Recovery Notes
28 Oct 11 --- Pacemaker/ICD implanted 1-3 pm ..... Vancomycin IV during operation and twice after, every 12 hrs. Arm sling 24 hrs/day to prevent raising arm and pulling pacemaker/ICD wire leads out of heart wall attachment. No driving.
29 Oct 11 --- Release from hospital, very sore, started taking doxycycl hyc 100 mg once a day for 7 days.
31 Oct 11 --- Started wearing arm sling only at night so could not move arm in sleep.
4 Nov 11 --- Very sore first 6-7 days after implant.
9 Nov 11 --- Can now drive car.
10 Nov 11 --- Can now wear shirts (get left arm in sleeve), most soreness gone.
11 Nov --- Most pain from operation gone, but pulling at ICD implant site with arm movement.
16 Nov 11 --- As 11 Nov, ICD checked out by people from St. Jude Medical.
18 Nov 11 --- More pain and burning as arm moved more and tissue irritated around ICD implant.
24 Hov 11 --- To emergency room due to chills, low temperature, and pain (3-5 on scale of 10). No infection, but inflammation due to ICD moving when arm is moved.
27 Nov 11 --- Pain at implant site decreased to 0 to 2 on 10 scale, less burning pain. Can now tell all surgery wounds are in final healing.
30 Nov 11 --- Swelling at implant site has gone down enough so one can easily see size and shape of pacemaker/ICD. Skin over implant still sensitive to touch. Using arm more, and less pain with movement.
7 Dec 11 --- Got up quickly from chair, felt dizzy. I am guessing that my quick rise from chair happened at a time when pacemaker had not yet kicked in and I had just missed a heartbeat. Quick risings might lead to dizzy spells and falls. Beware.
9 Dec 11 --- I had pacemaker/ICD implanted 6 weeks ago today. The operation pains are essentially gone. Using the left arm is still below normal as pulling in pacemaker area is noticed with raising the arm. I have been wearing sling to prevent movement of left arm while asleep for last 6 weeks. My ICD wire heart leads should now be anchored by tissue formed around lead ends in heart wall so I can now sleep without a sling, as danger of pulling the leads loose from heart wall is lessened.
Adrian R. Lawler, (C) 2011 --
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
New pain, Chills, Low Temperature
New pain, Chills, Low Temperature
After the initial wound pain seemed to mostly go away on about 11 Nov 11, I started using my left arm more, but then I started getting another pain apparently from the arm movement and movement and pulling on the pacemaker/ICD. It was more of a burning pain (as if the ICD was shorting out inside me). The pain varied in intensity.
On the morning of 24 Nov 11 I woke up, had chills, and checked my temperature. I had a temperature of 95.7 F, chills, and pain that stayed at a level of 3-5 out of 10. Since low temperatures and chills are some of the symptoms of sepsis, and my pains were getting worse, not better, I went to the local emergency room to get checked out.
The doctors, etc. did X-rays and blood work, and concluded there was no infection, but inflammation around implant site, giving me the pain. By the time I got to the hospital my temperature had gone up (through activity?) to 97.5 F.
I was told the pain could last 6-8 weeks or more after the operation.
My left arm muscle has reduced in size due to lack of use due to the pain.
I need to check wound area daily for signs of redness of infection. I prefer the pain to further injury in operation area; pain sometimes is one's body telling one not to do whatever is causing the pain (pain medications mask the pain and one can unknowingly injure something more ......).
I am happy to report that all people at the hospital were helpful and explained things to me. I also have avoided a dreaded hospital infection thus far. I am supposed to be on the mend. ......
Adrian R. Lawler, (C) 2011 --
After the initial wound pain seemed to mostly go away on about 11 Nov 11, I started using my left arm more, but then I started getting another pain apparently from the arm movement and movement and pulling on the pacemaker/ICD. It was more of a burning pain (as if the ICD was shorting out inside me). The pain varied in intensity.
On the morning of 24 Nov 11 I woke up, had chills, and checked my temperature. I had a temperature of 95.7 F, chills, and pain that stayed at a level of 3-5 out of 10. Since low temperatures and chills are some of the symptoms of sepsis, and my pains were getting worse, not better, I went to the local emergency room to get checked out.
The doctors, etc. did X-rays and blood work, and concluded there was no infection, but inflammation around implant site, giving me the pain. By the time I got to the hospital my temperature had gone up (through activity?) to 97.5 F.
I was told the pain could last 6-8 weeks or more after the operation.
