3 Weeks to go

[Bill/SanDiego]

Well the cath is Thurs. May 15th. and the surgery (mitral valve) is the next day. I sure hope everyone is right and the wait is the hard part because I`m scared half to death!! Woke up at 3AM two mornings ago and the fear hit me. I knew I was a coward but it may be worse than I thought. Then again, sometimes when I`ve been afarid of something, things suddenly turn around and I face my problem with calm. This site has really helped me and I cling to words like "You`re doing this to live" and as stated to Scottie--"Have you done all you want to do in life? You trade 6 weeks of being inconvenienced for years of life." And I think of our troops and how they put their lifes on the line and suffered much more than I will. And of children with terminal conditions who never see their 5th. birthday and the daily pain their parents feel. Anyway, I`m really not fishing for sympathy here, I know things will turn out just fine. Just venting I guess or whatever you call it (I call it feeling sorry for myself!!).
Oh yeah, one more thing. I`ve seen references to "personal stories" but see no link. Is there one?

 

[Georgia]

Good news

Good news

Hi, Bill! It's good news indeed that you have surgery scheduled. And we ALL know how terrifying it is. It's just so inconceivable that this is happening to YOU. It's very difficult to redefine yourself as an OHS patient. I think when it really hit home with me was when they said "heart/lung machine" in their explanation of the surgery. ARGH.

Before I forget - go to the home page and "personal stories" is at the top. I've never found another way to get there.

If you'll look through many of the recent posts about approaching upcoming surgery, you'll find a great deal of information and suggestions. Some of the most important:

1. Take care of personal business - will, durable power of attorney, living will, organ donation preferences, etc. You have enough time to get these done and if they haven't been updated in years (like mine were), this is the time to do it.

2. Make sure you have arrangements for recovery. Most of us strongly suggest having a good recliner; many use it for several weeks for sleeping at night as well as having good support during the day. Is your PC easily accessible (we got a used laptop because our computer room is upstairs)? Some folks fix up a recovery room. For at least the first couple of weeks it's really best to stay on one level.

3. Enjoy some really good food (always high on my list of things to do pre-surgery). Most folks have some severe changes in taste and a lot of foods taste like dirt.

4. Do a lot of things you enjoy - theater, movies, swimming, whatever. This will help distract you.

5. Stock some entertainment for yourself for post-surgery - movies, books, crosswords, etc.

6. If you are waking up in a panic and obsessing about the surgery (and this is common), PLEASE contact your docs and get some tranquillizers. I needed these prior to catheterization. You have an awful lot on your plate scheduled for a couple of days and you're really better off going into those procedures not having been a basket case for 3 weeks. Any kind of relaxation techniques you know will also help.

Please take the time to read past threads and ask any questions you have. Have a good weekend.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Bill-

To find Personal Stories, just click on the big yellow logo at the top of this page. It will take you to the Main Page and at the top there is a link for Personal Stories and other things. They are a true inspiration and where I started when I first came here a while ago.

Bill, you will be taken care of by very loving hands during your entire hospital stay. You will have the closest monitoring that you could ever have in your entire life. All will be well.

The success rate for this surgery is very, very high. It is 98 percent and in those statistics, there are included very sick and older patients. You are young and strong and will do just fine.

You have the summer and warm weather to recover. It's the perfect time of the year to have this surgery, because you will be outside and doing some walking after the first couple of weeks.

The pain is well managed by the meds they give you, and most people say it is not the horrible experience they imagined.

One of the very best techniques that you can use to help you over this period is to sort of jump over the surgery phase in your mind, and focus only on the recovery phase. Imagine yourself in the post op phase, not having to worry about your heart any more, feeling better than you have in many years, and not having that feeling of doom with a sick heart inside you. Plan on what simple pleasures you will be able to do, that you can't right now.

There are relaxation tapes available from Diane Tusek which many of the members have used and love. They are wonderful relaxing tapes and many surgeons use them for their own patients. You could ask your surgeon about them, but if he doesn't have some for you, Diane is wonderful about sending them out fast.

Here's the link:

http://www.guidedimageryinc.com/meet.html

Make sure you use this resource (valvereplacement) when you feel the need. That's what we are hoping you will do.

Think of all the members here who have gone before you, 700+ of them.

You will be OK, Bill.

 

[hensylee]

Bill - ain't no shame to feel fear and dread. We all did and that's why a lot of us stopped in here and stayed. So we could help ourselves and then others who came after. This site is the very best place to be while you are in the waiting room. You really will be fine, you know. Think of the good days that will be ahead of you. Ask questions of us about your hospital stay, what it is all about, what to wear home, about the little pillow and what it's for......these questions will help you to prepare plus help to put your fear where it belongs. Kinda makes it real and less scary when you deal with these questions. God bless

 

[terry40]

Bill

Bill

These 3 weeks will be tough, I had a week wait and managed to drive my family crazy, all I can suggest is to try to stay as busy as possible. ( I had 3 pages of "to do" list)

Georgia & Nancy are right on target, on my pre-op visit, labs, meet the surgeon & team etc, they suggested I go out for an nice steak dinner, to build up the iron/red blood cells.

Everyone is different we all have different memories, fears, and difficulties before and after surgery, we tell our stories to move on, not to scare anyone, read through on the normal threads too, about our 3 months, 6 months, 1 year check-ups/ anniversaries, those are the ones you need to keep in your mind.

Take care,

Terry40