water skiing

Water skiing

by Tiffygogo - 2017-06-14 23:18:41

I actually asked my doc about water skiing last week and, sadly, he said no. He said that since the environment is not controlled with water skiing, and the high likelihood of sudden tugs and the impact when you go down, water skiing is no longer an option for me. Not sure about tubing, but I would think with the likelihood of impact with the water if you're thrown off, that probably would not be advised either. 

hmmm

by dwelch - 2017-06-15 14:48:24

I never asked my doctor, did lots of hydrosliding and bmxing and skateboarding, etc with a pacemaker, only had one good hit on it and it was doing none of the above.  More likely to bang it walking down a busy hall full of people (against someone coming the other way) than hit it with the water.  I would say it depends in part on your skill level.  Any activity you do you have the risk of hitting it, walking, driving, maybe not eating, certainly showering (more people get hurt slipping and falling in the bathroom that pretty much anywhere else), and then any sport you do..  You know what the surgery is like you know how far you are from the ER you should know your medical condition and what your odds are if the device becomes damaged (I think you would have to get shot or hit by an axe just right to do that) or break a lead (far more likely), or the risk of infection if you open it up, it keeps working but you still need to rush in to have that dealt with.  infection in general is a bigger deal for us on any part of our body, hiking through sticker bushes in shorts, whatever...

I would think tubing is more risky that skiing as you have far less control, but I dont think that a water hit can do any real damage, would need to be hit the ski laying in the water just right hit.

My two cents, not a doctor, wont take responsibility for your medical bills or any other result of these comments.  You are still within your first year of getting used to this and protecting it from day to day bumps, but at this point well beyond the post surgery recovery and sensitivity, so this is all part of the experience.

9 months in

by Hoser - 2017-06-15 19:28:00

I started lifting weights. Just be careful and conscious of that device in your chest and go a little at a time

Wakeboarding

by RvC - 2017-06-22 18:13:34

I never asked the question, but I have wakeboarded since getting my pm 2.5 years ago.  I did catch an edge at one point and swear I landed on my pacemaker.  I will say that I was super grateful that I was wearing both a wetsuit and a lifejacket; they softened the blow and there's no telling what would have happened had I not been wearing them.  Personally, I choose not to stop doing what I love, but I am much more careful about selecting the times that I do it (no rough water etc.).