My left arm muscle has reduced in size due to lack of use due to the pain.
I need to check wound area daily for signs of redness of infection. I prefer the pain to further injury in operation area; pain sometimes is one's body telling one not to do whatever is causing the pain (pain medications mask the pain and one can unknowingly injure something more ......).
I am happy to report that all people at the hospital were helpful and explained things to me. I also have avoided a dreaded hospital infection thus far. I am supposed to be on the mend. ......
Adrian R. Lawler, (C) 2011 --
Thursday, November 17, 2011
ICD Notes
ICD Notes
ICD/Pacemaker people from St. Jude Medical (16 Nov 2011):
Nineteen days after I had an ICD implant, the St. Jude Medical people came to the heart doctor's office to check on the devices implanted in 18 local people to make sure they were running right, to ascertain approximate battery life left, make any adjustments needed, etc. Justin and Tippy took the time to answer my questions and to make me feel further at ease with my new heart electrical system. They are to be thanked.
I will see them every 3 months so they can check the ICD and make sure all is going ok with the ICD.
With my third degree heart block the ICD is working about 99 % of the time. At that rate the ICD battery should last around 6 years.
ICD cost :
I have not found out how much my specific model of a new pacemaker/ICD costs. But "ball-park" figures from the internet indicate a cost of $25,000 to over $60,000 for a pacemaker/ICD. Additional costs would be for the hospital, and medical personnel/expenses before, during, and after implant of the pacemaker/ICD. My various insurance reports should come out later.
Assuming the ICD battery lasts 4 years the total costs should average out to about $100 per day (rough estimate) for the 4 years. If the battery lasts 6 years, the cost would be about $66 per day (rough estimate). This is a high amount for an extension of life, but I am enjoying each day........... Luckily I paid my insurance for many years and gave up other stuff in paying for the insurance back then. Now I get to wake up more days because I kept the insurance .... one thing I apparently did right down through the years.
Adrian R. Lawler, Ph.D., (C) 2011 --
ICD/Pacemaker people from St. Jude Medical (16 Nov 2011):
Nineteen days after I had an ICD implant, the St. Jude Medical people came to the heart doctor's office to check on the devices implanted in 18 local people to make sure they were running right, to ascertain approximate battery life left, make any adjustments needed, etc. Justin and Tippy took the time to answer my questions and to make me feel further at ease with my new heart electrical system. They are to be thanked.
I will see them every 3 months so they can check the ICD and make sure all is going ok with the ICD.
With my third degree heart block the ICD is working about 99 % of the time. At that rate the ICD battery should last around 6 years.
ICD cost :
I have not found out how much my specific model of a new pacemaker/ICD costs. But "ball-park" figures from the internet indicate a cost of $25,000 to over $60,000 for a pacemaker/ICD. Additional costs would be for the hospital, and medical personnel/expenses before, during, and after implant of the pacemaker/ICD. My various insurance reports should come out later.
Assuming the ICD battery lasts 4 years the total costs should average out to about $100 per day (rough estimate) for the 4 years. If the battery lasts 6 years, the cost would be about $66 per day (rough estimate). This is a high amount for an extension of life, but I am enjoying each day........... Luckily I paid my insurance for many years and gave up other stuff in paying for the insurance back then. Now I get to wake up more days because I kept the insurance .... one thing I apparently did right down through the years.
Adrian R. Lawler, Ph.D., (C) 2011 --
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Improved after ICD Implant
Improved after ICD Implant
Due to heart rate being increased (to 60-88 + beats per minute), and with about the same blood pressure as before implant, I have noticed the following improvements in my body since implant of an ICD on 28 Oct 2011:
---toes are now not so cold (blood circulating better);
---peripheral neuropathy in toes /feet has decreased, less tingling feeling;
---urinate more frequently and void larger volume, decreasing fluid retention (total blood volume is passing through kidneys more times per day);
---urine less concentrated (lighter in color);
---lightheadedness gone;
---more color to skin;
---no more bad shortness of breath;
---more steady on feet;
---sleep longer hours before wakening;
---complications from weak heart decreased, and feel better.
So, thus far the improvements have been greater than expected. In fact, it is amazing to go from about dying one day (heart stopping) to doing better than I've been in years. Now I just hope it lasts a while.
The heart clinic people at the local hospital said there is no way to tell how long I would have survived with the third degree heart block. It all depends on if the heart restarts after stopping, and life could cease in one day or a month or more.
Information posted to possibly help and inform others.
