After your surgery, what are some of the things that you found out that surprised you

[nate_c]

My surprises:
- I was very nearsighted for about a week after surgery, and then, suddenly, I could see perfectly again. (Had lasik surgery several years ago--not sure if this had anything to do with it). Asked my surgeon, and he said it was somewhat common and probably due to the fluids they pump into you during surgery. Anyone else experience this? I thought maybe they'd damaged my eyes somehow...
- I was surprised to remember being intubated for the better part of a day. I had to communicate with my wife by "writing" letters out in the air. Extremely frustrating. They were unable to remove the tube, because I'd had a bad reaction to the anesthesia and there was some doubt about whether my lungs were strong enough to breath on their own. When they finally did remove the tube, I really struggled to breath, but there was no way I was going to admit that and get the tube again...
- I was pleasantly surprised that my chest didn't hurt more, and that some of the muscles in my back, neck, and abdomen hurt as much as they did.
- I was surprised at how different my heartbeat felt. Sometimes far too quiet, other time too loud, always way too fast. Hard to explain exactly. It took some getting used to.
- I was surprised at how much weight I lost (13 pounds in a week). I was lean to begin with, so this was concerning to the doctors and to me.

 

[jcmm]

I had my AVR on June 24th and then my aneurysm repair(descending aorta, left subclavian artery) on 8/31. My surprising thoughts on the AVR below:

*I was surprised that the pain wasn't nearly as bad as I thought
*I was surprised that I had some anxiety attacks in the hospital after surgery
*My incision wasn't nearly as bad as I thought going in
*I was back to work in 28 days in the office although I worked from home starting at about two weeks or so
*Once I started using the inspirometer properly, I started getting better daily
*I can actually hear my heart tick due to the mechanicl valve
*My heartbeat feels like it is about to jump out of my throat
*I was suprised at how much weight I gained initially due to the fluid from surgery

I feel very blessed to come through the surgery and God is good.

 

[Cherries4life]

I was surprised to find out that the sac that my heart once was in will no longer be in a sac, that scar tissue just forms around where the sac used to be. I learned also thats why sometimes its so hard getting to the heart for a second/third heart operation. I kept really feeling my heartbeat in my shoulders, and he explained to me that was because my heart actually moves around more, so when I lay down its actually resting closer to my shoulders so I feel the sensation even more.

I was also unaware of the collapsing of the lungs....wonder if thats the case with everyone?
I was also surprised at how much I hated that breathing tube and how hard it was to keep calm with it stuck in my throat so that I wouldnt gag.
I was also surprised at how sensitive I was to Coumadin, I need very very little to get my INR at the right levels.
I was also surprised at the fact that I was not hungry for 4 weeks and basically had to force myself to eat.

 

[Cooker]

The lack of acute post-op pain ... it was not anywhere near what I had imagined it would be:thumbup:

 

[Cherries4life]

I can relate with almost all of your posts! Hearing the tick, feeling the heartbeat, anxiety in the hospital. I basically freaked out one night, and couldnt calm down. My blood pressure went high and my resting heart rate went way too high.....that was what freaked me out and kept me thinking "what the heck in going on, whats wrong?" They gave me two doses of valium to calm me down. I whole problem was that my potassium was too low.

 

[PAVRinPGH]

Hello, I go by PAVRinPgh, but am looking into procedures for another person who has aortic stenosis that needs to be healed.
If you feel at libery could you tell me what was the risk factor the thoracic surgeon told you going into this? and your age? Thank you for your post, very interesting.

 

[njean]

before I went into the OR, because I never saw the OR, which I was soooo glad, because that was another fear of mine.

When I went in for my 2nd OHS 35 years ago, I was flown to Houston to have immediate, emergency surgery! When I got to St. Luke's, they wheeled me from admissions directly into the OR room! And you are right.....it was very unnerving! Luckily, I was more dead than alive when I got there, so the soothing blackness overtook me before I knew it!

 

[Michelle D]

I was surprised how calm I was that morning when they wheeled me in that room. As the nurses were prepping me I was telling them some Jim Gaffigan hot pocket jokes but I was rudely interrupted when they put a mask on my face and was told to take a deep breath. I'm amazed at how quickly I was knocked out.

 

[Orangebrittainy]

I was surprised to
--remember nothing from preop
-- need a temporary pacemaker
--find out the tubes damaged my left vocal cord so I couldn't talk.
I also found out because of that that I have an over sensitive gag reflex (I always knew it was bad but I got medical proof of that on my anniversary while still in ICU lol )
I was even more surprised to find out the damaged voice was common
I was surprised to find out they did a bone graph in my right shoulder, because my right hand started having major sensory issues.

 

[bahlvarun]

There were a couple of surprises at my end too...!!
One everything is good and didn't feel much pain other then the ones expected
secondly I went to the OT laughingly, I guess broken heart has more pain and that this was nothing compared to that...

