Most Recent Messages in Surgery & Recovery

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Sept 12th

Hello All , Im going in for ICD , Sept 12th , any words of wisdom ??

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sick leave

Greetings all! Let me start by saying how grateful I am for being able to ask questions without feeling silly.

How do you know if you’re ready to go back to work? Just the idea of working with kids tires me out! I want to be on my game when I go back, but I don’t want a relapse.  I will have six weeks in, in about two weeks....and another question: why is everyone telling me that I fit the criteria for certain Ssi benefits?  I am just forty four, is that possi...

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A New Kid on the Block

Hello, I am so happy to have found this stie.I was jsut fitted with a PM just this last Saturday Aug. 27th.I am 34 years old and had Bradycardia. I had been working out when I felt like I was going to passout. I went to e.r. and then was admitted. My heart reat would not cllimb any haigher than the low 40s. So the doctors decided a PM was the best path for me. Well besides being sore. I do have more energy and feel many less palpatations. I can take my pulse and it is much better then it was. So...

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soreness in shoulder-How long till no soreness?

PM implant 10 days ago-how lon g till sorenss is gone?

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feeling out and alone

hey
im a 20 year old student who starts medical school next month. I had my pacemaker fitted two weeks ago (12 aug 2011). it was fitted below my arm, i do not know anyone else who has one here and i have a grandmother who has a pacemaker but other than that i have no idea what to expect.
for the past four years i had been experiencing numerous fainting episodes with chest pain up to four or five times a week after having an implantable heart monitor device for 2 months the doctors fou...

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Has anyone recovered better than before a pacemake

Looking for anyone who feels like they did before their pacemaker or as good prior to their pacemaker? Just wondering if things will get back to how things were.

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Relocating Pacer

Originally had pacer in my upper right chest (usual location). Then in 2006 I had to have it relocated to abdomen due to need for right breast cancer radiation. Now the pacer is wearing down. Where should it be placed?

Has anyone had experience in relocating pacer? What about all the leads, etc? What about changing models from St. Jude to a German model?

Experiences, please?
thanks.

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pain at pm site 6 months later

Today I am suddenly having pain at the site of the pacemaker, this is a new pain comes on suddenly and lasts just a minute or so. It feels as if its actually in the pacemaker! Has anyone else experience of this?

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PM a week ago-How long till can lift left arm

How long till you can raise left arm above your head?

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New member here. Soon to have PM fitted - Nervous!

Hi everyone. New member from the UK here. I’ve been reading for a couple of months since finding out that I would be required to have a PM fitted but recently received my ’letter’ from the local hospital that I must be admitted on 14th September so thought it was the right time to join.

History: Like a few other recent posts I’ve read, my symptoms relate to black outs. I’m 28 and have had them on and off since I was a child. They have, unfortunately,...

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less than 24 hours

I am getting my PM changed tomorrow morning and I am more scared now then when they put it in the first time. Any words of encouragement out there? Not sure why I am so scared just have that bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

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mastectomies and PMs

Hoping to hear from anyone who has had a PM and ICD implanted after mastectomy. I had a double mastectomy 17 yrs ago and need the hardware now. Wondering if the mastectomy scars could interfere with the implantation?

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Three weeks post implant

Good day all,

This is my third device, it was the surgeon’s decision to implant this device under the pectoral muscle due to the fact that I caught my last device with the car door and caused some significant discomfort. Well I did the rain dance for a few minutes!

I am having some issues with pain and a burning feeling in my shoulder and ripping feeling. Went to the post surgery examination for a wound inspection, and expressed my concerns.  I was advised...

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2 days post PM implant

How long till usually do most have more energy and better breathing
I know it will ll vary----but what do others feel 2 days later.

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Heartbeat

Hi all,
Just had pm put in 8/17. Am I supposed to be able to feel it going off? If I am just sitting or laying I feel normal however, as soon as I get up or move around in the slightest, I can feel my left lower breast just thumping away. It is actually very annoying as if someone is tapping me over and over (or a little like Chinese water torture).

Has anyone had this or felt this? Does it mean my pacer is set too high? I have not made my first follow up apt yet but hope they...

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9 days post PM implant...

... and I'm having the hardest time remembering to keep my left arm immobile. The pain from my incision is almost gone - I feel terrific! So... how do I remember to keep my arm down?

I wear the light-weight sling they gave me at the hospital, but even the PM company rep said it will only serve as a reminder. I've even threaded a belt around myself and through the sling, as insurance. My biggest concern is at night, since I normally sleep on my left side. I'm worried I'll automa...

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Pacemaker removal

Why do I want to get it removed? It has been turned off for over 7 months. I fainted only once--in the hospital--following a very strong dose of a narcotic to which I exhibited a violent negative response. I was then pressured into getting a pacemaker. I never fainted either before that day nor since. Three expert doctors have told me that it can come out. I have not had any other symptoms. Why should I keep it? It's ugly, irritating, and hasn't improved the quality of my life. There was nothing...

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are these normal feelings?

Hello, my name is Michelle and i am 29 years old. My dual PM was put in on August 8. for the past few days i have been very lightheaded, its been hard to breathe and i am very tired. is this normal? i can't remeber anything the doctor said in the hospital, probably because this was totally unexpected and my thoughts were all over the place. 2 years ago i had a heart ablation for a fast heartbeat, then approximately 2 weeks ago i had a PM put in because my heartbeat was too slow. I do have...

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Unnecessary pacemaker removal

Has anyone had a pacemaker implanted unnecessarily? Have you opted to have it removed? If so, did you have both the generator and the leads removed? D

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To have ep study or not

Is an ep study necessary when the decision to implant a pm has already been made?

I have Idiopathic Sinus Node Dysfunction and would really like to know why/how this happened at 33 years young and very physically active. Should I be worried for my children that this may be passed on genetically? What will the ep study tell me that I do not already know?

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