Looking for others with same experience

Hello! I am a 39 year old woman who just got a pacemaker
on Tuesday. The whole thing is just crazy how it happened and it is a long story. My question is............is it normal the first couple of days to feel irrigularities in my heartbeat when lying down? My pm does not kick in till 110 because it is being used to prevent a block that is rate related.....usually exercise brings it on. Kind of a problem since I am a p.e. teacher. Anyway, I am pretty sore but that seems to be lessoning. I am having a hard time sleeping due to the feeling I am getting in my chest. There is no pain related to it and no other symptoms. Just wondered if anyone else has had this experience. Thanks, Gretchen

7 Comments

Howdy!

by ela-girl - 2007-04-19 09:04:51

Hi, Gretchen!

So, you are a fellow teacher! There are s few of us on here...god bless us! I'm a middle school Spanish teacher myself. What grade levels do you teach?

As far as your post, I had a hard time sleeping for awhile. And I still do. Some of it is finding a comfortable position, some of it was healing, and some of it was being very aware of my heart. My heart was actually working, so I would notice a lot. Maybe some of it was in my head, too, at the time. I had my pm put in via emergency surgery, so I had a lot to deal with very quickly. I need my pacer a lot for when I sleep, and I would notice the ventricular paces more since it produces a stronger beat.

I am not quite sure what you mean by 'irregularities." Have you taken your pulse or BP when you start feeling these "irregularities?" Do you know what is 'normal' for you during this time of day/activity?

Ok. This is just my two cents for what it's worth. I hope I helped a little?!

Happy pacing,
ela-girl

Another Teacher

by hooimom - 2007-04-19 10:04:26

Hi Gretchen,

I teach first grade and I have a PM too. Hmmm, lets not think about this too much--it might deter some others from the profession!

I had some weird fluttery feelings after my PM as well. Call and ask about an interrogation just in case, but my PM was fine. I think it was just an adjustment period, a lot of stress and a lack of sleep that contributed to the feeling. It took about 10 days for the pain to go away and then I started to settle in with my PM.

You are certainly not being a big baby! This is not an easy thing to go through. It was overwhelming for a lot of us when we got our PM. Not only is there pain involved, this is a life change for many of us. I am 42 and certainly didn't imagine becoming a cardiac patient at this age. I got my PM in July and after 10 days of whining and crying and having a great big pity party I just said enough and began to change my thinking. I am very blessed to have been diagnosed and to have found a solution. It isn't perfect, but it is a whole lot better than feeling sick and tired all the time. I don't feel like a "cardiac patient" and I certainly don't look like one. People are shocked to find out that I have a PM. You will find yourself not even thinking about your PM one day soon! It becomes another body part. It may not seem like it now, but the day will come.

Being aware of every little change in your body is a good thing. I am the same way and I think I drive my doctor crazy, but that is her problem. I am the only one who knows my body and how it is feeling. Speak up if you don't feel well.

I am glad you found this site. It is a wealth of information. Many people on this site have found their doctors are not great sources of information. I say there is no one better to seek advice or support from than someone who has gone through it before. Welcome!

Michelle



Teachers pacing

by gatorpacer - 2007-04-19 10:04:50

Ela-girl-

Thank you so much for your input! Every little bit helps. I teach k-6 p.e. in Alaska. It will be interesting going back to work on Monday because not too many people knew what I was doing. For me -getting a pacer was a choice. At least at this point in my life. I have a rate related Left Bundle Branch Block. It shows up on my stress test and is very obvious to me when I go into it. I have to stop what I am doing. I tried controlling it with Toprol XL and although the drug made me feel good overall it did not stop the block. I finally met with a EP and he said that he had helped a guy with symptomatic LBBB last year by putting in a bi-ventricular pace-maker. He felt that it would help me but no guarantee since only a handful of people even have this - and so there are no studies. Because I wanted to be active again I chose to do it. Right now I am feeling overwhelmed because it hurts more than I thought it would (I think I'm just a big baby) and these PVC's that I can feel are bugging me. I also know what you mean by some it maybe being in my head. I am very sensitive to every little change in my body and I think it is wise to just give myself a few more days of healing before worrying about it. The doctor said I checked out great and they ran two tests on the pacer before I left the hospital.

Thanks again for your "two cents". Very much appreciated. Gretchen

hi

by randrews - 2007-04-19 11:04:14

For a week or so after I got my pm I had a tough time lying down. It felt like my heart was fluttering and couldn't get in a rythm. I finally would sit and gradually lean back and then it was ok. But it finally went away. Take time to heal physically and emotionally. It takes time, sometimes a longer time than we think, but it does happen. And I'm learning that we are hypersensitive to what our bodies are doing.
Take care,
Rusty, high school counselor

Relax

by angelo - 2007-04-19 11:04:29

Learn to relax with your new normal life. Pacing works and you will be fine give your body a chance to heal. My PM is only 7 weeks old and although I've been able to do only about half my normal work out on the elyptical and aam getting stronger day by day.For the first time just today I was able to take a really treneous walk run of over 30 minutes. God is good you will heal and get back to normal it will take a few weeks. Blessings.

Welcome

by Suze - 2007-04-20 09:04:17

Hi Gretchen,

Welcome to this site. Reading, scrolling, and inquiring on this forum had helped me tremendously.

To answer your question......For at least two weeks after my pacer was implanted, I felt my heart doing "weird things", especially when lying down. I would change positions and it would go away. I went for an earlier than scheduled pacemaker check and other tests. They showed everything was fine. Within another week I stopped noticing the symptoms.

If you have concerns, always call your doctor. But I think what you are experiencing is pretty common. Remember, this is all still very new to you!

Again, welcome...

Suze

Amazing words!

by gatorpacer - 2007-04-22 04:04:03

Thank you to all who replied to my inquiry. I am on day 6 and am starting to relax. The words that you wrote did amazing things for my psyche. The pain is definitely lessoning and I am able to take short walks. I am getting sleep and am feeling a lessoning of the heart fllutters. I guess I can't really blame my body for "freaking" after the trauma we put it through. The emotional side of it is a bit tricky and I had not put any thought into that before hand. I definitely will be returning to this board frequently. Peace to all of you and thanks again for the welcoming words.

Gretchen

p.s. I guess when I talk about pacing with my students now it will take on a whole different meaning:)

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I am just thankful that I am alive and that even though I have this pacemaker it is not the end of the world.