 

[LonMel]

This thread should be mandatory reading for those awaiting their ops!
1- I was surprised how nervous and frightened I became when I got on the OR table and people began to touch me from head to toe (not to mention all that equipment in the room). Man, I was glad they put me to sleep when they did.
2- How the breathing tube wasn't so bad as long as I didn't fight it (I was glad when it was removed).
3- The the foley cath didn't bother me at all.
4- That I had very little chest pain post op.
5- All the needle sticks for sugar levels-every hour on the hour the first day (not to mention receiving insulin).
6- How my right arm was numb and I had that pins and needles feeling, that bothered me more than my chest. I had trouble grasping utensils when eating throughout my stay.
7- I was either too hot or too cold, especially after that first shower, whoa!
8- I was surprised that I had to be readmitted to have my pericardial effusion drained.
9- I was NOT SURPRISED or AMAZED how WONDERFUL the nursing staff were and how attentive they were to my needs!
10 - And the best for last - my first sponge bath!

 

[Judimp]

Any other things I should know - I need the new valve and "cabbage x's 1" also. Looks like all will happen in January. I'm opting for On-X mechanical valve with home INR testing. Any tips on getting ready for big day (dietary etc).

 

[Andrew]

Hi,
I'm on the 8th week post op after a PVR, here are my experiences.

- I was surprised how nervous I was during the days before the op and how calm I became the last day prior the op without having any relaxing pills
- I was surprised that I refused the sleeping aid the nigh before the surgery and I had a good night sleep
- That I was still awake in the operating theatre for a few minutes, and as beeing a technical guy got really interested about the heart-lung machine there and started to ask question about it until I fallen asleep
- That I woke up in the ICU feeling really well and having just a little pain
- How weak my lungs were post op, I needed oxygen for 3 days
- While I was relocated from the ICU to the standard room, my chest drain tubes were moved inside, and starting from that I felt terrible pain and discomfort for each heartbeat and each time I breathed. They couldn't do anything about it, just gave me strong pain killers
- My surgeon told me to stay sitting on the side of the bed instead of laying in order to get the drain tubes out as soon as possible. It was a real suffering, but I kept sitting for the most part of the day, so finally the tubes were removed 24 hours after leaving the ICU
- The chest drain tubes removal was the worst experience and pain I felt during the whole time. It felt like pulling my bowels out. And I had 3 of them, triple the pain!
- I was really surprised to be able to slowly walk out to the toilet without help right after the removal of the drain tubes
- That I started to have a really fast recovery, but 7 days after the surgery I had a fever which lasted for weeks, so I was on IV antibiotics for the following 5 weeks...

 

[yotphix]

I was surprised to feel so calm about the surgery. I remember the waiting room clearly where I was cracking jokes with two cops who were there waiting for a guy they had shot the night before to finish his emergency surgery.
I was surprised that when I woke up in ICU I could hear my mother and wife talking next to my bed but that I couldn't move a muscle, not even an eyelid.
I was surprised that I didn't mind the tube at all, and at how disgusting it was when they took it out. I was also surprised the microseconds after the phlegm and tube came out I said "that's disgusting!" and laughed.
I was surprised to count 13 things sticking out of me. (I can only remember what 12 of them were now)
I was surprised to sit up the next morning, and to walk that afternoon.
I was surprised at how quickly I began to recover, and that after three days they told me if it wasn't the weekend they would let me go home.
I was surprised at how quickly I would fall asleep after a little exercise in the first weeks. I must have had 4 or 5 naps per day.
I was surprised to find that I had, and have a clear memory of everything right up to moving onto the operating table and asking the anaesthesiologist when he thought he might be putting me out, and from first hearing my wife and my mother in ICU.
I never knew that ice chips could be so good either. Two months later when my best friend was in a similar situation I snuck him mass quantities of them when the nurses weren't looking. (This is not advisable because of the choking hazard but hey, he's my friend and he asked for them.)

 

[MarkG87]

I'm 4 days post surgery. Still in hospital, hope to go home tomorrow. I'll update this ar a later time, but a few quick notes.

Suprised by how many Migranes I have been getting in here, have now had 8! Lots of blood sugar tests, but only 1 insulin dose. I'm asthmatic and was told I blew out the highest figure on the spirometer the night of the surgery they had seen, 2500. After the anethesia off I was quickly down to 750, but am back to 3000. Needed lots of ice , water and Sierra Mist the first 35 hours, but water does taste the best. Taste buds still kind of messed up.

 

[normofthenorth]

This is an amazing thread! I think it should be made a "sticky". Some of the comments are a bit scary, some are reassuring, a few are funny -- and LOTS of them are surprises to me, 8 days before surgery and fresh from a day-long pre-admission prep session!!

Insulin! Who knew? Complete turn-arounds in favorite foods, temporary or even permanent!?!

I just asked my anesthesiologist NOT to give me the anti-stress drugs that cause amnesia. I hope I don't regret that later -- AND I hope I don't get all stressed worrying that I will!

