MrZoom
Member
Hi all, I'm long overdue checking in. To refresh your memory, I was scheduled for an aortic valve replacement with a homograft valve, closure of ventricular septal defect, and Cox-Maze procedure on February 1st. The surgery went well except that they were not able to do the Cox-Maze procedure, as they ran into an abnormality they did not expect. I wasn't told exactly what this abnormality is but I was told it is not critical, it just prevented them from doing Cox-Maze.
On Feb. 8th I had to go in for a second surgery because I had what initially looked like an infection in the incision, so they needed to go in and clean me out. As it turned out the cultures came back negative, but Dr. Lee was taking no chances. As a result I've had a gaping wound, covered with a wound-vac, since that date, but the wound is healing well. Subsequent cultures of the wound have also come back negative.
I have been at a rehab hospital for the last two weeks getting therapy. There is a limit to what they have been able to do with me, however, since I am a wheelchair user under sternal precautions. Initially I was given the impression that by now I would be able to transfer myself from bed to wheelchair, carefully, but it has not worked out that way and to be honest I don't feel ready yet. Plans are in motion to transfer me to a skilled nursing facility for a few weeks, until sternal precautions are lifted.
In general, though, I feel like I have been doing well, my energy has been up lately and I am eating well. I still am hoping to be able to take my Gatlinburg vacation (booked before I found out I needed surgery) from April 29-May 6.
Edward
On Feb. 8th I had to go in for a second surgery because I had what initially looked like an infection in the incision, so they needed to go in and clean me out. As it turned out the cultures came back negative, but Dr. Lee was taking no chances. As a result I've had a gaping wound, covered with a wound-vac, since that date, but the wound is healing well. Subsequent cultures of the wound have also come back negative.
I have been at a rehab hospital for the last two weeks getting therapy. There is a limit to what they have been able to do with me, however, since I am a wheelchair user under sternal precautions. Initially I was given the impression that by now I would be able to transfer myself from bed to wheelchair, carefully, but it has not worked out that way and to be honest I don't feel ready yet. Plans are in motion to transfer me to a skilled nursing facility for a few weeks, until sternal precautions are lifted.
In general, though, I feel like I have been doing well, my energy has been up lately and I am eating well. I still am hoping to be able to take my Gatlinburg vacation (booked before I found out I needed surgery) from April 29-May 6.
Edward
