Exercise/Recovery

I had a dual chamber pacemaker put in this past Friday (4/10/15). Dr. told me the standard 4-6 weeks regarding excessive movements of left arm. However, he didn't seem to have a problem with me riding a stationary bike or running ie: any cardiovasular exercise not stressing left arm/shoulder or pulling on leads. He just said start out in moderation; no marathons. Does this sound pretty standard?

Also, how long did it take most of you to start feeling better w/more energy after pacemaker was installed? I'm not even a week out from my implant and the pain from the subpectoral implant has been minimal and gets less and less each day. Still some swelling. However, I don't feel any different and am still lacking in energy and the ability to concentrate well ie: still don't feel that great. Just curious how most of your followups have gone with regards to energy/concentration levels/etc.

4 Comments

followup

by gaman - 2015-04-15 03:04:09

Forgot to mention that I had a tricuspid heart valve repaired on 11/20/14 (severe regurgitation) and an ablation for atrial flutter on 1/30/15...........been rode hard put up wet the last 5-6 months:(

Thanks for the info.

It depends upon you

by Theknotguy - 2015-04-15 03:04:27

How soon you get back to feeling good depends upon a whole bunch of stuff. What your problems were before PM, medications you take, adjustment to new medications, your body's reaction to medications during implant, how active you were before getting the PM. All sorts of stuff. Some are very lucky and get a euphoric feeling, others go back to feeling OK, and others get the blahs.

You can figure about the 4-6 week period things will start to get back to "normal". But the word "normal" here is like the lawyer's "reasonable" - open to a wide interpretation.

What I can tell you is getting moving and keeping moving will help you feel better. That's the hardest thing to do. You don't feel like moving but after you're done you usually feel better. The stationary bike is a good way to go. You can measure your performance and make sure you don't increase too far and too fast. I did that for a month. So your doctor telling you to use the bike is a good way to go.

Also did walking. Measured the route. Would walk it, and if I didn't feel too bad, would increase it by a little every two to three days - I think quarter mile intervals.

I think I was about 8 weeks out and started getting the euphoric feeling. Could take a breath of air instead of gasping for air. Blood circulation was good. Mind felt clearer. It took about a month for that to wear off. Since I was expecting the euphoria to wear off I didn't get the blahs when it happened.

Drink water, not soft drinks or sports drinks. I was drinking 1/2 liter per 33 pounds of weight per day. It really helped. Had to pee a lot at first but it helped everything else.

Others on the forum will tell you attitude is the most important. If you plan for things to get better, they probably will. If you think the future will be bad, it probably will be.

I had a lot of trauma before getting my PM. One doctor told me it would be two years before I would get back to what I had pre-PM. So if something didn't happen on a specific date I'd say to myself, "It hasn't been a year yet." Then go on. It really helped. My new mantra is, "It hasn't been two years yet." There's a lot more good times than bad but still occasional setbacks.

For you, if you had no trauma and no other major problems, I'd set a six month date and a year date. Then see what happens. If you don't feel like doing something just say, "It hasn't been six months yet." Then go on. Thinking something should happen by a calendar date can get you more frustrated than taking a laid back attitude. After six months, just say, "It hasn't been a year yet." Then re-evaluate at the year mark.

Based upon your comments so far, looks like things are going OK. I hope they continue that way. My best wishes go out for you.

If I felt any better, I would be jealous of myself

by Cspot - 2015-04-15 06:04:11

I am not taking any meds except for bp, and it took me a good two weeks before I even started feeling good again, but after five weeks, I feel like a million bucks. It took that long for me to catch up on my lost sleep due to being unconscious more than sleeping the last few months before my pm. I feel so calm and rested, now, even though my work schedule is already haywire. I now park as far as I can get from the door so I can get my steps in. I laugh now, but my heart feels ten years younger. I just wish my body did!

Recovery time

by WillieG - 2015-04-16 11:04:06

I only had exercise induced heart block and felt fine before the PM surgery and so I had an easy recovery. My incision area was sore as well as my arm, but I was the same energy wise. Drove 450 miles alone the day after I was home from hospital. Back to walks and bike rides in a week. All in all, it took about 9 months to not feel a "pulling sensation" when raking, moving that arm in certain positions, weight lifting, etc. As everyone says, we are all different! Good luck to you!

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