Question about exercise

Question about exercise

by AKJ - 2018-09-08 23:28:12

I'm ex-military, retired police officer, received my device last week and I'm wondering about running as well. I'll be seeing my cardiologist in a few days and plan to discuss this with him. I'll be happy to share with you whatever observations he has on this issue. Good luck to you. I hope Uncle Sam allows you to finish out your career as planned. Keep the faith, bro, and thanks for your service!

Healing

by Theknotguy - 2018-09-08 23:43:50

What we don't know is what kind of skin type you have.  Most people get along fine while there are a few whose skin type allows the pacemaker to start moving around.  I volunteer at a hospital and took out a woman a few weeks ago whose pacemaker had migrated into her armpit.  They had to go in and re-position it.  

TracyE who regularly comments on this forum is very active athletically.  I think she's had her pacemaker implanted under the muscle to help keep the pacemaker from moving around.  I'm sure she'll chime in shortly.  Implanting under the muscle means it will take longer to heal and you'll have more soreness.  But the pacemaker won't move around due to movement or exercise.  

If you're fit athletically it won't take as long to heal.  However you probably will have to wait until the pacemaker implant wound heals over completely.  In addition there is some internal healing that needs to happen too.  However the military should give you the time necessary to heal and get back into shape. 

I'm thinking it takes about six weeks for the pacemaker wound to heal over on the outside.  Internal healing takes longer.  How long it takes for you to completely heal is due to your body type.  

Hope everything goes well for you.  

exercise

by Tracey_E - 2018-09-09 08:18:40

As long as the pacer fixes what's wrong with your heart, you should be able to do whatever you want after you heal. The biggest restriction is avoiding large magnets but even that's not a problem often because they have to be very strong and less than 6" from our device. So, headphones or cell phones aren't an issue but leaning over a running car engine can be. 

Talk to them about placement. If they put it in the traditional spot just under the skin, just under the collarbone, it may get in your way. They can put it a little lower and deeper, or under the pectoral, so that it's well buried and out of our way. I do push ups, pull ups and run. Not well, lol, but that's not because of the pacer. 

That said, simply having it may be a problem for the military. If you do a search, it has come up before. I believe it has more to do with maintenance of it than restrictions placed on us or limited ability to be active. 

Question about exercise

by GPacemaker - 2018-09-09 13:29:57

Thank you everyone for the input. Means a lot and I'm going to start training when I get done with recovery. I've been in the service for a long time (over 19 years) and I am very positive that I will be able to meet all the fitness and physical standards after recovery. Now I just have to prove it, it seems like. Thank you all so much.

GP

if you could do it before

by dwelch - 2018-09-10 23:38:00

If you could do these things before the pacer, then you can do them better after because your heart is better.  I would listen to TraceyE on this one.  While they can put it on your non-dominant shoulder to not interfere with using a rifle, wearing a heavy backpack it might be uncomfortable.  The pacer itself will not restrict you from running, jumping, climbing, etc after the site heals and they have a chance to make sure you are dialed in/adjusted. 

But you have to be your own advocate, you need to tell them you are quite active, want to remain so, these are my activities, I want to keep doing them, will the normal placement interfere with that, if so are there alternate locations, and what are the pros and cons of those locations.

Now your condition that caused the pacer may even with a pacer still have limits.  Have this conversation...