2 weeks post surgery-is coughing normal?

[Barb62]

Hi everyone,
I had a successful AVR surgery with a bovine valve on Jan 19th and I have now been home a week. I feel great and am getting stronger every day. I saw my cardiologist yesterday and he is please with my progress. He did say I still have some fluid in my lungs. I mentioned my cough and he did not seem concerned. It seems to occur more when I wake up in the morning, after my walk, or if I haven't talked in a while. I know it is due to the extra fluid in my lungs, but should I be concerned? Any suggestions to help? I must say, the recovery has been far better than I expected. I am only taking an occaisonal Tylenol for my discomfort.
Thanks for listening,
Barb
BTW for the women, how long did it take until your breasts were not black and blue?

 

[Lynlw]

Glad things are ging so well. Are you still doing your breathing exercises thru out the day?

 

[Barb62]

I am...but I probably should do more

 

[Greg a]

the coughing will help clear the lungs of phlem and mucus....so do more breathing exercises walk rest and walk some more.......eat a healthy balanced diet and try to keep fluid intake to 1.5 litres/day

 

[drivetopless]

It is likely due to the fluid retention as you mentioned. I had the same issue for the first four weeks-felt like bronchitis. THe coughing was awful (use your pillow). Lasix and cough drops helped a lot.

 

[Nancy jane]

Wait a minute. What's this with black & blue ****s? No one ever said anything about that. Talk about surprises !!! LOL
Ummmm. Care TO ELABORATE ? thx. Nancy Jane. AVR 2-9.

 

[Madsometimes]

My breasts were not black and blue after surgery, but I am not exactly blessed in the **** department. My arms were purple from canulas and from being bled every day for my INR. That bruising went down after a few weeks.

 

[Ovie]

the coughing will help clear the lungs of phlem and mucus....so do more breathing exercises walk rest and walk some more.......eat a healthy balanced diet and try to keep fluid intake to 1.5 litres/day

You talk about fluid intake. Is this forever or a certain amount of time? I drink tons of water every day.

Also how does this fluid eventually get out of your lungs?

 

[epstns]

Barb62 - I, too, had a consistent cough for several weeks after surgery. In my case, that was the single most painful after-effect during those first few weeks. My cardio prescribed a cough syrup, but it didn't do much. They also prescribed (if I can spell it correctly) Tussalon Pearls, which are little pearl-shaped capsules of a cough suppressant. These helped some, but the real solution was simply giving myself more time to heal. After about 4 to 6 weeks, the cough seemed to just dwindle away.

 

[SB42]

same for me Barb62...my BAVR was a day before yours - still cough occassionally...had chest x-ray yesterday that does show some fluid in my left lung...my cardiologist said it was pretty common after surgery and that time would heal it...in other words, no concerns at this point...so I think we both are back on track - the fast track :thumbup:

 

[Barb62]

Thanks everyone.

 

[sarahsunshine]

Skyler’s cardiologist and people in the hospital said that the best way to get the fluid out of his lungs was to cough it out… Also, the best way to do that was anything that got you to expand your lungs – breathing exercises, exercise, and the necessary rest that goes along with. Decreasing fluid probably helps remove it too.

It’s a tough concept to swallow – that what hurts most is actually what’s healing you, but on the other hand it makes sense that your body is trying to expel the fluid… by coughing.

So keep your pillow nearby, cough away, and that will decrease the amount of coughing that you will have to do later…


Ovie,

Water retention throughout your body is usually a bi-product of the heart surgery and being on by-pass. Skyler was so thirsty for days afterwards. Many people gain lots of water weight that needs to be lost, and the best way to do that is diuretics and decreasing water consumption for a while (your body already has plenty). Depending on the person, limiting water intake seems to be anywhere from 2 days to a couple weeks.

For Skyler they monitored is liquid “in/out” ratio for as long as he was in the hospital. Not a big deal but they want to make sure that you are getting rid of as much as you are taking in… or more if you already gained a bunch of water weight. Some people have gained as much as 20lbs of just water…

Bodies are so amazing in what they can deal with!

 

[Sarah_Louise]

My breasts were not black and blue after surgery, but I am not exactly blessed in the **** department. My arms were purple from canulas and from being bled every day for my INR. That bruising went down after a few weeks.

I've had 4 lots of OHS-2 when i actually had summet there LOL and i've never ever had bruising there, like you my arms and neck where covered and my actual scar had a nice bruise on but never my ****s!
Love Sarah xxx

 

[Jkm7]

I had lots of bruising across my chest and it was all shades of blue, green and yellow. It really didn't concern me particularly and faded away on its own within about 2 weeks.

It isn't uncommon to gain 15+ pounds during OHS. They use so much water and the body holds it. Lasix is commonly prescribed and often a limit on fluids immediately post op.

Mass General did not let me go home either surgery until I had lost the water weight and was back to my admittance weight. That happened very quickly.

 

[AgilityDog]

Black and Blue? only my belly from the lovenox shots before my MVR after my TIA. Don't take those things standing up.

I was, however, orange and yellow from the betadine and all the sticky electrode pads. Took weeks to get rid of that.

I was in Class IV CHF before my MVR. I coughed constantly from the fluid in my lungs. I put on 20 lbs of fluid with 2 surgeries in 7 days. Thank G*d for lasix.
It took a month to stop coughing and get my lungs back.

 

[Boston Tiger]

I was shocked to see my weight when the nurses had me stand on a scale in the hospital, since I was 15 pounds heavier than I weighed before heading in. Coughing was never an issue for me, and my lungs were performing better after surgery than they were when I went in. But that Lasix sure had an effect on me. Once my foley catheter was removed, I was making very regular trips to my bathroom. They had a bucket in the toilet so the could keep track of how much I had gone, and the poor nurses had to keep emptying it every few hours.

 

[Jkm7]

Yes, they measure all 'ins and outs'. Fluids in and fluids out. They want to be sure kidneys are working well.
All the beds in step down cardiac floor at Mass General are scales. They weighed the bed with the blankets etc on it when I was out of the bed and then again when they got me back in bed. It was great they could do it that way.