pacemaker

Hi I will be going into surgery soon for a pacemaker ,I'm 45 yrs old and a little bit nervous ,I'm a factory worker so I have no idea how long I will be off work

3 Comments

You didn't say...

by donr - 2012-02-12 01:02:25

...why you are getting the PM. All us nosy minds want to know! Anyway, welcome aboard!!!

The actual PM club measures in the millions - but 15,000 (Give or take one or two) belong to our happy little throng. Greta bunch of folks. There are more reasons than you can count on the toes of a millipede for us having PM's.

If you have read many posts, you'll see that some have problems. Most of us do not & try to answer questions for the rest - especially the Newbies, who usually don't have a clue what's going on. But - that's OK, we are here w/ absolutely tons of clues to give out, along w/ some pretty detailed answers.

Dunno how long you'll be off work - but it varies depending on how well you recover from a messy cut in your upper left chest. Most folks are pretty mobile the day after getting out of the hosp. Me - I spent the next night in the hosp after the surgery & went home about noon. Stopped at Home Depot to buy some lumber for our house we were building & ran a few errands. Wife was driving, naturally. Day after that, I was doing some light work - keeping the Dr's restrictions on raising my left arm, etc. This is actually pretty common, so you may hope to follow suit.

Yes, you'll have some soreness - after all, you'll have a pretty nasty cut & they'll have been mucking around in your chest & under the collarbone. You may need a pain pill or two - I got by on Tylenol. Some folks go a couple days on percocet or some such messy narcotics.

What day do you take the big step? Really soon? Any specific questions between now & them, drop in and ask. We'll be glad to help. OR - if you just want a morale -booster, drop in.

Don

Factory Work

by bredren - 2012-02-12 03:02:15

I'm the same age as you and fairly fit. It took me about a week of annoying pain to get through the worst. Now into week 5 I am starting to forget I even have an ICD most of the time.

I am curious about the factory work you do. If it involves heavy machinery, you might be forced to cut back there. Other than that, life goes on and is will be better than before the pm was implanted.

Recovery

by Tattoo Man - 2012-02-12 04:02:31

Hi, recovery/ back to normal questions are always so personal. Age, Fitness, Mind set and indeed Knowledge can all help/hinder recovery. One thing is pretty sure though ..give yourself a break..dont rush your recovery and you'll get a good outcome.
Recovery is not something that you wake up with, its a process that, if we are going to be honest, sometimes feels like you are going backwards.The day you are better is the day when you havnt even thought about it, or at least not worried about it.
Dont Panic
Without being a Victim, make sure that those around you know whats going on...Family, Friends, people at work will all want you to get back to normal asap. Maybe at work your manager can cut you some slack, if your job is physical, ask for assistance...maybe a bit like this Forum you will find out who your real buddies are.
Keep a sense of humour...the best medicine in the world !!

Keep in touch

Tattoo Man

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Member Quotes

A pacemaker suddenly quitting is no more likely to happen than you are to be struck by lightening.