Most Recent Messages in Surgery & Recovery

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Numbness & Sleep

I just awoke with my left arm completely asleep (I was lying on my back so there is no chance there was pressure on the arm) and with pain in my upper chest. No that I'm sitting up, the numbness is gone. Has anyone had similar feelings? I'm a week out from the implant.

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Hi all

Very new here, have just come out of surgery after being given a pacemaker on Monday the 4th of July. Extremely sore, bruised, but this will pass. Would love any info on pacemakers and what to expect.

Thanks Cindy

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What should I expect

I am going to be getting a pacemaker in the near future and would like to know what to expect afterwards. I am very active, work full time, and have 2 small children. I know you spend the night in the hospital and all of that, but when will I be able to go back to work, able to lift stuff, workout, play golf, etc... It's hard finding information on that aspect of the surgery. Thanks!

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thanks

Thanks for all your input. I just feel Im slow to recover surgery , (6-27-11) Im pretty active , yet Im sooo tired since surgery, my dr. app is the 11th.

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real answer

I am 60 years old,with 3rd degree heart block, I am totally dependent on pacemaker. I had flatlined in hospital before could put in temporary pm. While putting pm in my arm had mild heart attack. Then put in permanant pm,on 6/10/11. What I want to know is how many of you (if you have same condition) have went back to a physically demanding job for 40 hours a week? And how long before you were able? Thanks

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Tired

Again , had surgery on the 27th of June and Im still so tired ? Is this normal?? Im sleeping much better ,but so tired during the day and my pm is set at 60, anyone else experience this and when should I feel myself??

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surgery

Did anyone out there wake up during the procedure?

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Home Alone

My mom (age 75) is having a pacemaker put in today. Doctor told her she would be discharged tomorrow. She would be living alone - would that be okay for a normal individual.

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Recovery Questions

Hi, I am a 43yr old female and I had my pacemaker surgery May 20. Was discharged the next day and immediately started to not feel good. I had alot of pain in my neck and started having a fever. I went back to my doctor for my 2 week checkup and they found I had a blood clot in my left jugular vein. They say this is a result of the surgery. I spent another week in the hospital while they got my infection under control and had me on heparain. I am now taking warfarin for the next 3 months.
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Refusing a battery change

Before I had my PM implanted, they did a test to see if I needed one permenantly. I remember this test very, very clearly. It was a very unpleasant experience because I didn't know what was happening. They turned my external pacer off to see if I could produce my own beats and I didn't. So the next day they strapped me down to a table and proceded to cut into me.
I didn't want it, but didn't know how to explain that to the dr's. I didn't sign a DNR prior to my 2nd valve replacement, though...

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New guy, pacemaker next week

Hey guys,

I am having a DDD pacemaker fitted next week. I had transposition of the great arteries when I was born which was fixed with a mustard procedure. I had some stenting done when 14 but docs decided to not give me a pacemaker which was unusual.

As a result my heart has adapted, growing one chamber a shrinking the other, making my biology very different.
My rested bpm is 35 at the minute, and at full fatigue beats at about 98 and no higher.

As a res...

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4 weeks post PM implant...

I had a PM implanted 3 weeks ago today. I was given specific instructions

1. no lifting elbow on my left arm above my shoulder (had Pm placed in left pedtoral muscle) for 4 week
2. no weight lifting for 6 full weeks
3. I could do cardio (recomb bike-- no arm push or pull) immediately

I talked to my cardiologist this morning and he told me that I could back to normal activities after 4 weeks (which is 7 more days)

Is this the advice most of you receive...

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New Implant

Diagnosed with sick sinus syndrome after passing out and then wearing a heart monitor for several days. Was implanted with dual chamber pacemaker on June 17. I feel fragile and lack energy compared to how I felt prior to May 12 when I passed out at the grocery store and had stitches in the back of my head. My friends and family keep asking me if I feel much better and have a lot more energy, but I don't yet. I seem to be healing well at the site and my arm is moving very well. But I am conc...

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9 days out of work

Had to have pacemaker placced on an emergency basis. Only out of work 9 days. Just wanted to give a positive outlook for others!

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new member. installed 3 days ago.

Hi. I had a pacemaker installed three days ago. Not sure what to say, except that its good to be in good company. Looking forward to getting active again in the coming weeks.

Thanks, James.

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Post-surgical shoulder pain

Through the first four days post-surgery, I had a sharp pain in my shoulder. It seemed to be inside the shoulder, outside my implantation wound. My opposite foot (gout) started acting up, so last night I took 50 mg of indomethacin (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) to knock out the gout. Delightfully, the shoulder pain went away!

Self-medicating soon after surgery might not be the best of ideas, but I pass this along just in case it helps someone.

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LV lead stimulating phrenic nerve

Last October I was involved in a head-on collision. I was shaken but seemingly okay and went to the ER to be physically examined. The triage nurse took my vitals and noticed my resting heart rate was 160. They rushed me into trauma and took EKG and reported I was experiencing SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) and that my readings also showed I had LBBB (left bundle branch block). They first attempted to treat the SVT by pushing drugs to pause my heart and try to coax it into a normal rhythm. Wh...

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Hello

I'm a 64-year-old male, with arrythmias but still able to exercise regularly until 5 weeks ago, when I suddenly became exercise-intolerant (couldn't do more than about 4 minutes at a brisk walk before needing to stop). A stress echocardiogram diagnosed a LBBB, with ef at 22%, and a pacemaker was recommended. A St. Jude CRT-D was installed (right shoulder, under the skin) 3 days ago, and I went home the next day.

So far, the shoulder has been quite sore, but manageable with hydrocodone...

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poor healing

Hi Guys,
I am 36 old and have had a pacemaker since I was 2. I had at least 12 surgeries and pacemaker changes for all different reasons (wire issues, battery finishing before the time, mysterious stop), during my first years I had the PM in my stomach and when I was around 16 the doctor decided to implant it at my right shoulder.

I had my last pm replacement in February, which was the fourth one at the same place. After 3 weeks of the surgery the scar was looking great,...

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new patient

I am having a dual chamber pacemaker put in on June 20th and am very nervous and scared. I have a fast and irregular heart beat. They are also doing an ablation with the pacemaker too.

Can anyone tell me what it is like, what will happen afterwards, what type of a floor I will go to. What it was like for them. Anything will help. Please.

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You know you're wired when...

You need to be re-booted each morning.

Member Quotes

Do feel free to contact the manufacturer of your device. I have found them to be quite helpful when I have had questions and concerns.