walkies and wheels

[Toadleader6999]

Hi,,I've been paraplegic 32yrs now and have recently been diagnosed with AFIB,,have had catheter ablation,,which didn't work and am going to have a pacemaker fitted, are there any others out there that can relate to how they managed through recovery.,thanks.

[Hidden]

Hello

I am sorry cannot answer your question as I do not know the answer but I am sure some will come along that does

I wanted to say what a lovely picture and what a lovely Dog you have he / she is beautiful and looks so well behaved

I hope everything goes well when you have your pacemaker fitted

Let us know how you get on x

[EMBoy]

Hi,

Having a pacemaker fitted sounds quite scary, but please let me reassure you that it really isn't as bad as you may be expecting. For me, it was very straightforward.

I had mine done under local anaesthetic without a sedative (which they offered me) and although they made me lie in an awkward position, it wasn't painful. The whole procedure took about 40 minutes, and the cardiologist was talking to me throughout.

They made me wear a sling for the first 24 hours, and told me not to lift my left arm above my head for at least 4 weeks, to make sure the leads were not pulled out. They also said not to get it wet for at least 5 days. I was really glad when those 5 days were up so that I could have a proper shower.

Recovery took about 10 days during which I took paracetamol for the pain (which wasn't too bad), but had to sleep sitting up as it was too painful to lie on my left side, and when I tried sleeping on my right side, my left arm always seemed to end up above my head.

All in all, the whole business was more uncomfortable than painful, but the having the pacemaker made me feel so much better that I didn't mind the discomfort, and it all seemed to pass pretty quickly. The secret was just to relax as much as I could and take it one day at a time.

I don't know what life is like as a paraplegic, but after 32 years, I imagine that you manage pretty well, and my hat is off to you and anyone who has to use a wheel chair. Because it is important not to put any strain on your left shoulder, you may find that you need some help getting in and out of your wheel chair, but I'm sure you know more about that than I do.

Just before I left the hospital, the senior nurse said to me that the pacemaker would give me a new lease of life, and she was right. My life is good, and I'm sure yours will be too.

I wish you all the best.