Most Recent Messages in Surgery & Recovery

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Lead Extraction & new Pacemaker

Since having my first pacemaker 10 years ago I have occasionally looked at your lovely supportive website & especially the last few months. In January I had a lead that wasn't capturing & had a new box change & a 3rd Lead. The box wasn't under the skin properly & I felt so ugly & because it wasn't in place I was getting all sorts of palpitations & feeling quite scared. In April I went in for a re-positioning of the box & was told there was an abscess under the site of a lead. My consultant c...

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Motorcycle!

Hello All,

I am new here and new to having a PM, and it was a shock to me as I was always told I had a healthy heart, which I guess I do plumbing wise, just that the electric side it messed up LOL anyways I am at 4 weeks recovery and Doc said I can go back to work at 6 and go back to my normal life... well I'm at that 10lb limit hate to go back to work and then my arm etc hurt like hell? shouldn't I start lifting more and raising my arm above my shoulder now? also said I could ri...

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Thanks

Thank all of you for your input. I have decided not to return to work for a few more days. I will not have my doctor's support on this. I could not even get my return to work notice including my restrictions from him. He wants my company to request them but we only have forms if I were requesting an accommodation for a disability. Thanks doc. I will take care of me. Did find a bra at JCP yesterday that I think will work. Came home and slept for 4 hours after. I just do not have my energy yet.

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Received pacemaker Monday 8/5

Well, this is a club I didn't expect to be in at 46 but life is full of surprises!I had surgery on Monday and came home Monday evening. I haven't had problems from the device like others here have seemed to have had. I am mostly dealing with being nervous about moving my left arm and pulling the lead wires out as I was cautioned not to do but also not ending up with a frozen shoulder like I had for a year. Also, my doc has me returning to work Monday! I can't even put a stupid bra on! The pain l...

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Heart Rate Changes

About 2 weeks with my bundle-of- joy and everything seems to be going well. Went to see Dr. EvilLaugh for my well-baby check. The wire (stitch) is out, steri-strips coming off, I'm of the opinion that things are progressing nicely. I do have concerns about my heart rate. Arrhythmia doesn't seem to be the problem. I'll go from a steady 72 bpm up to a steady 90 bpm and then back to the 60s. BP is great, nothing else seems to be going on. Is this normal? Is the PM just arguing with my sinus rhythm...

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Interest in the changed life

Am facing the inevitable soon - is there any data on how long a pacemaker will last?
The usual brief but aggravating lightheadedness has returned & I will be facing the Cardiologist later this month with the decision to proceed with the implant. A second opinion informed me that my difficulty was Sleep Apnea related - the Sleep center at the VA found no reason for further testing & sent a foam wedge to elevate my sleep position... had to DC the same as it was most uncomfortable & added "0"...

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Pacemaker Newbie!

Hi everyone! I'm 29 and just had a pacemaker put in Thursday for sick sinus syndrome. I'm so glad to have found this site! I've been feeling very emotional yesterday and today because I feel so useless at home. My husband has been so great but I can tell its been hard on him too. My 2 year old daughter cries because she wants mommy to hold her and it breaks my heart. Today I started using my left arm a bit and it feels very weird. I'm so scared in going to pull a lead out or something. I'm tryin...

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swim

Question:
Do you know how long after surgery, can you get in the water and go for a swim?

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PM generator removal

I am SOOOOO excited.
My PM generator is being removed this Thursday the 8th at 8:00 AM. I can hardly wait.
The dr is not happy about removing it but I agreed to leave the leads in; just in case I need a PM in the future.
The pacemaker has been turned off since January of this year with NO symptoms whatsoever so I think removing the generator is very appropriate.
With that being said, if anyone has ever had the generator removed, what was the procedure like? Did it hurt during...

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New to Pacemakers

Hi there all, am evidently getting my first pacemaker implant on Monday. Have been treated for arrhythmia for about a year ... always too fast, I have idiopathic ventricular tachycardia. Am a fainter and have vasovagal syncope. Have had a loop recorder for about a year and on interrogation on Thursday found my last faint was caused by a hr of 30 bpm. I'm told this is bradycardia so a new one to add to the list. Explains why I fainted in bed this time. Anyway am wondering if other people have suc...

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New pacemaker and super tired

I just had my pacemaker put in last week for a sinus node dysfunction from a heart ablation I had three years ago. basically my heart rate skips seconds between beats. Got the pacer to help correct this problem. I was doing well first couple of days but now I am super tired and fatigued. I am going in for my first check with the tech tomorrow morning. Can the settings on the pacer be making me this tired?

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6 weeks and still having problems

I still don't feel well after 6 weeks after the operation. Has anyone else taken a while to feel better? I have seen my GP and he wrote a letter to the cardiologist who said everyone is fine by 4 weeks. He dismissed pacemaker syndrome and diaphragm pacing as issues. I haven't had my first (6 week but delayed until 8 weeks) check.

I am doing some exercise (run 2 miles) but exercise seems to make me worse. I have a dual chamber pacemaker. After a week they turned the rate response off,...

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Bleeding wound

Hi friends !

I have my PM since 06.12.2012 , everything is going ok , my PM is OK as my Doctor says, but one thing is making me worry, my wound doesn't heal complet, and if it get closed ofter some days it opens again, it doesn't hurt, or bleed, some fluids come out but just a little, my doctor was surprised ,I did have a check at 11.07.2013, all he told me was to take care not to wear close clothes, I see my wound doesn't care to heal, anyone has experienced something like this...?...

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Cardiac PM/ICD Hosts are...

...extremely lucky that they don't sit on their PM incisions - like my Wife does.

Last Wed she rec'd a Medtronic PM for bladder incontinence.

That little sucker is shaped just like our PM's (I wonder why?) & is placed on your back just below the belt line. It feeds a wire that is run down to a spot on your buttocks that is on the centerline & right next to the sacral nerve.

It constantly stimulates the sacral nerve to keep the bladder sphincter muscle tight, w...

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pacemaker

you asked why I needed a pacemaker.My pulse goes down to 20 at night and only 36 during the day.

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pacemaker

Was just wondering if there is anyone else my around my age.15,that has a pacemaker.

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pacemaker

I am a special needs boy.In a special needs class.I am scared.I don't have a date yet for surgery.Just sometime before Aug.19.And going on a long trip the last week of Aug.We are going by car.Its a 17 hr.drive.and driving straight through.

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pacemaker

I am 15 and I am getting a pacemaker in Aug.Was going on a long trip.Was wondering if I will be able to go.At the end of Aug.

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Third day after implantation

Hi Guys, new to the club, very lucky with complete heart block experienced on a transatlantic flight. I have found very useful advice how to sleep as the implantation place is still very source. Many thanks for this! Marek

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Help!!! BP & HR out of control.

I have always had High Blood Pressure but during the surgery to have a loop recorder inserted my blood pressure was very low so my Cardiologist told me to stop the HCTZ (water pill) I was taking. When I went in for my follow-up appointment a week later the doctor determined my heart was stopping frequently for too long of a period. I was immediately scheduled for a pacemaker. On Monday the 22nd I was in surgery. Afterwords my blood pressure was back to being high (141/110) and my heart rate was...

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Member Quotes

Yesterday I moved to a new place in my mind and realized how bad I felt 'before' and the difference my pacemaker has made.