New member

Help please - reaasurances needed for my pacemaker implant tomorrow.

Am by no means a wimp but don't know anyone who's bionic.

Thank you.

mosieposie

12 Comments

Thinking of you

by karenski - 2012-02-20 04:02:18

Hi mosieposie. I had my first PM on 1st Feb. Still getting used to it but feel so much better. In fact felt better straight after the procedure. Takes a while to remember not to move your arm too high or too far back. The op takes about an hour but the time goes really quickly. Like you, I didn't know anyone with a PM and actually have done all of my reading since leaving hospital as I didn't know that I needed one! This club is amazing - keep searching you will find the answers here. Best of luck tomorrow

Karen x

Thinking of you

by Janey L - 2012-02-20 04:02:20

Hi. Just to say I will be thinking of you tomorrow. I had conscious sedation for my implant, so didn't feel anything although I could still talk to the Dr & staff when they spoke to me. They also gave me local in the chest area + IV painkilers & antibiotics....so I really did not feel a thing.

Afterwards I just took paracetamol. Stayed in hospital overnight.

I'm 5 months post implant now & life is just great with my PM, best thing that ever happened to me.

Let us know how you get on.

Best wishes
Janey

From a bionic wimp!

by IAN MC - 2012-02-20 04:02:47

Hello mosieposie .. like you, I am from the UK, (but I'm a little bit older than you.).

I was dreading having a PM fitted last August ; I didn't know anyone who had had a PM implant and wasn't aware of the existence of this forum unfortunately.

I couldn't believe how easy the whole thing was .. I had the PM installed 2.00pm and returned home at 7.00pm that day. The actual procedure took about 45 mins from being wheeled into the Op theatre and being returned to the ward.

I can honestly say that it was no worse than a trip to the dentist.

I was fully conscious throught the procedure (my choice) and had an interesting conversation with a junior Dr throughout.

As you have an incision there is obviously a recovery period of a couple of weeks to allow the wound to heal and then another period of time before you can fully lift your arm and return to normal life. It passes very quickly !

My life has improved beyond all recognition and I'm fully active again with running, cycling, tennis and golf.

You must remember that ,by its very nature, this forum attracts people who have had problems but the vast majority of people have no problems whatsoever and we never hear from them !

Let us all know how it goes tomorrow and the best of luck ( I'm going to the dentist as it happens !)

Ian

To all my wellwishers

by mosieposie - 2012-02-20 06:02:44

Thank you so much for taking the time to post reassurances on my impending pacemaker implant - they are very much appreciated. I'll trot off to Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, England, tomorrow in a much calmer state!

Glenfield Hosp

by IAN MC - 2012-02-20 07:02:27

Hello again mosieposie. One of the other uk people who contributes frequently using the name Tattoo Man had his PM fitted at Glenfield. I'm sure he will be in touch

Ian

Hi Mosieposie !!

by Tattoo Man - 2012-02-21 06:02:33

Tattoo man here, there was a time when Glenfield felt like a second home to me !
In 07 I had a new Mitral valve there and in '10 a PM fitted. I cannot think that you can get better care, and more importantly, superb surgery anywhere else...Glenfield is a Flagship Hospital and the people who work there are smashing.
I was on Ward27, Bed 94 when I had my PM. I know that staff move about a bit, but look out for Gladys, Abby and Richard.
You may well feel a bit beaten up because its a bit of a tussle at times and that bed-thing that is little more than a plank-thing that you lie on definitely doesnt come from DFS !.
Usual stuff apart it will be you BP that they will be looking at and they wil only let you go home when your BP is ok
Food is fine, if youre up to it ,take walks around the Hospital,the main Restaurant is a good place to have a coffee and read a book/read the paper by the big windows.
My favourite sport ws watching just how much the nurses EAT...talk about Chip Mountains !!

It'll be just fine, take the opportunity to be looked after and relax, but do take walks, some patients just lie there waiting for the next meal.

Keep in touch

Tattoo Man from sunny Newark

Thanks Ian

Piece of cake!

by IAN MC - 2012-02-22 04:02:11

Great news posie...so pleased that it went well . You are now a full member of the club !

Ian

PS I wasn't offered any jewellery , a diamond necklace would've been nice ( for my wife, not for me !! )

Medic Alert jewellery

by mosieposie - 2012-02-22 07:02:42

Ian

Re above, unfortunately wasn't 'offered' any jewellery, just pointed in direction of website. Have to buy an ID bracelet as I love jewellery, silver only, as gold's a bit beyond my reach now I'm retired. Hence my question in case anyone out there has bought any of their pieces.

