56 Year Old Female Preparing for her first ever real surgery, open heart surgery

[dornole]

Hi from frozen MN! I just had OHS for mitral valve replacement and tricuspid repair in October and doing fine. 56F. Couple things!

I practiced lots of breathing and meditation techniques well before surgery (as the pre surgery book they gave me recommended). That was smart because they were already automatic and easy to do when I needed them.

I made myself a playlist to listen to including one “sob song” as sometimes I just need that release of crying. I also listened to a lot of podcasts in hospital for distraction with low effort.

You might surprise yourself how you react. The first time I had surgery I had this wave of inexplicable calm and assurance wash over me as I went into the OR (Before the drugs lol). Afterwards I was exhilarated to be alive, feeling of gratitude that persisted for a long time. The depth of both reactions surprised me, they just happened they were not things I manufactured. So even if you have some (understandable) medical anxiety you may do better than you expect.

Northwestern is a kick-ass heart hospital so you will be in good hands. There will be very sucky parts but ultimately it’s great that folks like us get to live. wishing you the best!

 

[Chuck C]

The first time I had surgery I had this wave of inexplicable calm and assurance wash over me as I went into the OR (Before the drugs lol). Afterwards I was exhilarated to be alive, feeling of gratitude that persisted for a long time

That is interesting. Both the calmness prior to surgery and the exhilaration and gratitude afterwards describe almost exactly my experience as well.

 

[Survived03]

1. Waking up with the breathing tube and fearing I will choke or won't be able to breathe
2. Waking up with all those tubes coming out of my body and then, having them removed when awake!! I can imagine this is going to hurt like hell.
3. Having multiple IV's in me. I just had 2 veins blown during my CTA scan last week and so now I have more anxiety about this! I am SO not good with needles and IV's!
4. knowing which heart valve type is the right one to have
5. Worrying about how long the valve will last and if I'm going to have to do it all again sooner than I expect if the valve starts to fail.

First off, perfectly normal to be scared. But as others have said, as complex a procedure, this is very routine now. At some point it would be helpful if you realize that you have taken control of what you can. First off, Northwestern, a top notch institution. Secondly. I assume you know and trust your surgeon so it's time to let go. Let the experienced team take over from here and they will do what they have been trained to do with very high success rates. There is probably very , very little that they have not seen and are prepared to address if needed.

Regarding your questions:
1. For my first OHS I asked to be extubated before I woke up which they did. For my second OHS I had the same request but was told that it will depend on where we are relative to coming out of anesthesia and they will go with the safest approach. I did wake up intubated and was visited by love ones as well as coached on relaxing and breathing along with the ventilator. They also gave me a countdown to when they will be extubating; 45 minutes, 30 minutes, soon. That actually helped. If you are still intubated while awake I guarantee your mind will be still be under heavy sedation and time flies. On a side note, my anxiousness over the tube was from seeing my own father both intubated and was present during extubation and the memory stayed with me a long time. But I discovered I was really overthinking. Ironically, was watching something on TV last night and a patient was being extubated and my wife said "look away". I stopped and told her that you know, it really wasnt as bad as I expected.
2. Tubes, tubes tubes. As others have said, they remove these quickly over time and have many tricks to guide you through this. I will just say that the crazy ones are the chest tubes and the catheter. Outside of that, just lots of fluids lines. You will breeze through this.
3. They are experts at inserting IV's. They may guide themselves using ultrasound in order to connect a good vein, small pinch, then they tape that thing down so well that it isn't going anywhere. Yes, they blood draws are a nuance but most phlebotomists on the ICU floor know what they are doing. They may have to move around to different places on each arm but sincerely, its not a big deal.
4. Plenty of advice out there regarding valve type. If you care to, you can read my past posts for my journey.
5. This falls oin line with #4. This is an individual choice. You balance the pros and cons with how you see your long life ahead of you.
I wish you the best of luck and end this with I tell others. Treat this like a warrior and you are headed into battle. You prep and remain ready for anything. You lean hard into your recovery and you will due great.

