For women PM implant....sorry guys!

Hi All,

For info, I received my St. Jude CRT-P pm on Wednesday, March 6th, 2013 and came home Thursday. For any lady out there, I was wondering if you had experienced what I'm about to say?

Seems my implant had gone well so far, as this is only my 3rd day of recovery. However, Thursday night I was in such pain and experiencing horrible soreness on the left side of my left breast. I could hardly lay my arm against my body. Let alone get any sleep! Now this pain, was NOT above my breast area were the pm was implanted.....I could understand that pain & bruising. This was bruising below and underneath the breast. Friday, March 8th (yesterday) I looked in the mirror, while taking off my pressure bandage and noticed a silver dollar size deep black/blue/purple bruise. My thought was, what in the world did they do that caused such bruising in that area of my breast? I called the doctor and the nurse didn't, I gather, understand why I was bruised there....so much for knowing. Maybe the doctor was got mad and used me as a punching bag....lol. So to make a record of this bruise, I took a photo of the bruising area.....just anything arises at a later date.

Today, March 9th, I was taking off the silver patch (over the incision), and noticed that the bruise is now covering ½ of my breast underneath, and working its way up my breast. Now ladies I can understand normal bruising, but UNDER the fullness of my breast? Has anyone experience bruising in this area?
Sorry, for such detail, but I'm a detailed person.

Thanks for responses.....BG

5 Comments

bruising

by varmit - 2013-03-09 07:03:29

Are you on blood thinner(s)? What meds did they use in the surgery or following Could you be bleeding internally? I think a Dr. check is called for and pronto. Do you have an urgent care center in your area? That might be a good start.

You'll see I've had this surgery now 5 times and have never experienced this phenomenon.

bruising

by jillee - 2013-03-09 07:03:41

I have had the experience of bruising, but you didnt mention if this is your first pacemaker, i have had several pacemakers since the age of 9, i am now 50, and my bruising came from when they tried to take the old pacemaker out, and they had a hard time, because sometimes when they are inside for several years, they become stuck in the pocket, that they put it in, so i had a lot of brusing from all the pulling and tugging it out, like anything that you have in place for a while, but like i said with you i dont know if this is your first one, but my bruising took some time to heal, they were big black and blue marks, let me know if you want, and tell me if you have had any other pacemakers before this one. Jillee

It's all the fault of...

by donr - 2013-03-09 10:03:34

...Sir Isaac Newton, of cookie fame.

You could also blame the apple that fell on his head & lead him to come up w/ an explanation of gravity.

You see, here's what happened: The trauma was above the breast - but there are all sorts of hidden spaces that lead down the body - between muscles & all sorts of other unsuspected spots. Your procedure just happened to take place at the top of one of these channels & the blood that was out of the vascular system because of the cutting just followed nature's course & flowed downhill to the lowest spot & showed up as a bruise.

Now, I'm a guy, but have had experience w/ this sort of bruise before - on at least three occasions. Tripped, fell & whacked the daylights out of my left thigh. Got a wicked bruise on my thigh, but also, after several days, behind my knee & eventually in my ankle. Had a shoulder repaired - wound up w/ a bruise below the armpit - an area not even remotely close to the surgery site.

You are NOT alone.
'
Don

Ecchymosis

by ebfox - 2013-03-10 10:03:38

Don has it right, the medical term is called ecchymosis "the escape of blood into surrounding tissues from ruptured blood vessels."

When I was young I tore a hamstring (the back of my upper thigh) playing football and over the next few days I watched the black and blue area migrate down the back of my leg all the way to my foot.

It will take a week or two but your body will clean that right up.

EB

Donr hit the jackpot....

by BG - 2013-03-27 11:03:58

Thanks to all that left comments. its now been 3 weeks today since my PM and have more energy, although I tucker out around 6pm every evening...lol As far a soreness, it still exsist at the swollen arm pit..but that to shall pass.

Sorry, I forgot to say, in the beginning, that this was my first PM, I'm 72 and NO i'm not on any medications or blood thinners fo any kind..

Donr your preceptiveness of my bruising was correct. Ebfox your name for the term was also correct The law of gravity from the PM is what caused my breast bruising. My primary doctor verified this few days later...and so did my pacer clinic tech at my visit. So what i thought was happening, was confirmed, even though I wasn't for sure. So thanks Donr & Ebfox!

three more weeks and we are headed to our summer home up north. I figured that 6 weeks I should feel pretty darn good. We'll see...

god bless.
BG

You know you're wired when...

The dog’s invisible fence prevents you from leaving the backyard.

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