@marygrace67
Hello marygrace67
Welcome to the pacemaker group. I say that in all sincerity even though I know this is not a group anyone was lining up to become a member of. But here we all are.
I am sorry you are experiencing this pain. There are many of us on this site who understand your frustration. I am going into my 4th year with a three chamber device. And I recall experiencing some fairly impressive pain and discomfort for the first few months. Even now, I sometimes feel an ache or a burning sensation in the area of the incision. But these are only occasional discomforts. You are in early days. Recovery will take time.
I will reiterate following the movement restrictions given to you by your physicians are vital. Lifting your left arm above your shoulder for the first few weeks, for example, can create the risk of dislodging the leads.
And try to refrain from touching the device or the area of the surgery. Excess touching, something officially called "Fiddler's syndrome", can lead to problems including infection. I know it is hard to not to touch this new strange bump you have on your chest but it is best not to.
Assuming there are no outwards signs of infection (redness around the incision, or discharge), I found applying an gel pack, from the refrigerator, to the area helped tremendously. First, wrap the gel pack in a towel so it does not have direct contact with your skin, and leave it on for 15 or 20 minutes. Do this several times a day or as required. There is a certain amount of inflammation and internal bruising in the area due to the surgery itself and the cooling effect of the gel pack helps to reduce this.
And @degroatam does make a good point about wearing a bra. I found the weight of my breast seemed to put tension on the surgical area, making the discomfort more acute. (Female physiology does create challenges for this surgery.) The trick is to put padding under the bra strap that crosses over the incision area. But I will admit, I could not wear a bra for the first 2 or 3 weeks. I did find a company that makes a purpose designed pad that had tiny velcro straps on it that held the pad in place. It was beautifully made and unobtrusive. It also washed and dried wonderfully.
The case of your device, the "generator" is about 30% smaller than mine, primarily because of my having a third chamber lead and mine also contains a defibrillator. It used to be more prominent than it is now. I can still feel it but after 4 years, it is now a "part of me", albeit a part I did not want. On the other hand, it saved my life so I have to be pragmatic about it.
I hope my suggestion can help to reduce your pain. All of this will get better.
Wishing you the Best of the Season.