After The Dust Clears

[simonj]

Feb. 2 is my one year since heart surgery, triple bypass and replaced mitrol and arortic valves. I am truely grateful for my new heart, at the same time it has been a ong year. I read inthe forum about people on the go 12 weeks after surgery and I am amazed. I went back to work in may of o7 after rehab. In june they found blood in my lungs and shortness of breath. in aug i was admitted to hosp. with anemia. 6 units of blood and plasma and i was discharged 10 days later. 8 days later i was admitted for respitatory failure placed in icu with a ventilator and in a coma for 8 days after a lung biopsy. after 30 days on oct. 10 i was discharged to finish healing at home. i now use an o2 machine to help with my shortness of breath.

today my cardiologist called and said the echo i did on the 29th of jan shows blood around the heart and an infraction of 55% and my chlolestrol is back up to 189. he said do not worry we will do another echo in 6 weeks to do another look.

i really do not know what this new stuff is but wow. i guess i should have posted sooner because when i came out of the coma alll i could do was cry for 3 days and now i still get teared up as i right this. i always thought i was a big burly guy and did not need to cry. OK. now i can hardly stop sometimes.

though I say again I am truely grateful that God still wants me around for my wife and boys this has been a really tough road to travel. Not sure what I want from the forum but my cry feels really good. I just appreciate hearing you alls hope and recovery after your surgeries.

God has definitley softened my heart this year. He took my cold stoney heart and gave me a fleshy heart.

john simon

 

[Nancy]

You have had a terribly rough road. You are entitled to feel down about it. I watched my husband go through some pretty darned terrible stuff too. He fought like a madman, slogged through the swill, did what his doctors told him, and eventually he did go on to survive again and again. He was amazing. His doctors told him that he didn't just have 9 lives, but many more.

Don't you ever give in or give up to all this stuff, fight it with all your might. Your body wants to heal as best it can. Make sure your doctors are top notch. If you doubt any of them, just say, "You're fired!" like Donald Trump.

You need the VERY best to help you get through this period of time.

You will come out a winner.

Never give up, NEVER GIVE UP!!!

 

[njean]

Wow, you poor man! Sounds like you have been through a very rough time!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us & I pray that all goes well with you! And......it's all right to cry -- even the strong, burly ones cry.

You said you went back to work in May/07 --- could you have stayed out longer? And how are you coping with your work situation at the present time with your condition such as it is? Some folks are able to jump right back into the stream of things; I was not one of those with my last OHS! And, it actually takes about a year before reaching your potential & for others, longer!

Take care & glad you found this forum. Best wishes to you & your family!

 

[Mary]

John,
Although many members report that they have few problems on the road to recovery (although many have sizeable BUMPS ) not all do. I'm sorry that you fit into the category of those struggling after more than a year. You had a tremendous amount of work performed on your heart, so perhaps it will take much longer for you to fully recover.
However your situation turns out, I'm glad that you are posting on the forum and are giving us a chance to hear what you're going through. We are a supportive group, so please let us help you in anyway we can.

 

[Phyllis]

Welcome, John. I'm glad you found us and hope that we can provide some support and sunshine after the horrific year you have been through. Listen to Nancy and "Never Give Up"!

 

[Susan BAV]

Hi John -

Welcome; I'm glad you found the site and finally posted. Wow is right! You sure have been through a great deal! Since so much work had to be done on your heart, I'm assuming that your heart had gotten pretty bad before your surgery--is that correct? So maybe you're doing very well compared to what was wrong pre-op.

Hang in there. I'm sure your wife and your boys are ever so glad they still have you too! And crying is okay. Actually, some unstable emotions just come with the OHS territory. Take care and post again.

 

[Guest]

God has definitley softened my heart this year. He took my cold stoney heart and gave me a fleshy heart.

Hi John, You've come to the right place for support. Everyone crys, we all pick ourselves up again as you do time and again and we go on. My mother always told me, and so have a few friends, "God never gives you more than you can handle." When you are really feeling down, ask Jesus to fold you in his arms, hold you, and give you strength. {{hug}}

 

[Bina]

Hello John, what a rough year you have had.....I am 2 years out and finally feeling only half decent.
No running and jumping for me!! Take things careful, and try not to stress too much. When you need to talk or vent, someone is always around on this site.

 

[Philip B]

Long Road

Long Road

Hi John,

Yes, some of the folks here seem to bounce back from OHS quickly and others encounter lots of bumps and longer recovery time. While the procedures they use to mend our hearts are often the same or similar, OHS is such a major trauma that significant differences in the recovery process seem to be the rule. I'm one of those who managed to bounce back pretty quick, but the process wasn't without tears. Although I'm close to my one year anniversery and things seem to be going pretty good, I still deal with the tears. Opinions may vary, but I don't think this is a bad thing.

Regardless of whether the recovery process is easy or more difficult, it's wonderful to be here and engaged in the process. Even when one is faced with difficulty, it's possible to be a blessing to those around us.

Surviving OHS can and often does give the individual a different mindset and perspective. Personally, I find that I look for positive angles when faced with difficult or negative situations much more often than I used to.

