Newbie

Welcome to the club

by IAN MC - 2017-04-09 05:35:08

Hello PD   .  I play tennis 3 times a week .  Don't tell my cardiologist but I went on court in week 2  .I'm not for one minute suggesting that you do that though !  It wasn't really tennis because of the restrictions on the left arm which meant I had to serve under-arm but it convinced me that there can be a normal life after having a PM

Certainly at 6 weeks you should be on court and you will no doubt be fairly cautious about extending your PM arm above your head at first.

By 8 weeks you should be playing moreorless normally.

To keep yourself sane I strongly recommend that you try a knock-up before the 6 weeks.

Best of luck

Ian

sport and fitness

by PD62 - 2017-04-09 08:51:04

Thank you. That makes me feel better 😀  I hope to be in the gym in week 2 doing some walking and maybe gentle bike.  I would hate to lose my fitness level.  Thanks again.

Re exercise.

by Gailae - 2017-04-09 19:01:08

Keep your shoulder moving and in the suggested range of movement. The real reason is to ensure that the leads are well attached and scar tissue is solid. I was advised, and believe, that it is advisable to wait the six weeks  (in fact I was cautious for three months as I jump horses).  No problem with a slow return to activity. I have had my pacemaker for two years now and feel great. I play golf, exercise and jump my horses and all kinds of sport.   In fact I forget I have a pacemaker!   Good Luck.

Exercise

by PD62 - 2017-04-10 06:44:10

Thank you 😀.  It still feels a bit surreal but I'm sure I will be ok.

surreal

by FitMomma - 2017-04-10 17:37:46

Hi-

I got my pacemaker on 3/24/17 and I'm right there with you. It does still feel surreal although I am noticing a few things that tell me maybe I did need it after all? The biggest hit for me was in my confidence in myself or rather my body. My confidence took a big hit. I finally typed in the word "confidence" in the search engine on this website and found I wasn't alone in how I felt but that it was normal and I would bounce back. Its been just over 2 weeks and I do feel more like my normal self. I still get anxious at times and haven't been cleared to drive yet or go back to work yet but I see the doctor this Friday and I'm hoping for good news. I can't wait to get full use of my arm back too! Oh to be able to stretch both arms over my head again! I can't wait!

Welcome!

Cathy

shoulder exercise

by Gotrhythm - 2017-04-10 18:11:37

Not that I would advise anybody to do what I did, but I was liting my hand above my head within the first week. It didn't hurt to do it and I kept forgetting I shouldn't. 

At the hospital I was given and did perform shoulder range of motion exercises to start 2 days after surgery. For someone like you, I think shoulder exercises in which you gradually increase how high you lift your hand would be a good idea. That way you feel like you are doing something to enhance your full recovery while waiting for the healing to take place on the inside.

Exercise

by PD62 - 2017-04-11 05:19:11

Thank you for your comments, it's very reassuring to hear other people going through the same emotions.....makes me feel sane 😀

be careful

by dwelch - 2017-04-13 02:48:44

Pacer number four, going on five in two weeks.

My first one I did something and the wire slid around from behind and moved on top, note 30 years ago they were much larger, you could see the pacer and see the wire over top.  By the time the doctor saw this it was too late, could have caused problems with the skin where the wire went over the sides and made a sharper bump.  They really want you to let this thing settle in, let your body start to build scar tissue around everything, your body will try to smooth things out and pad around it.  You will have the next 7-10 years to play tennis and do normal things, work slowly toward that dont rush it.  What you really dont want is to be back in surgery the next few days or weeks to fix something...

Reading the posts recently sounds like I have been doing wrong on my four, I keep my sholder stiff which I know is wrong, then the muscles really hurt from holding it that way for days, should be dealing with the incision pain and working those muscles rather than locking them up...Will see how it goes in a few weeks...

30 years ago there wasnt an internet much less this site so I was all on my own with this, wasnt even an adult at the time.  This site is awesome, countless decades worth of accumulated experience.  We know more than the docs, how many of them have these things inside or know what it is like to live with one physically or emotionally?  Welcome to the club.  Im happy Im not the only one with a bunch of pacers and started out as a kid.  My first time to visit here, right around number three to number four, someone had started at less than 10 years old and was on number 8 or something like that.  Made me feel pretty normal...or at least not so abnormal...

You are totally sane.  These things are in us to make us normal...not special...

Be careful

by PD62 - 2017-04-13 04:30:02

thank you 😊

I agree. This site is just brilliant, before finding it, I had spent my time looking at medical information.  The pacemaker club gives me real information not just clinical. And everybody knows what it feels like to be wired up.