workmonkey
Active member
Hello Fellow Travelers:
As I sit here at NY Presbyterian/Weill-Cornell Medical Center three days after the surgery to repair my 5.1 cm aortic aneurysm and bicuspid aortic valve, I wanted to share some immediate thoughts that are fresh on my percocet-influenced mind. Specifically, questions that I've seen raised on this site and answers I was seeking myself. I'll do it bullet-point style, because who doesn't like bullet-points? Plus all this medicine is affecting my ability to form proper syntax and spelling. This site was of immeasurable value and support as I experienced this process, so I wanted to share specifics that might help people see all sides of a question to help contribute to their own personal answer process.
• CARDIAC CATH: There is some discussion on the site about when to have the cardiac catheterization: the day before surgery or earlier than that. Every experience is different, but I highly suggest doing it a week or so before the surgery if possible. I checked into the hospital on Monday for the cardiac cath, then checked into the surgical ward immediately after (the actual surgery was on Tuesday). The first thing I learned about doing the cath the day before, is they prefer not to sedate you because you'll be going under general anesthesia the following day, so they want to be minimal with their use of drugs. The cath was quick enough, albeit intrusive and not entirely pain-free. The primary issue with doing the cath the day before is checking into the hospital immediately afterwards. Spending a night in the hospital before the surgery, hearing the incessant beeps and alarms of the monitoring machines, and seeing patient after patient wheeled by you as you just sit there, waiting for your moment of truth, was way too much food for thought. I entered in a good mind frame, and started to slowly lose it over the sleepless night. Also, you can think of the cardiac cath as a "training day" that helps get you comfortable heading to the hospital and walking in, just to prepare.
• SURGICAL TIME OF DAY: My surgeon does three surgeries a day. I was hoping for the morning surgery, but was told the night before I'd been scheduled for the middle slot. Then an emergency surgery pushed me to an even later slot, so I spent the morning and afternoon alone with my thoughts. You can't control this always, but I'd try if possible. Again, I was not allowed sedation during this time, so my anxiety was as high as it been for awhile. I remained determined and knew the end of my stress was near, but I feel the hospital can manage this better. It is definitely something I'd raise with the surgeon beforehand.
• ANESTHESIA: As all have said, being pushed to the OR (without my glasses, without which I see little) was not awesome. But the anesthesiologists were great, and had totally relaxed within a minute or two. In my mind, it was only a second or two later that I was awake. In the real world, it was seven hours or so. Apparently, I awoke well before they had planned, when my eyes were still taped, etc. (This has happened to be before, as I'm a bigger guy so I think they undershoot my levels). Apparently it took six nurses to restrain me until they could sedate me again .. But I have no memory of it, and when I did become "conscious" of the breathing tube, it really didn't bother me. You can breathe through it fine, and there is no gag reflex. I'd just forget this part of the process - the amount we all spend talking about it simply doesn't justify the reality of it. It is out before you know.
• VALVE-SPARING: I was always under the impression that I was having valve-sparing surgery, so never discussed with my surgeon what to do if he found damage beyond what the scans had shown. I would definitely have this talk with your surgeon well-ahead of time, as most of you have recommended. The first time the surgeon's staff brough this up was the night before the surgery. I had the talk with my exhausted surgeon the night before my surgery, and this put pressure on me to provide an answer asap. Fortunately, I had read enough on this site to know my answer: if he couldn't spare the valve, I wanted a tissue valve, even at risk of re-operation. I'm only 38, and was prepared to have another operation over being on blood thinners. Specifically, I have faith in medical technology and will make a humble prediction that within 15 years, all valve surgeries will be endovascular, sparing us from the more painful/scary part of the process. He was, in fact, able to spare my native aortic valve. But definitely have all this thought out ahead of time to avoid surprises.
• TAKE THE WALK: The site has a consensus that taking care of your aneurysm or valve, when you learn of it, is the best choice of action. I'm officially one more person who strongly agrees. Despite any of the stresses described above, the elation of waking up immediately after the surgery knowing the primary worry of your life is gone trumps any anxiety related to the surgery itself. Really, the day of surgery plus the following two days are the cost of doing business, and for this three-day sacrifice you have a lifetime of a clean mind. One day worrying about the surgery is as bad, if not worse, as the day following surgery. And I only spent three months from the day of discovery to the surgery. That was three months too long. In a sense, they are removing pyschic-pain and stress as much as repairing a valve or aorta. And we are blessed they can offer us this freedom. Many conditions don't have same possibility.
• OUR COMMUNITY: This site was invaluable during the process, so thank you to all. Again, because I am younger, there were few if any people I could talk to about this face-to-face. I did a lot more reading than posting, but without this site I'm convinced I wouldn't have gone through with it, or the process would have been 10 times worse. It is a community, and I'll walk proudly with my scar from here on out.
Anyway, long message, but I have long, boring night of pokes and prods ahead of me, so it's not like I'm going anywhere. Every day is better than the last, and I don't just mean from the surgical date. It is a new beginning for us all, and to anyone still grappling with fear of this procedure, I'll remind you what others reminded me. It is one "mind-second" of time for a lifetime of freedom. It's a great deal that you can make with confidence, as many of us here have.
