I'm going to show you where it is, complete with the scar from the cutting, so if you're queasy you might want to go someplace else right now.
But for those of you who watch medical shows on television (SWMBO) and are still curious, here you go.
That thin red line is where the surgeon opened the skin over my chest a week ago yesterday and tugged and pushed to get the old pacemaker out and the new one inserted.
That bulge isn't swelling as much as it is the actual shape of the pacemaker beneath my skin.
The original leads (wires) that go from the device into my heart have been there since the first installation ten years ago.
They get checked from time to time but so far they're holding up just fine.
I don't think the yellowish color on the left is bruising as much as it is of some of the chemicals that were brushed onto the skin for cleaning.
I was out of the hospital only a couple of hours after the surgery and with an ice-pack on my chest, asleep for about an hour and a half.
After that no more ice and never any pain pills, not even aspirin.
'Course, they gave me quite a cocktail of drugs in the hospital which probably had a day's worth or so of time to wear off.
But, as the old expression goes, "no pain, no strain" and, since this was my fourth pacemaker "surgery", no worries either.
As I say (ad infinitum), "this ain't my first rodeo."
Glad you are doing so well.
ReplyDeleteThe picture looks like a chicken or turkey before roasting. Kinda does anyway-no bird I'd want to eat though.
The orange bronze color is betadine, the sterilized the area before replacing the battery. It's a pretty routine procedure, once upon a time I could do it in my sleep. Now the batteries last longer and are smaller, and better in other ways. Your's is a defib also, isn't it? Is it Medtronix, Boston Scientific? It's good the lead has withstood the years, but it's just copper covered with plastic, so archaeologists centuries hence will be looking at your skeleton and finding the preserved lead and a rusted battery....
ReplyDeletejust trying to be cheerful..
Cheers, Pal
Mike
It's Boston Scientific. I had Biotroniks prior to this one and my pacer guy hated it because he had to fire up another machine to check it.
DeleteIncision site looks good to me. Had most recent change-out 4 years ago and wrote a post about it. I really did turn several unusual colors on my left side but it was ok ( http://trainrideoftheenigmas.blogspot.com/2013/03/post-operative-enigma.html#comment-form ). Mike's assessment is reliable.
ReplyDeleteWell done. Speedy recovery. Modern medicine is quite amazing - when it works!
ReplyDeleteVery good Bruce...glad things are working well for you. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's miraculous what doctors can do these days. A hundred years ago procedures like yours probably weren't possible.
ReplyDeleteLooks like it's healing well. And also like chicken.
ReplyDeleteGlad the wiring is still holding.
ReplyDeleteDuraprep, or possibly Chloroprep, hard to tell for sure. The first is more brown, the second more orange. Very adhesive.
you're certainly more current than i am. been retired over 10 years.
DeleteI use both on a daily basis. Spatters on me. Because a prep that gets all over is a good prep.
DeleteAlso, alcohol, betasept, betadine paint, hydrogen peroxide... all a matter of surgeon preference.
I bet you are glad to have that behind you. I had three surgeries last year for my stint with breast cancer and I never took any pain pills either. None! I hate those things. I'd rather have an ache or two but frankly, I don't remember it hurting that much.
ReplyDeleteWhere would we be without this amazing medicine? Glad for you not feeling any pain.
ReplyDelete