Wow! Over a week already! Here’s what’s going on.
The swelling has gone down considerably. The reason I know
this is that normally there’s just been this blob there under my clavicle that
is kinda squishy inside (not that I’m poking it much or anything); but now it
is a defined shape. The shape of………..a pacemaker!
Well, it’s somewhat angular, and one can clearly make out
said bump to NOT be some sort of goiter or whatnot. It’s the machine inside me.
After eight days, I’m feeling pretty normal…I just can’t seem to quite get over
the fact that this foreign body is inside me, with wire tentacles extending
through my veins and into my heart.
I believe that within another week this foreign body will
become the new norm, and all will be well. It’s already starting to become one
with me.
Five weeks from now I’ll work with the tech on studying the
data and making some tweaks here and there. I think that it pushes my heart to
max rate too quickly. Remember, max HR is 145. I was at a track meet today with
my camera, and when the rain finally starting pelting down, I did a shuffle run
to the car, about 50 yards. I checked my HR and it was pushing that 145. Doesn’t
seem like it should’ve been quite that high in such a short time and with only a moderate amount of energy expended.
I went to FitWorks for the first time (post-device) this
morning. I was gently walking along on a treadmill at 3.5 mph with the incline set at a
very modest 3. HR was humming along in the high 90s, then all of a sudden after
about 7 minutes I started feeling clammy and sweaty, and my HR was in the
mid-130s.
It just seems a bit off; but then again, perhaps this is my
new norm? I’ll bet they can fix it though a bit. I’ll keep logging these odd
jumps in my journal until I see the tech again, and we’ll figure it out!
How do I read my heart rate? I got my first Garmin! Very
basic, a Forerunner 35, but I wanted to be able to get the HR without a chest
monitor. Karen has the
Forerunner 205 and LOVES it! Clearly I won’t be doing much distance training any time soon. I was interested to see how accurate it would be,
and it’s doing pretty well.
I know for a fact that my resting HR should be right there
at 60 bpm. And the Garmin is pretty solid when it measures my resting HR. It’s
nearly always right around the 60 mark. Yay Garmin!
And don’t believe those Precor treadmill heart rate sensors—they
stink! When I was sweaty and clammy and 135 bpm, I put my hands on the dirty
sensors and it said I was humming along at 87 bpm. Right. Pass the hand sanitizer.
New topic—I got a treat in the mail today. Boston Scientific
sent me a box that contains all the stuff I’ll need to send in data to the tech
every 3 months so she can monitor my progress. I haven’t set it up yet, but I’m
grateful for it. Without it, I would have to drive to the Cleveland Clinic
every 3 months. I’ll still go to see my cardiologist every year, and I can
combine that with a visit to the spooky catacombs where the pacemaker tech
office sits.
What’s next? 5 more weeks of not raising my left arm over my
head (much), no repetitive motions with my left arm such as using an elliptical,
no more ironing my shirts (I never do anyway), no more spelunking or
left-handed salutes, no weight lifting or even lifting anything more than 10
pounds with my left arm (already cheated that one a bit), no more left-handed
racquetball,…you get the picture.
I’m even trying to be cautious walking the dog. If I have
him in my left hand and he sees that squirrel that he has to chase, that could
cause some strain. I think those wires and everything else is pretty firmly
entrenched at this point, but I’m okay erring on the safe side to make sure all
stays well. I’ll be a good patient!
Next entry likely will be after my visit in 5 weeks with the
tech. In the meantime, feel free to pose any questions below that I haven't discussed. Questions like… What
about mowing the lawn, especially since the pacemaker adjusts based on vibrations?
Am I going to keep my chest shaved? Does the seat belt rub against my incision
point? When can I…you know...when? Can I pretend like I am incapable of vacuuming
so I don’t have to do it?
Answers to these and many more questions at a later date!
Thanks for reading.