You hang in there. Try to keep a positive outlook when you are dealing with adverse situations. As others have stated, when you feel the need for support let us know what you need. You're among friends here. Friends help each other out. I'm glad you're here.

-Philip

 

[Ross]

John I've been through what you have a couple times now. I cried for no reason other then it seemed like the thing to do. I'd be interested to hear where this blood is coming from around your heart. To me, I'd think they'd want to know that today.

 

[Karlynn]

John, welcome. I'm glad you jumped in to tell us your story and to get some sympathy - we're willing to sympathize here!.

I think it's very very appropriate that Nancy was the first one to respond you your post. She is the personification of her, now famous, phrase - Never give in and never give up.

Sometimes it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you are bombarded by one problem after another. Continue to make your doctors accountable for how they are treating you.

God bless.

 

[WayneGM]

Welcome to the VR community, John. I'm sorry to hear about the bumpy road you are on, but glad to found us and decided to post. This is a good place to vent your frustrations to listening ears who understand the physical and emotional rollar coast ride that often comes with OHS. Hang in there. Best wishes.

 

[Curtsmum]

Hi John,
sorry you have had such a hard time, just wanted to say welcome and hope things can get better for you soon, good luck with the next echo let us know how you get on, take care, sending my very best wishes your way.

 

[Cooker]

John?.sounds like you have been and are going through the ringer.....I don?t have any wisdom to offer you??I just want to welcome you and let you know we are here for you??..As far as the crying goes??count your blessings??some of us have forgotten how???Tom

 

[aussiemember]

John,

I'm so glad you came on and shared with us. Your journey sounds like a very tough one but as Nancy so aptly said - "Never give up". We are here to listen and help in any way we can. And you sure have a right to cry when you want to. - Jeanne

 

[Der Biermeister]

Welcome John --- I wish a GREAT TURNAROUND YEAR for you this year. You certainly deserve it.

 

[simonj]

Has the Dust cleared yet

Has the Dust cleared yet

OK so now it is almost 2 years, another ground hog day coming up and another year since I have posted. I am still reading posts and finding hope and encouragement.

At 2 years out my condition have not changed much. Still have limited lung capacity and am in CHF.

I lost my business after the respiratory failure, well it was just shut down. They did approve me for disability. I should have insurance again in July. I think the doctors are trying to keep me stable till then.

I am now a full time College student. going from a small machine shop. To taking Computer Science classes. That will really strain your brain.

The symptoms of the CHf still seem to worry me and my wife. Locally there seems to be no good place to talk about it. At church they will listen and pray for me but sometimes I feel judged because I am not getting better. It feels like people are thinking that my faith is not strong enough for me to get better. That is pretty deep. I know it is probably just my feelings but a local heart support group would be nice.

Just imagine what builds up inside you in a year and they say I have a problem with stress.

This year is going to be good. New directions

OK I am done venting .

Oh yeah I still cry allot. Sometimes I take my wife to a chic flick so I can let loose.

 

[briansmom]

John,
I don't know how I missed this last year, but I am glad that you are still around. Please post more here because this is an extremely supportive group and there are people that have been through tough times like you have.

I'm glad that you are trying something new. Please find something that makes you feel good about you. This is one of the toughest things for me to remember about my son. Like you he has permanent damage and his life will never be the same. He has gone through depression and anger that he doesn't even recognize in himself. It has been 2 years since his last surgery and he is starting to seem less angry. I don't think that you can expect to heal emotionally till you have been stable for at least a year. You are doing great considering all you have been through.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

 

[Nupur]

John, you are one strong person if you can even think of becoming a student taking Computer Science classes after going through all this! I am still in the waiting room for surgery but I have already found this forum and its members a blessing and a lifesaver at times. Please reach out to us and perhaps you will feel a little better knowing there are many out there who walk a similar road.

I hope things will turn around. Hope they find out the cause for the blood around the heart.

Thanks for sharing the story of your incredible journey.

Nupur

 

[zipper2]

OK so now it is almost 2 years, another ground hog day coming up and another year since I have posted. I am still reading posts and finding hope and encouragement.

At 2 years out my condition have not changed much. Still have limited lung capacity and am in CHF.

I lost my business after the respiratory failure, well it was just shut down. They did approve me for disability. I should have insurance again in July. I think the doctors are trying to keep me stable till then.

I am now a full time College student. going from a small machine shop. To taking Computer Science classes. That will really strain your brain.

The symptoms of the CHf still seem to worry me and my wife. Locally there seems to be no good place to talk about it. At church they will listen and pray for me but sometimes I feel judged because I am not getting better. It feels like people are thinking that my faith is not strong enough for me to get better. That is pretty deep. I know it is probably just my feelings but a local heart support group would be nice.

Just imagine what builds up inside you in a year and they say I have a problem with stress.

This year is going to be good. New directions

OK I am done venting .

Oh yeah I still cry allot. Sometimes I take my wife to a chic flick so I can let loose.

Hi John and you are an inspiration to alot of us,you've had
a hard go,glad to see your reading and finding hope and encouragement
on VR.Glad to read you have some new directions in place also.
your additude sounds great.
Drop by more often and keep us informed......sending out cyber thoughts and prayers to you and family.

zipper2 (DEB)