more so than driving. Since she was driving, I just stuffed my ATM card in my pocket and didn't bother with a purse. I got beer, got carded at the checkout, the girl would not sell me the beer with no id so I had to get my neighbor to buy it for me. We both laughed the whole way home.

I wouldn't have tried driving last week but I'm up for it now. My mom is here for another week so I won't fuss just yet, she's enjoying mothering me so I'll let her have her fun. But when I go on Friday for my follow up, you can bet I'll be asking!!! Or ignoring it and just not tell, lol. These are the standard instructions they give everyone with their first pm. Being my 4th, I think I should be a free pass on the ones I don't want to follow, don't you? :o)

Driving

by timberhitch - 2010-02-01 05:02:49

Hi Tracey, I do not know how involved your surgery was but for mine (first pacemaker) which I had in late December, I could not drive for three days. Maybe he made a mistake. Good luck

I got to "Activity"

by FirstDuely - 2010-02-01 06:02:26

I must not have gotten the same instructions or, more likely, I didn't read them all???
I drove over to a good friend's house the day after since I was out of work for the week anyway. I seemed to be a bit tired but that wasn't all that unusual. It was my 8th pacer so by now I get a bit "zoned out" when the nurses are giving those instructions... lol also (or does using lower case letters mean "lots of giggles"?)
There was one about 2000 where the leads were removed and 2 new leads were implanted that I remember not driving for at least a week.
WHDDNKWNHM

(Give up? What the doctor does not know will not hurt me)
Yeah, I know that's stupid....just not doing well today so needed to be goofy a bit.

firstduely

by Tracey_E - 2010-02-01 06:02:45

>>>WHDDNKWNHM

>>>(Give up? What the doctor does not know will not hurt me)

Cracking up here, took me about three seconds to figure it out! That's always been my attitude, too. I refuse to act like an invalid, ever. They didn't tell me anything, just gave me this sheet with my discharge papers.

This is my 4th battery and I got new leads this time. When I had my last replacement, I drove 6 hrs to Key West 3 days later. I stayed off the wave runners, that was my concession to my delicate state (said tongue in cheek)

Sue

by Tracey_E - 2010-02-01 06:02:52

We're never too old to be babied by our mommies!! She's been great. We are two of a kind which drives my dad and sister crazy but we have fun together. I haven't lifted a finger around the house other than a little cooking. She's done all the dishes and laundry, even jumped in at school this morning and did some paperwork for the middle school band! I told her I was going to tell dad how awful I feel, that she needs to stay another week :o)

Yeah, and I screwed it up 2

by FirstDuely - 2010-02-01 07:02:07

There must be a way to go back and correct aggreggious errors.... should have been W T not WH.
It's another "how you know you're getting old joke".
Like: The best part of your day is over when your alarm goes off.
Or: You sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going.
Or: (ad nauseum) Your pacemaker makes the garage door go up when you see a pretty girl walk by.
Or: Your knees buckle but your belt won't.
Need I say more? (google pacemaker jokes for where I got these and more.... hehehehe)

driving...

by justme - 2010-02-01 08:02:37

could be worse...I've been banned from driving since July 14th...and every surgery (3 so far) I get discharge instructions that say no driving for anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks. I always ask if I can change my driving banishment in for whichever one is shorter (and usually find that they gave me the 'blanket' discharge instructions)
But you're right, you gotta try to get out of it!

Driving restrictions

by ElectricFrank - 2010-02-01 11:02:06

With my original implant there were no restrictions at all on my discharge instructions. On my recent replacement it was 24 hours. That wasn't any problem..I didn't have anywhere to go anyway.

I'm wondering if my not having anesthesia might have confused the situation. Right after the surgery in both cases they seemed a bit confused as to how to handle me. No reason to spend time in recovery. Both times as soon as I got back to my room I got up and headed for the rest room. Then a couple of hours later after the antibiotic IV was removed I got up and dressed, signed the paperwork and walked out.

I've been meaning to ask your Tracey..did getting the new lead improve your sense of pacing?

frank

pacing

by Tracey_E - 2010-02-01 11:02:12

Frank, you mean you didn't drive yourself for your replacement??

I can't feel a difference. The old lead was cranked all the way up to get the signal through but it all felt the same to me. It always worked and paced like it should, it just killed the battery.

I ran into the same thing after the venogram. I was in the cath lab recovery room with the people who just had caths or pm's, I was there to watch for reaction to the dye since I have a history of iodine allergy. They kept telling me to keep pressure on the incision and not move, I kept telling them I didn't have one yet, lol. Then they kept offering me breakfast, I kept telling them I was headed to surgery next, please quit torturing me. They sort of get in a rut, huh?

Very familiar!

by ElectricFrank - 2010-02-02 10:02:58

Sounds very familiar. Just think what is is like to be unconscious and dependent on them. What's the pressure on the incision thing? I've never had them ask me to do that other than removal of an IV.

I drove myself to the replacement, but had a friend bail me out. I just left the car in the hospital parking lot and walked down the next morning and picked it up. In our small town it is only a 2 mile walk. I had the Jeep at home some was covered in case of something urgent. I don't make an issue of something unless it is important. Gives me more impact when I need to.

frank

pressure

by Tracey_E - 2010-02-02 11:02:56

You have to keep pressure on the incision after a cath since it's a main artery. When I got back to my room the nurse kept wanting to check it also. I kept telling her, I went to the CATH LAB, I did not have a CATH. lol

It's scary to think what they miss when you're out and can't talk to them. I thought the bar codes were kinda cool. They printed two sheets of them when I was admitted which I thought was weird til I figured out what it was for. One went on my bracelet and one went on every piece of labwork or paperwork, and everywhere they took me they checked to see if they matched. Less chance of grabbing the wrong patient!

Frank has a JEEP?

by FirstDuely - 2010-02-03 01:02:07

We have a red 2005 Wrangler Sport, inline 6, 4 liter with a Procomp 2"lift and Procomp track bar, and a SYE with a CV driveshaft, 32 inch tires on chromed Pacer wheels.
We use this to go find gold nuggets in the desert using metal detectors.
And I ride a red and white LeMond roadbike which I am using to ride in the Tour of Palm Springs Saturday, February 13. Anyone want to join me?
I should add this somewhere else...
JEEP: Just empty every pocket

You know you're wired when...

You prefer rechargeable batteries.

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