A few questions

[Ozmercy]

My mom used to say Count your blessings and focus on the positive so I want to first say. I am doing really well in the big picture It is one week today and I am only using pain meds at night, I am walking and enjoying seeing and talking to friends, and I am doing an okay job at pacing myself. This is very hard for me. I am feeling cabin fever, but I will be patient. Being at the computer has been more tiring than I thought it would be. It took me all day to post a new blog yesterday. I did it in pieces throughout the day and it didn't come out the way i had it in my mind, but then my mind is still a bit foggy. Check it out at:
web.mac.com/standthetest


On the other hand, I seem to either be struggling with my alergic reaction or my hay fever type allergies or have develop a small cold. I am not sneezing, but I have abit of a runny nose and am constantly congested causing more coughing than i would like and constant spitting up mucous. My throat is pretty raw making it hard to talk very long, which may be a blessing in disguise. It is a small problem that just won't go away and effects other things. I can't lay back or I have a lot of trouble breathing, I had a very hard time sleeping last night and finally I took some Robitussin nightime cough medicine and it helped. I am going to call the surgeons office to day and see if they have any suggestions. I don't want to take any of the meds I have used for asthma in the past because they tend to irritate the heart.
I am really having trouble getting comfortable my back is out of whack post-surgery and all the stretching things I would normally do to fix that are things I am not supposed to do right now. A position of comfort in bed is hard to find but I have been using a record number of pillows and doing okay. My new chair is so-so in the long term sitting comfort sense unfortunately. Again I use some pillows and find a place that seems to be best, but never just right.

In the big picture these things are bumps in the road, but right now they are a pain the derierre. Sorry for having a little gripe seession, but thought that this would be the place I could vent a little and not get a "AHH quit your whinning."

Honestly I do feel great about my progress, and I am so thankful for my wife and all who have prayed and supported our family through this time. It is awesome. I just wish I could deal with the back pain. Maybe a gentle type masseuse any thoughts on that? I would be totally off pain meds if it wasn't for the back. Any thoughts on dealing with the congestion? I am 98% sure it is not like a pneumonia thing. Thanks again for all of you being so supportive. God bless,

Randy

 

[Lynlw]

first off glad to see you posting. I would definately put a call in to the cardiologist about the trouble breathing, it could be a cold, or maybe there is a little fluid around your lungs, when you said you can't lay down, is that because of pain, from being open ect or does it feel like there is pressure on your lungs? have you weighed your self and if so gained any weight in a day or so?
as for a massage, I hear that is one of the best things for sore shoulders and backs from being opened and your ribs and upper bodies being in a psition they aren't naturally in,
hope ever thing is better today and the it is just the "normal" healing process, Lyn

 

[Karlynn]

Randy, have someone massage your back. Lyn is right about why it's sore. They really handle you like a Thanksgiving turkey being stuffed.

I also agree with you needing to call the doctor about your "cold". At this stage of the game, it's better to catch things sooner rather than later. Don't even think you're being a hypochondriac.

 

[Marguerite53]

Hi Randy! I was trying to post you a little picture of my dog in your "there's no place like home" thread, but without Ross around, I'm not having any luck getting it to go through. My dog is a Cairn terrier and, well, it's not his name, but he is Toto!! (I played Dorothy in the 4th grade and she's been very special to me ever since!!)

SO HEY!! Welcome home!!! Big question for you here....WHY, I repeat, WHY are you trying to wean yourself off the pain meds so early?? Did someone tell you that you had to? I stayed on Vicodin for quite awhile. There just wasn't any reason I could find to put up with the pain. Once I knew what the pain was all about (you know, you like to know what's going on with your body and if it's all desensitized then you can't follow its progress) by going without the meds for awhile, I just decided....this is ridiculous.....not fun.....I'll go with the relief. I need the rest. Find out if the pain meds have a cumulative effect. I mean, if you take them like clockwork on a 24 hour schedule, doesn't that promise a deeper sense of relief? If you just take them at night, then you exhaust your body with pain all day and the relief at night won't be as complete.

