7 weeks on and still lots of pain

Hey all!
i got my medtronic mri compatible pacer on the 12th august this year and im a 20 year old medical student. its been nearly 7 weeks since the operation and i still have really bad pain in the area as though there is damaged tissue. everybody iv spoken to was fine after about a week. i had my incision below the arm area because i am young and the op took longer than expected so i presume there was some kind of difficulty especially because im quite thin and it was hard to place.
i had seen my cardiologist soon after the op because i was receiving shocks and he seemed happy enough and said it was just still tender. i cant lift my arm above my head still and i still need to rest my elbow on a pillow at night to sleep. i am also taking strong painkillers. i dont want to go back to a doctor because i really dont think there can be anything they can do; was just wondering if anybody else had a similar experience
many thanks
nicola

5 Comments

Don't put up with it

by ElectricFrank - 2011-09-29 01:09:32

It has been long enough since the implant for any pain to subside, especially if you are taking strong pain meds. Something is causing continued irritation of the surrounding tissue. A few possibilities are:
1. An infection of the area
2. Some type of activity you are engaging in that interferes with healing.
3. There is an irregular edge on the body of the pacemaker where the leads attach that sometimes will impact the tissue around it.

The continued use of strong pain meds this far out since the surgery is an indication to me that the doctor is taking the easy way out for him/her. I realize that at 20 yrs old and a medical student it is hard to confront a cardiologist, but it is your health and enjoyment of life. It is also an opportunity to learn to deal with the medical heirachy.

best of luck with it,

frank

hi Nicola

by sue uk - 2011-09-29 04:09:17

The area around my PM site seemed to take forever to heal.like yourself l had a "rough time" having it fitted & l think that is why l was so sore for so long because of tissue damage even though the docs said that was "highly unlikely".
My PM then decided to move & even now (5mths on) l am still sore especially when l have been doing anything physical, l think that is because of tissue damage caused by my PM flipping about but guess what my docs say? yep! "highly unlikely"
What bothers me about your post is the word PAIN, l am sore you are in pain, big difference, everyones healing process is different but if you are still experiencing pain you need to know why & most definately need to see someone soon!!!
Good luck, Sue x

Have a word...

by gulliver80 - 2011-09-29 05:09:37

Hi Nicola
I had a fair amount of pain after the impant of my ICD, a good 8 weeks in total reckon. Agree with Frank, have a chat with your cardiologist or even see if you can get another check done through the Cardiac Therasic (spelling may be off!) they should be able to give you more clarity. I had to have mine removed and re-positioned after 10 weeks as mine had moved, causing the wires to dislodge - being sub pectoral this can normally cause a fair amount of discomfort anyway. Hope you get sorted, continue to be brave...you will get past this.
Darren

healing

by Tracey_E - 2011-09-29 07:09:41

We all heal at different rates and when they place it deeper than usual and/or have trouble getting it positioned it's going to take longer to heal. Mine is buried under the breast and was put in from the side. I was sore quite a bit longer than average. I was off pain meds within a week, tho, so it sounds like your pain is a lot worse than what I went through but it did drag on for about 3 months, esp at night. It took several months to be able to sleep comfortably on my left side. Once it's healed, however, it's fantastic! I don't even know it's there.

Differentt healing rates

by ElectricFrank - 2011-09-30 01:09:23

I was made aware of this during my trip. At one of the RV parks I met the owner who was going around cleaning up sites and doing all sorts of vigorous work. I greeted him and commented on how he was enjoying his activities. His response was that it felt good to be out of the hospital after his triple bypass. Seems the bypass surgery was only a few days more than a week old.

And I sometimes think I do well????

frank

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