Career ending Diagnosis, Advice ? Running ?

Training

by Good Dog - 2016-06-16 21:06:46

Alan,

It is customary to restrict the use of your arm (on the side of the pacemaker implant) from being raised above your head for one month after a pacemaker is implanted. The concern is that one could cause a lead to be displaced. However, the likelihood of that happening is very small. The pacemaker surgery is really relatively minor surgery with the greatest risk being infection. Generally, you can resume normal activity within about one month after surgery. 

It is highly likely that you should be able to quickly work your way back to your current level of fitness after being able to resume normal activities. It will really be dependant upon how you feel. I don't understand why you said that your career is over. If you were getting an ICD as opposed to a pacemaker, then I would understand the concern. However, if a pacemaker provides an adequate remedy of your problem, there should be no potential negative impact on your ability to do your job.  My point is that you are at no greater risk of not being able to perform than the next guy. 

So frankly, you are probably better-off with this diagnosis than the previous misdiagnosis. My reasoning is that this diagnosis is fixable. You won't have to worry about fainting episodes anymore. I have had a PM for 30 years. Received it when I was 38. I worked for the military at the time and I was able to do anything anyone else could do. I worked-out regularly and played competitive basketball with guys in their 20's. I can tell you that my PM has had no negative impact on my life whatsoever. That is, other than the minor inconvenience of routine checks and a battery change every 10 years. 

I wish you the very best..................

David

David,

by pmb7290 - 2016-06-16 21:19:44

Thank you for your information. I am 39 years old similar to your timeframe. I have no doubts that I can perform my job with no problems, but unfortunatly NFPA regulations disqualify me from ever being full duty again. Its not fair, it makes no sense, but it is not without precident. I am trying to deal with this the best I can and have to see what doors may be open. Glad to hear I should at least be able to get running again shortly.

Time for a rule change

by Good Dog - 2016-06-17 07:24:47

You bet it isn't fair! It is not only unfair, it is crazy! You will not be handicapped in any way, so there is no basis to remove you from full duty. It must an an old out-dated rule that needs to be changed.

Don't give-up the fight.

Sincerely,

David

Hang in there

by AJ1332 - 2016-06-17 16:04:12

hi there: I don't know the rules for a firefighter with a pacemaker, but from a workout pov, once you're healed up, you should be able to do just about anything again. One caveat is that if you have some inflammation (pericarditis), that puts a damper on workouts until it clears up (weeks or months), but hopefully, you won't have that, and you'll be off to the races again within few weeks. Do follow their post-op instructions to avoid complications that delay your return to the run.

I don't know when your implantation is, but say it's in June, and assuming no complications, that will give you probably the last week or two of July and all of August to gradually build up stamina and speed again. The timing should be ok, I think.

Good luck with it all, and thanks for your firefighting work to keep your community safe.

AJ

Thank you

by pmb7290 - 2016-06-17 17:42:17

Thank you for your comments. I do appreciate it

I also have Bradycardia with long pauses

by Shaun - 2016-06-18 07:14:59

Hi Alan,

I have Bradycardia (Sick Sinus Syndrome), and had been passing out "on and off" for a while without realizing it because it was always while I was sleeping. I would just wake up feeling really weird and the doctors put it down to stress. Then in September 2014 I passed out about 12 times in one night and several times the following day, each time while I was asleep. I was then admitted to hospital where upon falling asleep, the ECG monitor showed my normal heart activity stopping for about 40 seconds with gaps of over 5 seconds between consecutive beats. I was then immediately implanted with a pacemaker configured to pace when my heart rate dropped to 60bpm and discharged the following day. Since then I have not had any reoccurrences of my previous symptoms.

I am a very keen cyclist and after receiving the pacemaker I very quickly returned to my previous level of fitness. At the age of 55, I can still beat many of my cycling friends (18 years my junior) to the top of the hill, so I guess I'm a bit confused why you think you may not be able to return to your previous level of physical activity. The only change I made to my cycling after receiving the pacemaker was to focus more on the turbo trainer during the winter months because I didn't really want to risk falling off my bike on the wet and slippery roads.

I wish you all the very best of luck,

Shaun.