7 weeks post op, & it still HURTS!

[maka]

I had my PVR 7 weeks ago today. At 4 weeks, my cardiologist encouraged me to try & wean myself off the vicodin, which I did. Frankly, I've been in a pretty fair amount of pain from the sternotomy ever since. Today I finally decided this tough guy stuff wasn't for me, & saw my primary Dr. He refilled my Vicodin Rx, & also wrote me one for Tylenol 3. He said the Tylenol 3 is not as addictive as the Vicodin, which I had been SO worried about. He suggested using the Vicodin at night, when I really have problems. I am SO discouraged about having to resume the pain meds. Plain Tylenol just wasn't cutting it. If only I didn't have to use my arms to get up out of a chair, I'd probably not be nearly so sore. Ok...done ranting

Hello George
I had my mitral valve repaired 3 months tomorrow. Sorry to hear about your
pain. I also had problems in getting out of the chair. This may sound silly but I figuered the reason was the chair was too low so I put a couple of cushions on the seat and a pillow on the back and it helped me very much. Also, I had a cane on my side and rather than pushing my self with both arms, I used the cane to help me get up. Just silly things but they helped and thought I passed them on to you
As to the painkillers, try to use the tylenol and eventually the pain will subsidezed but if it hurts that much, maybe a call to the surgeon will ease your worries.
Take care

 

[JohnN]

7 weeks after surgery

7 weeks after surgery

I also still have pain after valve replacement. My left side of the chest is so sensitive that I hold my shirt out from the skin so it won't touch when I walk. It's like having a sunburn on my left side. Not much pain as long as I don't move. Tylenol extra strength does not relieve the pain at all, nor does Ibuprofen do any good.
I have no problem getting out my chairs especially when I sit on my memory foam pillow. I also find my memory foam mattress topper allows me to sleep three hours at a time. On a hard mattress I sleep only one hour at a time.
I wonder how many more weeks I will continue to have pain on my left side. My surgeon says maybe one or two ribs were cracked which will take two more months to heal. My cartiologist however says maybe the nerves on the left side were cut more than the right side and they should heal in one more month. The pain sure does slow me up and depresses me so I really don't want to do anything including exercise on my treadmill. My appetite is still 50%, and strangely or fortunately I do not crave cholocate or ice cream like previously. Accordingly I have lost 10 pounds which leaves me at the 170 pounds I previously tried to reach for many years.
John N

 

[Ross]

I also still have pain after valve replacement. My left side of the chest is so sensitive that I hold my shirt out from the skin so it won't touch when I walk. It's like having a sunburn on my left side. Not much pain as long as I don't move. Tylenol extra strength does not relieve the pain at all, nor does Ibuprofen do any good.
I have no problem getting out my chairs especially when I sit on my memory foam pillow. I also find my memory foam mattress topper allows me to sleep three hours at a time. On a hard mattress I sleep only one hour at a time.
I wonder how many more weeks I will continue to have pain on my left side. My surgeon says maybe one or two ribs were cracked which will take two more months to heal. My cartiologist however says maybe the nerves on the left side were cut more than the right side and they should heal in one more month. The pain sure does slow me up and depresses me so I really don't want to do anything including exercise on my treadmill. My appetite is still 50%, and strangely or fortunately I do not crave cholocate or ice cream like previously. Accordingly I have lost 10 pounds which leaves me at the 170 pounds I previously tried to reach for many years.
John N

Sounds like your coming along slower then most, but you are coming along and that's what counts.

 

[Georgia]

The exercise gurus at Cardiac Rehab said that men tend to have more trouble and pain while recovering from a sternotomy - probably due to the greater muscle development and larger frames. Many men also slump substantially after a sternotomy - that's one of the things they work on in cardiac rehab II.

Sorry to hear you guys are having such a problem. Make sure you continue to breathe deeply despite the discomfort, or you'll really have problems.

Good luck.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

George,

It would help to have a better understanding of the nature of your pain. Is it muscular (MASSAGE works best for that), or Sternum? or on Breathing?

Muscular pain can come and go for many weeks. Stretching and massage are the best solution.
Are you in Cardiac Rehabilitation? Rehab really helped me to loosen up my tight shoulder / arm / chest muscles.

If you are having sternum or internal chest pain, you need to CHECK IT OUT with your surgeon and/or cardiologist. You should NOT be having this type of pain 7 weeks out from surgery unless something is wrong and needs fixing.

'Al Capshaw'