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My warfarin dose has increased as my health and exercise amount has increased. 6 months out from surgery I'm taking about 5.75 mgs a day. After surgery, I was taking 2.5 mgs.

The upper back and neck takes a beating, locking the thoracic spine and neck into bad positions. So the pain meds might be helping to unlock.

I would say yes, it's entirely possible. If your heart is not working right, every system in your body is adversely affected. Your appetite is a positive indicator. Before surgery, my appetite was shot and I was losing virtually all of my lean body mass (cardiac cachexia). Basically end stage...

I'm a business owner and out of necessity, was doing a little bit of work pretty much right after I got out of ICU. Mental and physical stamina was low however. 5 or 6 months out, working full days, sometimes 7 days a week, plus an hour on the treadmill everyday. I'm not going out at night to...

Do you have access to a treadmill? I picked up a used Nordic Track for like $80 when I got out of hospital. Heart rate monitor is also good to have.

You just gotta try and ride out this initial super crappy feeling...it is wearing, it's always there. I had real sleep issues too at that stage, couldn't do the things that made me feel normal (Transcendental Meditation did not work in that state). Eventually, you get little moments of light. I...

I've heard the body releases a chemical called DMT in near death type of experiences (see Spirit Molecule on you tube if you haven't already). Paleogirl could be on to something, I didn't like how the beta blocker made me feel psychologically. Morphine can give people bad dreams too.

They are referring to Tylenol 3 (with codeine), not the over the counter version. They often do this as it is perceived to have less addiction risk as morphine or oxys. But it can have very adverse effects on the liver, which is why they switched in my case. Should have been on an opiate from...

After surgery, I was in a state of being incapacitated, and almost hyper aware at the same time, like my brain had turned itself on, in the face of death. I remember a dream I had one night in the cardiac ward, a pleasant dream, and then sensing something was wrong...really wrong. Waking up, I...

There was a small, reasonable variance when comparing Coaguchek with lab results, doctor was ok with it.

AVR + ascending aorta repair. Sternal incision pain was surprisingly negligible. But I was in a lot of discomfort, with pressure from the pleural effusions, and extreme thirst (6 to 7 discomfort). Felt quite a bit better once the tubes were out and I could walk around somewhat...but was still a...

Hi David, Yes, I turned 44 in May, and underwent emergency AVR and ascending root repair on February 20. The cardiac surgeon (highly regarded) was emphatic that a tissue valve was not an option, considering my age. 10 or 15 years (if that, especially if you are very physically active) has a way...

Hi David, I turned 44 this May, had emergency AVR and ascending aorta repair on Feb 20/2015. My cardiac surgeon (very well regarded) basically told me mechanical was the only way to go, considering my age. And I agreed. The surgery can be extraordinarily debilitating, and not the kind of thing...

Not a very nice feeling when you can't breathe, is it? I was in a similar predicament and also gained 25lbs of water after surgery. Losing that water and gaining back your exercise capacity are good signs. You are young and muscle memory could very well be on your side.

Hi Summer. Welcome to the forum (I recently posted here for the first time too). Like you, I got an On-X valve. The cardiac surgeon presented a mechanical valve as the only viable option, considering my age. It made sense to me. It also made sense when it was explained how the valve would be...

Hi harrietW, I was in hospital for 7 days prior to AVR/AAA repair earlier this year. I went down to emergency, and soon after, was in the back of an ambulance on my way to the hospital. Today I'm off beta blockers, exercising 3 miles per day. Hang in there. The body and mind can be surprisingly...

I got the go ahead from my doctor (who is very progressive and knowledgeable in sports performance) to start weight training, and come off beta blockers (as my resting heart rate is now in the 40s, Was on Bisoprolol 2.5 mg). Will get a heart rate monitor to be on the safe side and avoid dips and...

Anne, you mentioned in another post that you do some heavier weight training. What's your take on the safety of that for yourself? I haven't found anything that indicates it should be a problem. In fact, some of the fastest recoveries from aortic valve replacement that I've read about, weight...

The logic speaks to me of -- nutrition doesn't really matter. Like you say, if you can't absorb minerals and electrolytes, that can lead to all kinds of other problems. I noticed the magnesium I was taking at the hospital post surgery was not having any effect (ie drawing water into the colon)...

Does your resting HR tend to drop after increasing your cardio training and getting better conditioned? Prior to increasing my cardio level post surgery, my resting HR was still in the high 80s. The doctor and cardiologist were advising me to titrate up to 10 mgs of Bisoprolol per day to get my...