 

[BrownEyes]

First off, perfectly normal to be scared. But as others have said, as complex a procedure, this is very routine now. At some point it would be helpful if you realize that you have taken control of what you can. First off, Northwestern, a top notch institution. Secondly. I assume you know and trust your surgeon so it's time to let go. Let the experienced team take over from here and they will do what they have been trained to do with very high success rates. There is probably very , very little that they have not seen and are prepared to address if needed.

Regarding your questions:
1. For my first OHS I asked to be extubated before I woke up which they did. For my second OHS I had the same request but was told that it will depend on where we are relative to coming out of anesthesia and they will go with the safest approach. I did wake up intubated and was visited by love ones as well as coached on relaxing and breathing along with the ventilator. They also gave me a countdown to when they will be extubating; 45 minutes, 30 minutes, soon. That actually helped. If you are still intubated while awake I guarantee your mind will be still be under heavy sedation and time flies. On a side note, my anxiousness over the tube was from seeing my own father both intubated and was present during extubation and the memory stayed with me a long time. But I discovered I was really overthinking. Ironically, was watching something on TV last night and a patient was being extubated and my wife said "look away". I stopped and told her that you know, it really wasnt as bad as I expected.
2. Tubes, tubes tubes. As others have said, they remove these quickly over time and have many tricks to guide you through this. I will just say that the crazy ones are the chest tubes and the catheter. Outside of that, just lots of fluids lines. You will breeze through this.
3. They are experts at inserting IV's. They may guide themselves using ultrasound in order to connect a good vein, small pinch, then they tape that thing down so well that it isn't going anywhere. Yes, they blood draws are a nuance but most phlebotomists on the ICU floor know what they are doing. They may have to move around to different places on each arm but sincerely, its not a big deal.
4. Plenty of advice out there regarding valve type. If you care to, you can read my past posts for my journey.
5. This falls oin line with #4. This is an individual choice. You balance the pros and cons with how you see your long life ahead of you.
I wish you the best of luck and end this with I tell others. Treat this like a warrior and you are headed into battle. You prep and remain ready for anything. You lean hard into your recovery and you will due gr

First off, perfectly normal to be scared. But as others have said, as complex a procedure, this is very routine now. At some point it would be helpful if you realize that you have taken control of what you can. First off, Northwestern, a top notch institution. Secondly. I assume you know and trust your surgeon so it's time to let go. Let the experienced team take over from here and they will do what they have been trained to do with very high success rates. There is probably very , very little that they have not seen and are prepared to address if needed.

Regarding your questions:
1. For my first OHS I asked to be extubated before I woke up which they did. For my second OHS I had the same request but was told that it will depend on where we are relative to coming out of anesthesia and they will go with the safest approach. I did wake up intubated and was visited by love ones as well as coached on relaxing and breathing along with the ventilator. They also gave me a countdown to when they will be extubating; 45 minutes, 30 minutes, soon. That actually helped. If you are still intubated while awake I guarantee your mind will be still be under heavy sedation and time flies. On a side note, my anxiousness over the tube was from seeing my own father both intubated and was present during extubation and the memory stayed with me a long time. But I discovered I was really overthinking. Ironically, was watching something on TV last night and a patient was being extubated and my wife said "look away". I stopped and told her that you know, it really wasnt as bad as I expected.
2. Tubes, tubes tubes. As others have said, they remove these quickly over time and have many tricks to guide you through this. I will just say that the crazy ones are the chest tubes and the catheter. Outside of that, just lots of fluids lines. You will breeze through this.
3. They are experts at inserting IV's. They may guide themselves using ultrasound in order to connect a good vein, small pinch, then they tape that thing down so well that it isn't going anywhere. Yes, they blood draws are a nuance but most phlebotomists on the ICU floor know what they are doing. They may have to move around to different places on each arm but sincerely, its not a big deal.
4. Plenty of advice out there regarding valve type. If you care to, you can read my past posts for my journey.
5. This falls oin line with #4. This is an individual choice. You balance the pros and cons with how you see your long life ahead of you.
I wish you the best of luck and end this with I tell others. Treat this like a warrior and you are headed into battle. You prep and remain ready for anything. You lean hard into your recovery and you will due great.

