Post-pacemaker

[pollyglot]

Just had a pacemaker installed (yay!), and feeling pretty battered. Thing is, my sister wants me to drive 1200+ km round trip first week of January to a family thing, and I can't face it. She and the rest of the family will be shitty. The roads are so busy at that time of the year (height of summer holidays), terrible driving, through a major city, which I hate at the best of times. Is it unreasonable not to drive such a distance 7 weeks after a pacemaker? I'm in my 70s, BTW.

Not at all unreasonable.
That length of drive is a stretch for most people.
Are you in Australia? Can you fly?

Don't do it.

You would probably be fine, but they don't need to know that.

If family ask say the pacing wires have not completely imbedded in the trabeculae and won't be until 6 months post op so you cannot spend a long time with your arm (L or R depending which side they put it) above your heart.

Also (again depending where they put the PM) a seatbelt rubbing for a number of hours can irritate the scar and cause infection which can then go straight to your heart.

And the seatbelt vibration can trigger the motion sensor and increase your heart rate.

ALL of the above is bullshit (apart from the trabeculae) you can drive, you can lift your arms but as I said they don't need to know.

I used to reprogram pacemakers as part of my job.

Thanks so much, both of you. I like the cut of your jib, sashh...* *can't have those trabeculae unembedded. I shall remain at home and drink sauv blanc in the shade. Maybe...

That sounds like an excellent idea OP