I'm sure I'll be posting 'stuff' as soon as I get going again.
One of my main areas will be "Can I ride my horse again?" My consultant pulled a bit of a face when I posed the question but he did say he was a bit biased as he thought anyone who rode was a nutcase! He's probably quite right but, hey, you have to take some risks in life and luck has been on my side over the last 20 years of riding!
However, I'm sure I'll have to be a bit circumspect over this now.

Regards to all, mosieposie

Post pacemaker implant

by mosieposie - 2012-02-22 12:02:15

Hello everyone who replied to my earlier posting

Well, it's all over, thank goodness. Opted not to have sedation but hindsight's a wonderful thing!!!! Kept up a conversation with my 'torturer' (only joking!), at one point asking him if he was practising on me in preparation for his next patient!

Am now home and reunited with my three dogs but not sure if they've missed me as much as I missed them. I have a good hubby to take care of me but no change there as he's been my 'minder' for the last nine months.

Am looking forward to a more normal life when things settle down.

Thank you all again and I send my kind regards to everyone, particularly my fellow Glenfield patient, tattoo man!

mosieposie

PS has anyone had a piece of identity jewellery from Medic Alert please and, if so, what do you think?

Welcome Home Posie !

by Tattoo Man - 2012-02-23 04:02:18

So, you are now one of the Glenfield Girls, eh ?

May I join Ian in welcoming you to this merry band of Hybrid Humans ( apologies, Posie, I have a touch of Alliteration- itis at the moment). I'm really pleased that it all went well...what about you with no sedation !..if that had been me they would have been operating on the ceiling !

Seriously, do take it easy for a bit, take advantage of any one who is prepared to help. Dont let the dogs drag you about, keep that shoulder out of trouble, but at the same time dont 'over-nurse' it or you might find that it throws you posture out a bit.

There may be those out there who have not heard the old saying that "Horses are dangerous at both ends, and uncomfortable in the middle"...for the time being I suggest that "Horses are dangerous at both ends, AND in the middle"

Good idea to get yourself tagged for your PM...just picture yourself..., perhaps in need of help from that nice Paramedic in his shiny new bright green jumpsuit, so keen to get at you with his gazillion-volt paddles...Nah !...treat youself to some bling.

Keep in touch and..enjoy Life !

Tattoo Man, from the UK Club

PS..Ian is so in denial,..he just cannot admit that Diamonds can be a Mans Best Friend too !!

Home territory's the best!

by mosieposie - 2012-02-23 05:02:20

What joy to sleep in own bed again! Feeling ok but just trying to remember not to put pressure on hands etc. decided to sleep with backrest up which was a good idea for keeping me fairly still during the night.

Had pm on right side as am one of those so-called intelligent 'left handers' (NOT!) but also had major shoulder surgery on the left (ok, so I wasn't strictly honest in a previous posting re being lucky horse-riding wise, although there never was just one incident that caused the damage, more a build up over the years). The radiologist picked up the scar etc when checking pm leads placement and said he thought it looked a bit of really good surgery and could only have been done by one particular surgeon. He was so right - how clever is that?!

Tattooo man and Ian, I think your senses of humour mirrors my own, you do make me laugh. You also seem to have a good rapport with each other - do you know each other or is it all in cyberspace? Are you both in contact with many others in the UK? Sorry if you think I'm a nosey mosie but I've always worked on the premise "if you don't ask, you don't know or get"!

Breakfast in bed now - got to make the most of this! - so
will be back later. Regards to all out there. mosieposie

Try this one...

by Tattoo Man - 2012-02-23 09:02:37

Posie, Ian and I have , as you have sensed a truly unique relationship.
It was only when I joined this Forum that I discovered that I had an Identical Twin Brother who was born eleven years before me. If we had posted pictures of ourselves on our Profiles you would be hard pressed to tell us apart....!!

We are indeed a pair of Cyber Clowns and have never met. I'm sure Ian has loads of CyberPals and that is because he is better looking than me and not as shy as I am.
If we were ever to meet, he would be the most dissapointed, because, and you must promise to tell no-one...

I dont actually have any Tattoos...

Take care, Posie

Tattoo Man...( I'm the one on the left )















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