New to the club

Hi there👋🏼

by Lavender - 2022-08-23 18:18:31

Welcome! Sorry you're a member of our club that no one wants to join...but joining brings life and hope!

The left arm has been aggravated. When they cut in the pocket, nerves and muscles get disturbed. Hopefully the doc checked the swelling in your arm to rule out any issues, especially if the arm is hard, hot or red.

I found that ice helped. Twenty minutes on and twenty minutes off with a towel protecting the skin from the ice pak. I'm seeing a massage therapist who loosens up my arm every two weeks. I've had my device 18 months and the left arm is still an issue. It's not swollen just gets knots in the muscles now and then. 
 

Propping pillows around yourself to sleep might be comforting as well. 
 

I don't have an ICD so can't comment on that. I wish you well and a speedy recovery. You're just new to the game. You will adapt and enjoy life again. Being so young-you're going to have lots of fun adventures to come. 😁

Thank you!

by Ally87 - 2022-08-23 18:46:59

Thank you Lavender! I appreciate the kind words. I know in due time I'll be back to my old self. As for my arm, the doctor didn't check it before I was released. I definitely didn't think about the nerves being disturbed which makes total sense. I have been sleeping with pillows and they do help. I will try icing the arm tonight before bed. This is definitely a life adjustment but nothing to do but push forward. 

Welcome to the Club

by Good Dog - 2022-08-23 21:49:17

I don't have much to add to what Lavender had to say, except to just say welcome! I am glad that you found this site. There are lots of very smart and compassionate people here That are always happy to answer questions and help-out whenever you need it. It sounds like you are already getting some great advice. Your ICD should really help to relieve the symptoms you had experienced before getting it. However, you have to be patient. You went through a lot and it will take some time to heal and adjust to the device. I'll bet that a year from now you might forget that you even have a PM. You will certainly feel a lot better. That is the goal. I think it took me a little more than a year, but after about 4-6 months of healing and some adjustments by my Doc, I became much more comfortable and was well on my way to stop thinking about my PM most of the time.

I hope you will hang around here for a while. If for no other reason than to offer help to others once you are back to your old self!

I wish you nothing but the best!

Sincerely,

Dave

Thank you!

by Ally87 - 2022-08-23 22:49:52

Thank you Dave for the warm welcome, I appreciate it. I plan to hang around 😊... from reading a few forums I definitely see the good in doing so!

Welcome!

by MinimeJer05 - 2022-08-23 23:44:06

Hello and welcome to the forums!

As others have said, in the long run, you may grow to forget about your device and you'll likely get back to your normal swing of things soon. Give yourself time to rest and recover. Drink extra water and try to eat a balanced diet while your body and mind adjust. 
 

It's totally normal to feel stressed or have anxiety or panic initially. For most, it comes out of nowhere without much warning, but at least we are here to tell the tale. These forums are a great resource to gather knowledge or even to just vent and know that you're heard and understood. 
 

I hope the recovery process goes well for you and that you're back to normal soon. 
 

Take care

Jer

Welcome

by toniorr11 - 2022-08-24 07:10:40

Along with everyone else, welcome. X I too had arm discomfort. I had swelling at the wound which affected circulation and sensation in my arm particularly overnight. My arm would look quite mottled in the morning. The doctor said to keep my arm on a cushion to help the circulation and it should go away and it did after a couple of weeks. I don't have an ICD so can't help you with that. However this forum has a wealth of experience and my advice is if you are worried about anything, ask your doctor. That's their job. 

Take care x

Thank you

by Ally87 - 2022-08-24 07:51:35

Thank you Jer and Toniorr11 for the warm welcome. I certainly appreciate all the advice and kind words. I've been keeping track of my diet and fluid intake which has been helping in recovery. I'll use a cushion tonight under arm to help with circulation. My doctor followed up and advised those mini shocks are cardioversion...so my device is doing its job 😊!