Sorry you are having allergy problems. Might some of that be irritation from the intubation? I had such a short run with the breathing tube that I had no sore throat that I remember at all. Everything has been messed with....it's going to take some time to heal.

Frankly, you are certainly still really woozy from the whole experience. Not clear headed and you won't be for awhile. (hey, I'm almost at 4 months and finally the words I want are coming to me instantly....it takes time). If you are getting cabin fever, and feeling anxious, you need to talk to someone about it. It's okay to be doped up abit for awhile. It's okay, really. Resting is so important.....resting the mind and the psyche, too, my friend. These are all things the doctors can help you with, pain, anxiety, getting a good recovery rhythm going. You're going to be in this limbo for awhile. You need to find a rhythm.

Any massage therapist worth their salt can give you an excellent massage post surgery. Just call around until you find one who is comfortable doing that. Keep in mind that massage increases blood flow. Check with your doctor to be sure there isn't a timing thing (please wait x amount of days post surgery, etc). In the meantime, get your kids and wife onto it!! You can sit in a chair backwards, pad the chair back and lean on the pillows and get some family massage.

You're doing great. You're HERE!!!! Keep asking questions....any and all. That's what we're all about.

Nice to "see" you!

Marguerite

 

[Mike]

back pain

back pain

Mike had more pain in his back than his chest when he came home from the hospital, something for which we were not prepared (because we had not yet discovered VR.com). But we soon found that a back massage (with him standing and leaning his forehead on his forearm against the wall) would give him great releif. I would heat a large washcloth as hot as either of us could stand it and place it against the worst area. Then I would massage his whole back with warmed lotion, paying particular attention to the knotted muscles I would find. The position they had him in for those nine hours must have been a doozy!

As for the sniffle and cough, DO give your doctor a jingle and get some symptomatic relief, if not more. Please don't let anything respiratory sneak up on you!

Blessings,
Diana

 

[Computec]

Hi Randy...

By all means contact your cardiologist and ask some questions about this "I can't lay back or I have a lot of trouble breathing" thing. That sounds like fluid build up in your chest/lungs. You probably need a mild diuretic. That's real common post surgically.

Also, I agree with Marguerite about the pain meds. There's absolutely no good reason to avoid them at this stage. Healing requires a "quiet body". Feeling pain makes that state impossible to achieve. The pain meds aren't just to make you not feel the pain. They're to remove an obstacle to your healing.

Keep up the good progress.

Jerry

 

[denobobeno]

Randy,
I think I'm in better shape than you!! You sound like your body is really taking a beating! You should really listen to it and take your pain meds and enjoy a little TLC from your sweet wife.
I'll be praying for ALL these things. I hate your feeling so bad, I'm glad you felt like you could gripe to all of us. We aren't here to be superhuman, just real!
Have you been to see just your primary care Doc to see what is going on? Needless to say your Cardiologist?
Don't you just love all the suggestions? We all want to help.
Have a good one,
Deana
I just love all those faces we can use!LOL

 

[aussigal]

Welcome home...
I agree with Marguerite...dont fret too much about trying to wean yourself off those pills yet...I remember my back giving me pain for a fair few weeks. About the only thing I can think of that hasnt been mentioned is one of those hot-packs (you can make them at home with rice/wheat in a fabric bag, whatever size you want) I found them very good at easing those sore muscles.
Sorry you have the hayfever going on, try your hardest not to sneeze or you will may feel that your chest is going to come open.

Hang in there and whine away...this is all pretty normal at this early stage.

 

[Ozmercy]

Thanks for the advice and a little clarification

Thanks for the advice and a little clarification

Hey all,
Thanks for all of the advice, I especially like the idea of leaning on the wall and Lori using a warm handtowel on my back we are going to try that today. I feel a lot better today and must say I was being a little dramatic yesterday. I have a tendency to forget that you can't hear sarcasm or humor in the text unless i use a face or write haha. I am doing much better with the hay fever aspect. I just wanted permission from the doctors to take my usual over the counter or prescribed drugs that deal with the hay fever and sinus infections that i get.. I am sure with that dry O2 going directly in my sinus cavity and then hospital air for 5 days I got something going on up there and was draining. The draining causes my throat to be irritated and causes me to have a tickle in my throat and chest. I talked to a PA and was able to get back on to my routine for dealing with sinus problems with various antihistimines etc. I was able to lay back last night without difficulty and had a really good nights sleep.

