Hooray!

I don’t normally use many exclamation marks, they are often unnecessary and it is easy to overuse them.  Today I make an exception.  I have just come back from Worcester, and got the all clear from the arrhythmia clinic.   I have been extra careful the last six weeks, in fact over seven weeks, since the implant; during this time.  I have not been allowed to vacuum, mow lawns, lift anything with my left arm heavier than a book, or to raise the left arm above shoulder height.  Even putting on a jacket or tying a tie needs concentration to keep the left arm below shoulder level.  One of the doctors put the fear of God into me if I didn’t observe these restrictions, how the electrode could become displaced, when the device would need reinserting. 

         However this morning, with great speed and efficiency, the cardiac technician had her machine talking to my implant.  “All good, no runs of fast beats, just what we want.”.  Then she mentioned something not included in the mass of literature provided at the initial consultation.  She made my implant vibrate.  This is rather subtle, a gentle buzz by the ICD, easy to miss if I hadn’t had the test.  If this happens it is not serious, but the clinic should be informed so that they can check and make adjustments to the implant if necessary.  So my next appointment is six months away; I can mow lawns, dig veg patches,and do wall press-ups with both arms.    Hooray!  This is an Oyster Bay day.