Restrictions

In the future

by Theknotguy - 2022-06-30 20:17:39

Actually, in the future, you can expect to be doing the same things you're doing now.  You'll have a strong heartbeat and will probably feel better.  Will there be some changes?  Yes.  Just what we don't know yet.  

I was working in a charity wood shop.  Moved 2000 pounds of wood on Thursday.  Hiked three miles on Friday.  And, as I was on the trail my heart stopped.  Woke up in the hospital six days later from a coma. Broken ribs, collapsed lung, chest tube, and a pacemaker.  It took me two years to get back to "normal"  because of all the trauma.  Having that 600 pound gorilla jump on your chest while doing CPR is  something you don't want to repeat.  One of the nurses asked me to squeeze his hand as hard as I could. I almost broke his hand because I was accustomed to moving heavy wood.  

Because of the broken ribs it took me nine months to get back into the wood shop.  I'd work for about four hours one day, then spend the next two days with hot packs, cold packs, and Tylenol.  It sometimes felt like someone had wrapped my pacemaker in sandpaper and scrubbed it in the pacemaker pocket.  Gradually everything healed.  

There are some things I can't do.  It's hard for me to move the 4x8 foot, 55 pound sheets.  It makes my ribs hurt too much.  Pacemaker doesn't care.  I have trouble lifting 40 to 50 pounds from the pallet up to the cut-off saw.  Once again it's the ribs that hurt.  Pacemaker isn't bothered.  I grabbed a saws-all saw.  The vibration went up my arm.  The accelerometer in my pacemaker thought I was running and kicked up my heart rate.  What a rush.  Didn't hurt me, just felt funny.  I'm now back to running all the equipment and doing all the things I was doing before.  Other than what I outlined above I can do anything I want. To lift heavy stuff I get the young guys to move it for me.

Worked with a security guy at the hospital where I volunteered.  He had a pacemaker too so we used to trade stories.  He was into lifting weights.  Worked up to bench pressing 300 pounds.  Broke a lead at that level.   Doc immediately put him in the hospital to replace the lead.  Said he knew he was pushing the envelope.   Once again, I can't lift weights because of the broken ribs.  

At five years out I did have a problem with the pacemaker.  Back hall at the hospital was 950 feet.  I'd walk the hall and run out of air at 900 feet.  I could almost point to the brick in the wall where I'd run out of air. Talked with my EP.  Turns out it was a rate response setting.  Pacemaker was on a lower setting and it couldn't keep up with me.  Settings changed and I was OK.  Got my second pacemaker and I was asking if they set it to the same settings.  Answer was yes.  However when I went to mow my lawn, I was hanging on the fence gasping for air.  Called up my techs and said, "Hey guys, you didn't get it!" Back in for setting changes.  They said, "Oh yeah, we forgot to check the second page settings."  Makes you wonder sometimes.  

I'm at the level where I can do whatever I want.  My wife is always complaining that I'm walking too fast.  Life with the pacemaker is good.  

My best wishes for you and I hope you adjust well to your pacemaker.
 

Running Again Soon I Hope

by MimiPacer - 2022-07-04 11:37:35

Thank you for sharing in such great detail and helping me to put my 64 year-old life in perspective. Identify myself as a mom, grandma, wife, runner, certified personal trainer (retired since pandemic) and outdoor enthusiast.  I was mowing our lawn last Sunday, our yard is down 150 steps, and no problem hiking up the stairs or down. Was unusually sweaty for me but otherwise felt fine. Drank a huge glass of water, had a handful of nuts, mini muffin, latte. An hour later went back down and up those steps with my girlfriend to show her the plants, raspberries to be watered as we were going to be out of town and weather has been unseasonably hot and sunny here. We were up at the house sipping on mimosas, chatting when I felt nauseous so excused myself to powder room and remember washing my hands and then on the floor. It's a small bathroom but my husband and girlfriend who heard me fall were able to get to me. Fast forward to EMT's, ambulance, local hospital, medevac flight (no cardiologists in our town) to larger medical facility. Tests: the cardiac plumbers first with heart cath which showed no blockages or dissections even with high cholesterol and family history of heart disease; time for the cardiac electricians who diagnosed sick sinus node. My heart rate even with all the stress was in the mid 30's to mid 40's until they inserted a pacemaker sub pectoral and now won't go below 60. They set high end at 150 which seems to me to be too low especially for exertion when running, working out. Now that I have read comments about rate I'll be asking at my one week check up. So thankful for this forum, first time I have put down in writing all that has happened. Thank you again to all💜

Running Again Soon I Hope

by MimiPacer - 2022-07-04 11:40:17

Thank you for sharing in such great detail and helping me to put my 64 year-old life in perspective. Identify myself as a mom, grandma, wife, runner, certified personal trainer (retired since pandemic) and outdoor enthusiast.  I was mowing our lawn last Sunday, our yard is down 150 steps, and no problem hiking up the stairs or down. Was unusually sweaty for me but otherwise felt fine. Drank a huge glass of water, had a handful of nuts, mini muffin, latte. An hour later went back down and up those steps with my girlfriend to show her the plants, raspberries to be watered as we were going to be out of town and weather has been unseasonably hot and sunny here. We were up at the house sipping on mimosas, chatting when I felt nauseous so excused myself to powder room and remember washing my hands and then on the floor. It's a small bathroom but my husband and girlfriend who heard me fall were able to get to me. Fast forward to EMT's, ambulance, local hospital, medevac flight (no cardiologists in our town) to larger medical facility. Tests: the cardiac plumbers first with heart cath which showed no blockages or dissections even with high cholesterol and family history of heart disease; time for the cardiac electricians who diagnosed sick sinus node. My heart rate even with all the stress was in the mid 30's to mid 40's until they inserted a pacemaker sub pectoral and now won't go below 60. They set high end at 150 which seems to me to be too low especially for exertion when running, working out. Now that I have read comments about rate I'll be asking at my one week check up. So thankful for this forum, first time I have put down in writing all that has happened. Thank you again to all💜