Have a good, restful night.
Mark
As I sit here at NY Presbyterian/Weill-Cornell Medical Center three days after the surgery to repair my 5.1 cm aortic aneurysm and bicuspid aortic valve, I wanted to share some immediate thoughts that are fresh on my percocet-influenced mind. Specifically, questions that I've seen raised on this site and answers I was seeking myself. I'll do it bullet-point style, because who doesn't like bullet-points? Plus all this medicine is affecting my ability to form proper syntax and spelling. This site was of immeasurable value and support as I experienced this process, so I wanted to share specifics that might help people see all sides of a question to help contribute to their own personal answer process.
• CARDIAC CATH: There is some discussion on the site about when to have the cardiac catheterization: the day before surgery or earlier than that. Every experience is different, but I highly suggest doing it a week or so before the surgery if possible. I checked into the hospital on Monday for the cardiac cath, then checked into the surgical ward immediately after (the actual surgery was on Tuesday). The first thing I learned about doing the cath the day before, is they prefer not to sedate you because you'll be going under general anesthesia the following day, so they want to be minimal with their use of drugs. The cath was quick enough, albeit intrusive and not entirely pain-free. The primary issue with doing the cath the day before is checking into the hospital immediately afterwards. Spending a night in the hospital before the surgery, hearing the incessant beeps and alarms of the monitoring machines, and seeing patient after patient wheeled by you as you just sit there, waiting for your moment of truth, was way too much food for thought. I entered in a good mind frame, and started to slowly lose it over the sleepless night. Also, you can think of the cardiac cath as a "training day" that helps get you comfortable heading to the hospital and walking in, just to prepare.
• SURGICAL TIME OF DAY: My surgeon does three surgeries a day. I was hoping for the morning surgery, but was told the night before I'd been scheduled for the middle slot. Then an emergency surgery pushed me to an even later slot, so I spent the morning and afternoon alone with my thoughts. You can't control this always, but I'd try if possible. Again, I was not allowed sedation during this time, so my anxiety was as high as it been for awhile. I remained determined and knew the end of my stress was near, but I feel the hospital can manage this better. It is definitely something I'd raise with the surgeon beforehand.
• ANESTHESIA: As all have said, being pushed to the OR (without my glasses, without which I see little) was not awesome. But the anesthesiologists were great, and had totally relaxed within a minute or two. In my mind, it was only a second or two later that I was awake. In the real world, it was seven hours or so. Apparently, I awoke well before they had planned, when my eyes were still taped, etc. (This has happened to be before, as I'm a bigger guy so I think they undershoot my levels). Apparently it took six nurses to restrain me until they could sedate me again .. But I have no memory of it, and when I did become "conscious" of the breathing tube, it really didn't bother me. You can breathe through it fine, and there is no gag reflex. I'd just forget this part of the process - the amount we all spend talking about it simply doesn't justify the reality of it. It is out before you know.
• VALVE-SPARING: I was always under the impression that I was having valve-sparing surgery, so never discussed with my surgeon what to do if he found damage beyond what the scans had shown. I would definitely have this talk with your surgeon well-ahead of time, as most of you have recommended. The first time the surgeon's staff brough this up was the night before the surgery. I had the talk with my exhausted surgeon the night before my surgery, and this put pressure on me to provide an answer asap. Fortunately, I had read enough on this site to know my answer: if he couldn't spare the valve, I wanted a tissue valve, even at risk of re-operation. I'm only 38, and was prepared to have another operation over being on blood thinners. Specifically, I have faith in medical technology and will make a humble prediction that within 15 years, all valve surgeries will be endovascular, sparing us from the more painful/scary part of the process. He was, in fact, able to spare my native aortic valve. But definitely have all this thought out ahead of time to avoid surprises.
• TAKE THE WALK: The site has a consensus that taking care of your aneurysm or valve, when you learn of it, is the best choice of action. I'm officially one more person who strongly agrees. Despite any of the stresses described above, the elation of waking up immediately after the surgery knowing the primary worry of your life is gone trumps any anxiety related to the surgery itself. Really, the day of surgery plus the following two days are the cost of doing business, and for this three-day sacrifice you have a lifetime of a clean mind. One day worrying about the surgery is as bad, if not worse, as the day following surgery. And I only spent three months from the day of discovery to the surgery. That was three months too long. In a sense, they are removing pyschic-pain and stress as much as repairing a valve or aorta. And we are blessed they can offer us this freedom. Many conditions don't have same possibility.
• OUR COMMUNITY: This site was invaluable during the process, so thank you to all. Again, because I am younger, there were few if any people I could talk to about this face-to-face. I did a lot more reading than posting, but without this site I'm convinced I wouldn't have gone through with it, or the process would have been 10 times worse. It is a community, and I'll walk proudly with my scar from here on out.
Anyway, long message, but I have long, boring night of pokes and prods ahead of me, so it's not like I'm going anywhere. Every day is better than the last, and I don't just mean from the surgical date. It is a new beginning for us all, and to anyone still grappling with fear of this procedure, I'll remind you what others reminded me. It is one "mind-second" of time for a lifetime of freedom. It's a great deal that you can make with confidence, as many of us here have.
Have a good, restful night.
Mark