Adrian R. Lawler, Ph.D., (C) 2011 --
Due to heart rate being increased (to 60-88 + beats per minute), and with about the same blood pressure as before implant, I have noticed the following improvements in my body since implant of an ICD on 28 Oct 2011:
---toes are now not so cold (blood circulating better);
---peripheral neuropathy in toes /feet has decreased, less tingling feeling;
---urinate more frequently and void larger volume, decreasing fluid retention (total blood volume is passing through kidneys more times per day);
---urine less concentrated (lighter in color);
---lightheadedness gone;
---more color to skin;
---no more bad shortness of breath;
---more steady on feet;
---sleep longer hours before wakening;
---complications from weak heart decreased, and feel better.
So, thus far the improvements have been greater than expected. In fact, it is amazing to go from about dying one day (heart stopping) to doing better than I've been in years. Now I just hope it lasts a while.
The heart clinic people at the local hospital said there is no way to tell how long I would have survived with the third degree heart block. It all depends on if the heart restarts after stopping, and life could cease in one day or a month or more.
Information posted to possibly help and inform others.
Adrian R. Lawler, Ph.D., (C) 2011 --
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Things That Guided Saving my Life
Things That Guided Saving my Life
On 27 October 2011 I was admitted to a local hospital with third degree heart block. There were several things that came together to save my life.
If any of the below had not happened, and various medical personnel had not done their jobs plus done extra effort, I would not be here today. I thank all the people involved:
1. I was doing a report for a law institute and the added stress taxed me a lot more, enabling me to be in distress on the one day of every six months I was at the Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Clinic for my appointment where I was checked on their machines. It was the day after the final report was submitted and I was still stressed out.
2. The CHF Clinic nurse recognized a problem when she hooked me up to the machine showing my vital readings and called my heart doctors.
3. My heart doctor and Nurse Practioner (both highly qualified women) were at the hospital making morning visits and diagnosed the problem and got me admitted immediately into the hospital, directed my care throughout, and answered my questions, etc.
4. A night nurse assigned to my room watched me closely, and kept me awake overnight so my heart would not stop anymore, and got me moved to SICU (Surgery Intensive Care Unit). (My heart would slow way down, less than 20 beats/minute, or stop as I was trying to doze off.)
5. The nurses at SICU watched me closely until I was scheduled for my implant operation.
6. The nurses in the operating room assisted the doctor in the final act that saved my life, installing a pacemaker/ICD.
7. The doctor performed the operation of installing a pacemaker/ICD under trying and heart-stopping (my heart stopped several times) conditions in the final act to literally save my life. Thank you, Doctor!!!
8. Justin from St. Jude Medical for supplying the ICD device that keeps my heart beating right, and for making sure all was going ok after the implant of the ICD. Thanks to him for also explaining a bunch to me and making me feel more at ease. Thanks!!!
ALL are to be commended for a job well done and thanked forever for helping me. They bought me whatever time I now have left ......... Thank you.
Adrian R. Lawler, (C) 2011 --
On 27 October 2011 I was admitted to a local hospital with third degree heart block. There were several things that came together to save my life.
If any of the below had not happened, and various medical personnel had not done their jobs plus done extra effort, I would not be here today. I thank all the people involved:
1. I was doing a report for a law institute and the added stress taxed me a lot more, enabling me to be in distress on the one day of every six months I was at the Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Clinic for my appointment where I was checked on their machines. It was the day after the final report was submitted and I was still stressed out.
2. The CHF Clinic nurse recognized a problem when she hooked me up to the machine showing my vital readings and called my heart doctors.
3. My heart doctor and Nurse Practioner (both highly qualified women) were at the hospital making morning visits and diagnosed the problem and got me admitted immediately into the hospital, directed my care throughout, and answered my questions, etc.
4. A night nurse assigned to my room watched me closely, and kept me awake overnight so my heart would not stop anymore, and got me moved to SICU (Surgery Intensive Care Unit). (My heart would slow way down, less than 20 beats/minute, or stop as I was trying to doze off.)
5. The nurses at SICU watched me closely until I was scheduled for my implant operation.
6. The nurses in the operating room assisted the doctor in the final act that saved my life, installing a pacemaker/ICD.
7. The doctor performed the operation of installing a pacemaker/ICD under trying and heart-stopping (my heart stopped several times) conditions in the final act to literally save my life. Thank you, Doctor!!!
8. Justin from St. Jude Medical for supplying the ICD device that keeps my heart beating right, and for making sure all was going ok after the implant of the ICD. Thanks to him for also explaining a bunch to me and making me feel more at ease. Thanks!!!
