There are nicer things I could be doing, but the change-out of the S-ICD battery turned out far better than expected. Because my surgery was scheduled at the end of the day, I had to stay in the hospital for one night. Otherwise I could have gone home the same day!
After my first S-ICD implantation I had to take it easy once I returned home because of the discomfort. I spent the first few days mainly in my bed, but this time I stroll around the house. I’m having a nice cup of coffee and I sit on the sofa, feeling relaxed. My wife asks me whether I wouldn’t rather stay in bed, and tells me not to put on a brave face as if nothing is bothering me. But honestly, I don’t feel the slightest urge to hit the sack. I am pleasantly surprised with the way I spend my first day.
I am even more relieved when I wake up on Day 2 and realize that I’ve had a perfect night’s sleep! If you take into account that the first few days can be pretty intense (which was the case after the first implantation), this comes as a very pleasant surprise. I can tell you that much!
Mind you, a few days before the operation I tripped on the staircase and badly hit my toe. A few hours before the change-out I had an X-ray just to be sure, because I was in the hospital anyway ☺. And lo and behold… a broken toe! I can tell you that that broken toe has caused me a lot more discomfort than the scar of the new S-ICD!
The next milestone in the recovery will follow within two weeks: sleeping on my left side. Anyone with an S-ICD knows what I am talking about. After the first S-ICD implantation it took several weeks before I could sleep on my left side (“on my S-ICD”) again. That makes sense, because space had to be created subcutaneously for the S-ICD. That is not necessary when changing out the S-ICD, because the space is already there, so the cardiologist only needs to make an incision to change the S-ICD. That makes all the difference, because within two weeks I’m sleeping on my left side again now. If they had told me beforehand, I wouldn’t have believed them.
My sister and my cousin, who also have had their S-ICD’s changed by now, have the same experience. Minimal discomfort and a surprisingly fast recovery. What a relief!
Rob.