The Leads!!

Hi,

I am 13 and I had my pacemaker fitted at the age of 4. Normally my pacemaker hasn't bothered me but I have recently been noticing a sharp pain near the PM, the pain moves about. I recently had an x-ray that shows the leads of my PM are worn.
As I am a kid I do use me pacemaker frequently and I am worried as this pain my restrict me from doing things as the pain also travels into my back.

2 Comments

Time to get checked out...

by MelodyMarch - 2013-12-28 09:12:16

I don't know if this is exactly similar, but when I was in Middle School and High School, I had a friend who had a shunt from his brain to his abdomen due to hydrocephaly. He hit his growth spurt at about 14 and got really sick at the end of our 8th grade year, because he ran out of growth room in his tube and had to have it replaced.

This might be similar. Leads come in different lengths, mine are 52cm, and 56cm respectively, if you have had those leads since you were 4 years old, they have taken a lot of abuse (growing up is hard work) and I am sure you are taller now than you were at 4.

How close are you to a battery change anyway? They could be trying to wait it out and just replace your whole unit after you have grown a bit more. I don't really know, I am somewhat new to the club. Another factor is that I have read here that a lot of children have their initial placement in their abdomen, and they may want to take you to a more traditional left chest placement as well.

I would ask all the questions you need answered, and keep nagging your adults, respectfully of course for the answers you need.

growth

by Tracey_E - 2013-12-28 11:12:08

Are you in a growth spurt? That can make your leads uncomfortable. How long have you had these? It's possibly you're just outgrowing them. What did they say they wanted to do?

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