Thank you so much. This was really helpful. I am a person who researched everything so I feel like there’s power and comfort in being informed. So I appreciate yours and everyone else’s responses. After a couple of weeks of reading replies, and taking time to process it all…my mind is in a better place. I realize I have to do this, a few things will suck I’m sure, but after ICU I should be on the upward track and it’s seemingly less scary to me now. On a positive note - my job is extremely stressful. I’m actually looking forward to being off work for 6-8 weeks and focusing on me and my health. I have 2 sisters who I adore that are going to take turns staying with me for a couple weeks and my best friend as well so I’ll be in good company.
My surgeon appt is Wednesday so I’m armed with good info to discuss valve choice with him intelligently now. Thank you again. I think this post was a perfect way to help me moved past nervous to “ready”

 

[pellicle]

I am a person who researched everything so I feel like there’s power and comfort in being informed.

speaking as a person who reads up on almost everything, there's also something else you need to consider: if you aren't doing it then there is little of actual usefulness that can come from readings.

An example of this is how people read up and watch videos of surgery and the stuff the surgeon is doing and become panicked and anxious because they've never seen surgery and it just freaks them out.

They then double down on this and spiral down into a semi-catatonic panic state.

Wisdom is knowing what you can change and working on that.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference​

This is why I mainly focus on INR management and helping new mech valvers learn how to do that; because that in itself is the single most important thing they can do (once they have the valve) to get the best post surgical outcome from that surgery.

Best Wishes

 

[BrownEyes]

speaking as a person who reads up on almost everything, there's also something else you need to consider: if you aren't doing it then there is little of actual usefulness that can come from readings.

An example of this is how people read up and watch videos of surgery and the stuff the surgeon is doing and become panicked and anxious because they've never seen surgery and it just freaks them out.

They then double down on this and spiral down into a semi-catatonic panic state.

Wisdom is knowing what you can change and working on that.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference​

This is why I mainly focus on INR management and helping new mech valvers learn how to do that; because that in itself is the single most important thing they can do (once they have the valve) to get the best post surgical outcome from that surgery.

Best Wishes

I definitely would never watch a surgery video! I would surely pass out at any sight of blood. Been reading more stuff like the hospitals “what to expect” guide, etc. recovery tips, etc.

 

[JWalters]

Hi Everyone:

Hello from frigid Wisconsin.

I have been scouring the internet to deal with my stress, I was so thankful to find this site with so many of you sharing your experiences and ironically, some of the same fears I have. At 56, I may be one of the only women in the world that has never been in the hospital overnight. I have only had one surgical procedure in my entire life - in 2020 - to have my gallbladder removed by minimally invasive method with tiny 1 inch incisions. At 40, I found out I had a bicuspid valve during a stress test. At 45, I found out I was developing an ascending aorta aneurysm but was told that I probably would be 70 by the time they had to do anything about it. Over the last 2 years, both have started to decline rapidly particularly after I got covid, and last week I was told I would need open heart surgery soon to replace my valve and repair my aneurism. I am meeting with my surgeon next week. To be thinking about open heart surgery when I have no experience with surgery in general is very scary for me. I lost my dad at the age of 30 - and watched him go through multiple heart bypass surgeries starting when I was 13. I know technology and medicine are so advanced now, but memories of him in the hospital post-op still bring all this fear to my mind.

My niece is a cardiac nurse and has been trying to calm my fears, but I'm so stressed. I know this is stupid but I'm not worried about the heart surgery itself - I am going to have my surgery at Northwestern Hospital which is one of the best in our area. I am most worried about the weirdest things like:
1. Waking up with the breathing tube and fearing I will choke or won't be able to breathe
2. Waking up with all those tubes coming out of my body and then, having them removed when awake!! I can imagine this is going to hurt like hell.
3. Having multiple IV's in me. I just had 2 veins blown during my CTA scan last week and so now I have more anxiety about this! I am SO not good with needles and IV's!
4. knowing which heart valve type is the right one to have
5. Worrying about how long the valve will last and if I'm going to have to do it all again sooner than I expect if the valve starts to fail.

