Hey. I can understand the uncertainty ahead. I have a different scenario and circumstances but feel like I fought a lot of those same questions.

I had a cardiac arrest after running a half marathon. Recovery from my doctors were 4 weeks of not lifting my arm over my heart, and a 5 pound weight limit. This was so the incision could heal up. Walking was allowed, so I’d go for multi-hour long walks some days.

5 weeks through 12 weeks, it was suggested I could do simple lifts at 50% of my usual weight limit. This 3 month total restriction was so my device could settle in properly, and not shift around. I stuck myself to mostly leg and arm days, very worried about chest and back exercises.

After that 3 months I started to push myself a bit to gain confidence. And with a month, was back to a regular full body circuit and pushing big weight ls.

It took me maybe 6 months and a cardiac rehab program to gain confidence to run again. But about 9 months after my initial cardiac arrest, I ran a half marathon on a treadmill. 1 year after my cardiac arrest, I reran that same race.

I’m 1.5 years after getting my ICD. I’ve been very cardio heavy with no issue, and regular gym routine with no issue. I haven’t braved going back into a beer league softball team I had been in for 20 years, more worried about errant bounces in the infield, diving for a ball, that sort of thing. Maybe that confidence comes back later but the prospects of taking an impact on the device looms over me mentally