Having it in the morning

I’m having my PM/ Difbulater put in in the morning and I’m scared, infact I can’t sleep. Was wondering what should I excpect to feel after it’s all done? Will I be able to sleep and any other thing you can tell me I might expect in the beginning?

5 Comments

good luck!

by Tracey_E - 2009-06-02 06:06:34

Don't know if you'll see this before you go or not, but best wishes to you! After it's done, you'll probably feel sore in your shoulder. They'll probably send you home with a pain prescrip but I've never filled it, just got by on Tylenol. (I've had 3 replacements now, been through this before!) They may send you home in a sling so you don't mess the leads up by moving your arm too much. You'll definitely be able to sleep but it's best to stay on your back. I find it helpful to hug a small pillow with my left arm, keeps me from knocking it or rolling onto my side in my sleep. It was a few weeks before I was comfortable sleeping on my side.

Everyone is different, but I felt energized from the moment I woke up after getting my pm. My hr had dipped into the 20's, so having it up in the 60's all the time was similar to the feel of chugging several pots of coffee. :o)

Let us know how it went! And please don't be shy if you have more questions.

No big deal...

by chip - 2009-06-02 10:06:10

You are going to be just fine! It's over before you know it and the surgery is no big deal at all. Your shoulder will be a little sore (kind of like a muscle pull) but it goes away in about a week. Like Tracey said put a pillow under your arm and you'll sleep like a baby. Trust me you will come through thinking - boy that was nothing! Best of luck and let us know how it goes.

God Bless

It'll go grrreat !

by pacemakerkid - 2009-06-02 11:06:08

I just had the same thing in December !

It will be pretty sore around the area where they put it in.

I had a problem with the scab because the PM/Defib. poked out a little so the scab would pop off on the edges and on the middle , so I (at 14) woke up and I was screaming bloody murder(so loud that the neighbors heard me and called to see if I was okay.) because I woke up and the whole front of my gigantic sweatshirt was soaked in blood and there was a puddle of blood in the bed. I was so scared to look down at myself because at 14 of course I always expect the worse and I had no idea what was going on , I honestly thought that my defibrillator had gone off and had such a kick that it ripped my stiches out and that when I lifted my shirt up my diffibrillator would be sticking out of my stomach. Luckily I was wrong and my mom's cardiologist came to patch it up because I go to a cardiologist 2 hours away and was staying with my grandmother that weekend because it was my parent's anniversary. So that story took long enough but it should help because I think that it really is anyone's biggest fear !

P.S.- I was extremely stiff when I got out , but here's my trick after 8 open hearts and 7 PM and Defib. replacements , go get your ipod turn it up really loud and get mad at yourself , walk up and down a hallway until you don't feel stiff anymore. I did this for an hour almost every night so that I could go to the mall with my friends and not be hunched over.

- Pacemakerkid(Abby.)

glad you're ok

by Tracey_E - 2009-06-03 08:06:17

Thanks for the update! Glad to hear it went well.

just woke up

by Van - 2009-06-03 08:06:35

I just woke up and like everyone said it wasn't soo bad. I feel a little stiff but not a big deal. Have to see my cardio this morning so he can check how the PM/Defib is working. I kinda feel the same otherwise, soo I'll see what else is gonna happen. I'll continue to ask questions.

Van

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