I go though periods of not being afraid and just wanting it to be over because I know my quality of life will be better when this is all done and I'm looking forward to moving on with my life and being able to eventually lift something without fear of my aorta exploding. I'm not worried about my recovery - I can deal with that kind of pain, drained energy, loss of appetite, limitations for a while, etc. I just know those first few days in ICU are going to be hell for me and that has me not sleeping well. I am in general a positive person but now I have these weird little moments of " pending doom" like - what if I don't make it? And I have problems planning anything beyond my surgery which is weird because I'm a planner. If anyone talks to me about doing something next year I change the subject and feel very strange like maybe I won't be there so why talk about it? Very strange emotions.

So here I am, posting my fears since I don't know where else to turn. My family is super supportive but they just keep telling me it will be okay. I am reading through posts so it's nice to know I'm not totally alone. So thankful I found you all and can read about your experiences.

Hello !

All those concerns are valid and normal for where you are in your journey.

Just to share my experiences :

1. I was also worried about this one, but I was still a little groggy, which helps the anxiety a lot! I know it looks dramatized on TV, but as a patient, it is not as intimidating.
2. I had 2 drains and pacemaker wires out of my chest. Believe it or not, these things did not hurt at all. Less than pulling a bandaid off.
3. Valid concern - when you get dehydrated, the nurses may struggle. I specifically made a point to the nurses that I wanted them to be good/careful. There's a UV(?) visualization device that can be used to improve accuracy. Shave your arm near the IV location.
4. Plenty of good info here in the forum
5. Inform yourself and talk to experts to minimize the anxiety. Worked for me. Surgeons are good people to talk to for clean/emontionless decisions.

 

[3mm]

There's a UV(?) visualization device that can be used to improve accuracy. Shave your arm near the IV location.

Funny, but true, story about this. When I had a cardiac ablation last November, my anesthesiologist asked if a resident who was training as an anesthesiologist could help during my procedure. I said yes, they talked with me about the procedure, etc. We get into the electrophysiology lab (operating room), they start prepping me, and the resident anesthesiologist shows me how he is using the "near-infrared (NIR) vein visualization technology" to locate a vein in my right forearm. I watch the monitor screen as he inserts the needle into my vein, and then he asks "Why is the blood so dark red?" The older anesthesiologist says, "Because you hit an artery instead of the vein." Then they had a nurse put an IV line into my other (left) arm, while the resident held pressure for 10 minutes on the right arm artery. The right arm was purple from the wrist to the elbow for over a week. I am fine now, and I would gladly let that resident work on my again.

This does illustrate an important point. There is no substitute for a well trained, experienced TEAM!

 

[JWalters]

Funny, but true, story about this. When I had a cardiac ablation last November, my anesthesiologist asked if a resident who was training as an anesthesiologist could help during my procedure. I said yes, they talked with me about the procedure, etc. We get into the electrophysiology lab (operating room), they start prepping me, and the resident anesthesiologist shows me how he is using the "near-infrared (NIR) vein visualization technology" to locate a vein in my right forearm. I watch the monitor screen as he inserts the needle into my vein, and then he asks "Why is the blood so dark red?" The older anesthesiologist says, "Because you hit an artery instead of the vein." Then they had a nurse put an IV line into my other (left) arm, while the resident held pressure for 10 minutes on the right arm artery. The right arm was purple from the wrist to the elbow for over a week. I am fine now, and I would gladly let that resident work on my again.

This does illustrate an important point. There is no substitute for a well trained, experienced TEAM!

I tried to handle the situation in a funny way, but not all of the nurses thought it was funny.... I kept a small white board next to my bed and recorded the nurses name and the total number of insertions they tried, and the number of successes they had. After a few days, I started to request the ones at the top of the leaderboard.

 

[BrownEyes]

I tried to handle the situation in a funny way, but not all of the nurses thought it was funny.... I kept a small white board next to my bed and recorded the nurses name and the total number of insertions they tried, and the number of successes they had. After a few days, I started to request the ones at the top of the leaderboard.

That is indeed pretty funny!

 

[Chuck C]

"Why is the blood so dark red?" The older anesthesiologist says, "Because you hit an artery instead of the vein." Then they had a nurse put an IV line into my other (left) arm, while the resident held pressure for 10 minutes on the right arm artery. The right arm was purple from the wrist to the elbow for over a week. I am fine now, and I would gladly let that resident work on my again.

This does illustrate an important point. There is no substitute for a well trained, experienced TEAM!

But think about what an important role that you played in his learning curve by letting him practice on you