ALL are to be commended for a job well done and thanked forever for helping me. They bought me whatever time I now have left ......... Thank you.
Adrian R. Lawler, (C) 2011 --
Diagnosed .... to ICD Implant
Diagnosed .... to ICD Implant
I was already diagnosed with a weak heart and was in the hospital in March 2010 for my first episode of congestive heart failure (CHF). I was taking lasix, coreg, lisinopril, and aspirin. I had not had another episode of CHF since 2010 because I stayed on a low sodium diet, regulated my fluid intake, and watched my weight closely.
On 24 Sept 11 after waking up and doing some exercise I went into an electrical shock type seizure for a little while, but thought I recovered. I thought it was low blood sugar and felt better after eating some sweets. I was writing a report and pushed myself hard.
For the next month I had periodic dizzy spells when standing up, hot flushes in the head, and episodes of being short of breath. I did not fall, faint, or get sick. I continued on doing my report, but dizzy spells and flushes got more frequent. I thought it was due to the stress of a deadline on a big report. I noticed my pulse dropped from about 70 to about 52 but thought nothing about it. I took a sweet after each spell and felt better.
I went to my regular check-up at the CHF clinic appointment at 8 am on 27 Oct 11, where I was diagnosed as being in the final stages of third degree heart block, with a pulse then going down to about 25. I felt essentially ok and had driven myself to the clinic. I was described as asymptomatic.
My heart doctors put me into the hospital, awaiting a pacemaker/ICD operation. During the early hours of 28 October 2011 my heart stopped beating, my body temperature fell to 95.7 F, and I was moved to Surgical ICU. About 1 pm I went into surgery for a pacemaker/ICD implant. They could not get the third lead put in for the unit I wanted because my heart kept stopping on the operating table so they worked fast to put a lesser pacemaker in me to bring me back. My heart stopped several times on the 28th...... for at least 15 seconds one time.
For some people third degree heart block kills them on the spot without any warning. I had over a month's warning and still did not feel very bad. My good physical condition probably saved my life and sustained my body better than would have happened for most people. I suggest to others this is another good reason to exercise and stay physically fit.
Adrian R. Lawler, (C) 2011 --
See the following website for more information:
http://health.sjm.com/arrhythmia-answers/your-condition/causes-and-symptoms-and-your-diagnosis/slow-heartbeat.aspx
I was already diagnosed with a weak heart and was in the hospital in March 2010 for my first episode of congestive heart failure (CHF). I was taking lasix, coreg, lisinopril, and aspirin. I had not had another episode of CHF since 2010 because I stayed on a low sodium diet, regulated my fluid intake, and watched my weight closely.
On 24 Sept 11 after waking up and doing some exercise I went into an electrical shock type seizure for a little while, but thought I recovered. I thought it was low blood sugar and felt better after eating some sweets. I was writing a report and pushed myself hard.
For the next month I had periodic dizzy spells when standing up, hot flushes in the head, and episodes of being short of breath. I did not fall, faint, or get sick. I continued on doing my report, but dizzy spells and flushes got more frequent. I thought it was due to the stress of a deadline on a big report. I noticed my pulse dropped from about 70 to about 52 but thought nothing about it. I took a sweet after each spell and felt better.
I went to my regular check-up at the CHF clinic appointment at 8 am on 27 Oct 11, where I was diagnosed as being in the final stages of third degree heart block, with a pulse then going down to about 25. I felt essentially ok and had driven myself to the clinic. I was described as asymptomatic.
My heart doctors put me into the hospital, awaiting a pacemaker/ICD operation. During the early hours of 28 October 2011 my heart stopped beating, my body temperature fell to 95.7 F, and I was moved to Surgical ICU. About 1 pm I went into surgery for a pacemaker/ICD implant. They could not get the third lead put in for the unit I wanted because my heart kept stopping on the operating table so they worked fast to put a lesser pacemaker in me to bring me back. My heart stopped several times on the 28th...... for at least 15 seconds one time.
For some people third degree heart block kills them on the spot without any warning. I had over a month's warning and still did not feel very bad. My good physical condition probably saved my life and sustained my body better than would have happened for most people. I suggest to others this is another good reason to exercise and stay physically fit.
Adrian R. Lawler, (C) 2011 --
See the following website for more information:
http://health.sjm.com/arrhythmia-answers/your-condition/causes-and-symptoms-and-your-diagnosis/slow-heartbeat.aspx
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