stinging, popping, ripping? i'm uncomfortable.

This site was so helpful when i had my pacemaker implanted two months ago--thought i would check back in. I am still having a difficult time with several aspects of returning to my regular activities. I work in the service industry and so do a lot of heavy, repetative lifting. This has improved some with time--as my PM used to 'snap' around under my pectoral muscles every time i would have to flex or move my arm/shoulder a certain way. it felt like bending fingernails backwards! So now I hunch a little more to slacken the muscles. my other normal activities (like riding a bike) exacerbate the situation since the muscles fill with blood and then they really pop around all over the place! if i cup my device it squishes around. My cardiologist says that it is going to take several months to build up enough scar tissue to hold the device in place. I frowned and cried a bit. I asked about physical therapy because of the hunching and stiffening...i'm worried about losing mobility and strength in my shoulder since exercising is still so uncomfortable. He didn't have any genius PT ideas for me. so i open it up to the real professionals: I'm 28, active, bean-pole thin w/ bradycardia and Long QT. Has anyone ever gotten acupuncture to help rehabilitate? I already walk a zillion miles and do a great deal of lifting/reaching/stretching/pulling/pushing at work.

Part Two:
My scar stings. not all the time, but frequently (although it is always sore). why?
I have trouble sleeping because I can't sleep on my side any more. crunching my shoulders together on my right side is awkward and mildly painful but if i sleep on my left side, when I straighten back out it feels like something ripping...like all the gooey insides all started to settle into the nodules of the PM and then get ripped back out. what IS that! did any one else have this problem? is my body just trying to build up scar tissue? i'm so uncomfortable!

5 Comments

hi sorry you are having probems

by Hot Heart - 2010-07-11 03:07:40

It does take some time for you to heal inside, we get pushed around quite fiercly to make the soace to house the pm. It is important that you keep your shoulder flexible, just do little shoulder shrugs and rotations a few times a day, perhaps while watching tv, this will stop it from becoming frozen.

Hope you feel better soon

HH

I think your experience may be normal

by Tracie H - 2010-07-11 06:07:23

The reason I say this is because I had similar experiences. I am very active and got back into my activities about a week before I was supposed to (I don't recommend that...). I couldn't do arm stretches, reach my aero bars on my bike, do push-ups, etc. without stretching my pec muscles, feeling like my pm would pop out or rip or have my pm click against my collarbone or whatever. It's been over year and while most of the issues have subsided, I still get the clicking against my bone *gross!*. I protected it so much that my shoulder started to turn in and I had to use massage and extensive chiropractic to get it back to normal. Since getting it stretched out and knowing nothing bad will happen if I don't "protect" it, it's gotten much better. Sleep was also an issue for me, as I sleep on my left side. I tucked a pillow under my arm so my shoulders didn't hunch in so much. It was a lot more comfortable; so much so that I still sleep with an extra pillow!

My suggestion to you is to protect it like you've been doing until your ready to let it go. Then get some chiro work or acupuncture (like you mentioned) to loosen up the tendons and muscles around the pm. I equate your job requirements to my hobby so just keep going with it - your body will acclimate to it's new resident soon. Good luck. I do hope you heal soon!

Tracie

Forgot something...

by Tracie H - 2010-07-11 06:07:30

As for the stinging...get a jar of natural Vitamin E salve or use coconut oil. It helped my scar A LOT!

:) Tracie

Sting, Pop, Rip

by ccallahan - 2010-07-11 07:07:17

These thiings should tell you that your are not letting yourself heal. There is plenty of time at your age to get back in to the full swing of things. You need to let the thing heal, do not lift so much weight. The feelings you are having is the scar tissue and muscle that has been moved around and bulding up, is being thrown around tearing and not getting the chance to settle. You need to slow down and let it heal. The longer you aggrivate it the longer the healing process. You are young and will bounce back easily. You will have to make some adjustments with life to accept your new buddy. I think we all have been there. I can not do a lot of what I used to do because of several issues, sometimes you have to play with the cards you are dealt. The scar is probably being pushed on by the weightlifting and amount of force you are putting on the area. The soreness is the device pushing its way out. This is why you need to let it heal. If you don't it will tear open and you will have even more time with less activity. I have had surgical sites tear open due to impatience. It is not fun. Give it a rest for a rew weeks. Your young thin body will adjust and bounce back!!

Good Luck,

Rev Chuck

very helpful

by crumbcake - 2010-07-13 04:07:52

thanks friends! this is very helpful. Tracie, I got some vitamin E salve. Sounds like patience and persistence is key. so good to hear that other people have had a similar issue. when you're the only person you know with a PM it's hard to know what's normal and what is cause for concern. glad to have you all for support.

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