As to the pain I don't have much especially in the chest. It's wierd. I am feeling like around the incision under the skin I am feeling some pain that feels like it might be where I am wired back together. Is that what you guys think it is? I am taking the pain pills whenever I need them, but I have had side effects like nightmares and difficulty getting off of vicodin so I am only taking it when I feel I need it yesterday that was 3 times. The day before once. I really feel great! I tire easy though and have been watching movies and just reading or resting. I don't have a good office chair for the computer with good back support so i am not spending as much time here as I thought I would. Well again thanks for all your prayers and support. We have a masseuse that works for a friend calling today. Yeah!

Randy

PS who changed my emotions to girl emotions. I don't remember sigining any paperwork for estrogen therapy! I even cried in a mans movie yesterday. What's up with that?

 

[annie10]

girl emotions

girl emotions

Hey Randy, not to worry...it just means you're evolving!

 

[musician2k]

I bawled like a baby a few times after I was first home, while watching somewhat-emotionless movies, even! So I know what you mean. It passes

Glad you got back on your routine for dealing with sinus stuff. I have the same situation and will ask my cardio today how to handle it. I'll ask him what OTC stuff is OK to take with Coumadin. I definitely think people in our situation should be on antibiotics, if nothing else, quickly if we suspect an infection in the sinuses. Who needs all that coughing?

Glad you're doing better! My back also hurts like heck, and the incision isn't as bad except when I cough or sneeze. A massage sounds like a good plan, let us know how that helps....

Chris

 

[catwoman]

Randy:
Hope you're feeling better by now.
My doctor has told me to avoid OTC decongestants because of the side effects. So he gives me samples of Flonase, that type of product, to use at the first sign of an URI. They seem to help pretty good.

 

[DeWayne]

Here I am now at 17 days post surgery. I still have some pain in and around the sternum and some shoulder pains. I have gotten to the point of using tylenol in the day and still taking percacet at night. Ususally 2 of them one at a time about 4 hours apart. Sleeping in a single position is hard. The recliner works though, better than trying to sleep in the bed. I can tell you I look forward to the day I can sleep on my side again!
Thankfully sneezing only aroze once so far, as I have the family curse, which means when you sneeze its a minimum of 3 times...... coughing still can be a bit painful. I have no problem with walking,the other day went to the Target store to walk, did so for about 30 minutes or so.
2 Things that worried us going home, getting in and out of the car and up and down the stairs at home, well nether turned out to be a problem,I went up and down the stairs with no difficulty from the first day I got home, now I am up and down them 20 times a day.
Wednesday I see the cardiologist for first post surgery checkup. Don't expect any problems as I feel pretty good overall. Food still not quite tasting right yet though, I look forward to the day sugar tastes like it should so I can have some tomatoes out of my backyard. (I put sugar on tomatoes!)
Still loosing weight it seems, I tend to fluctuate a little from day to day. Right now I am under 160# and my pre-surgery weight was 164#, but I am eating ok, maybe just not as much as I was, but I am not going hungry.
I still find myself sleeping a lot, nap in the morning nap in the afternoon, then bedtime. Seems like I am not doing much of anything lol, I look alot like one of the cats in the house, always napping. I hope that its not because my red blood cell count is not rising, as I was a bit anemic post surgery they said. They told me I my count was like 4.8 pre and post 2.4, so I have been on iron pills since. Hopefully things Wednesday will show improvement.

So far so good, still hard to believe it has been 17 days since surgery, hard to believe still the surgery took place. But I am dealing with things ok, Monday Gwen is going back to work so I get to spend the entire day alone, that should be fun.....

 

[RandyL]

You are coming along great! Keep up the good work.