(OK, folks, Yes, I DO see that it's ALREADY a sticky! Thanks for being gentle with me!)

 

[pspingmom]

I was surprised how smooth everything went (no complications)
I was surprised to remember being in the OR for quite a while at leasr 30 mins. It was freezing in there, and they were playing loud music. People everywhere.
I was surprised how thirsty I was immediately in ICU. Happy to get ice chips and then my first drink of water.
Surprised how easily the breathing tube came out. I was worried about that one. Just a cough and it was gone.
Also surprised about the insulin shots.
Glad to be on the recovery end now.

 

[normofthenorth]

My surprise -- and a tip that might help some.

My surprise -- and a tip that might help some.

I had a little "challenge" before my breathing tube came out, that included a surprise and a "tip" for people still on their way there:
The surprise was basically that my wife of 15 years and I turn out to terrible at communicating via Charades! We are both quite good with words, and chat in high-speed streamlined code. Not bad at the usual non-verbal snuggling communication, either -- but how DARE you ask such a question?!? But when I was being roused from the OR sedatives, and they were trying to figure out if I could handle the breathing thing without the tube, I developed one message that I believed was ABSOLUTELY VITAL (probably not just to my survival, but to the survival of THE WORLD -- I'm like that!), which I somehow needed to convey to the gathering -- my concerned wife and 3 or 4 Health Pros -- with only the use of my mostly bare fingers and toes.

When my wife tried playing Charades with me, she went WAY faster than I could possibly keep up, and the more frustrated I got, the faster she went. But that meant that by the time I had a chance to nod "Yes" at one of her suggestions, she'd already made a dozen new ones, so there was no way to establish contact.

In fact she actually did tell them a version of what I thought they might need to know -- that I'd only gotten THREE HOURS of sleep the night before my surgery, because I was up crazy late trying to finish and "perfect" a final Argument at the end of a long regulatory hearing I'd been participating in. (OK, probably not my smartest bit of scheduling ever, I admit!) But she said I'd had FIVE hours sleep, and correcting that "five" to "three" THEN became the most important thing in my part of the universe!! (I think I already mentioned that I'm like that! Besides, I can often function reasonably well on five hours, but not three!))

I don't know if I was really in danger from a bad decision, but (a) it felt like I might be and (b) I was feeling so exhausted, much like I was when I rousted myself out of bed, that I really just wanted to go back to sleep, even if it meant keeping that damn tube down my throat!

In a smarter universe, (a) I wouldn't be quite so much of a jerk, and/or (b) Wendy and I would have spent a half-hour practicing communicating some sample messages with only fingers and toes, no words, and/or (c) one of the Health Pros would have walked up to Wendy and said "Ma'am, I know how stressful this must be for you, but I had a 2-hour workshop on this kind of communication in Nursing School (or wherever), would you mind giving me a try?"

In short, communicating that way is not something any of us is born very skilled at. And learning it "on the job" is WAY too hard! But I bet it can be learned, and taught. And for my $0.02, I think it should be taught to the Pros who are involved in OR recoveries with chest tubes.

And it also wouldn't hurt for family members etc. who are going to be there when the patient is snapped out of it, to have practiced a bit first.

Oh, yeah, and the other big surprise from when I first opened my eyes: My brain and perceptions seemed to be roughly 7 seconds behind real time!! E.g., I remember hearing one of the guys tell me sternly NOT to bite the tube in my mouth. And I remember thinking "What on Earth is he talking about, I'm not biting the tube??" And a couple of seconds afterwards, I remember the feeling in my mouth, as I bit (or finally realized I'd bit) the tube -- not once, but TWICE! (That time lag clearly made our Charades harder, and might be something to try to factor into the "workshop" or "practice". )

Psychotropic drugs are weird, for sure!

 

[Lynlw]

Norm, it does get mentioned once in a while but probably should be mentioned more often, and you're right until you've been thru having to communicate on a vent yourself or a family member, you don't realize how tough it can be. I think it is a good idea to have a couple signals practiced over and over to the point you're pretty sure you could literally remeber the signals in your sleep or pretty drugged up. Justin's had a few OHS so we have signals for the basics -how did surgery go, I feel like I'm gagging (which luckily we didn't need to use that signal) and some things from earlier surgeries we knew he wanted but got frustrated no one understood, like some body part itches, please stratch or wiping his face a cool, damp wash cloth ect.

BUT for the most part just having something for the person to write on really works well. I always have a notebook and pen or one of those small white boards with the wipe off markers and even tho the handwriting is messy, with letters written on top of other letters you can usually figure out what he is trying to say. I figured that out after one surgery he was trying to write in the air with his finger (cursive to make it even harder lol) that I had NO clue what he was trying to write. So I got some paper and pen and he could write.
I do not know why the medical personnel don't suggest seeing if they can write.

 

[ski girl]

When I woke up:
I was surprised by how little pain I had
I was surprised that I was completely unbothered by the breathing tube
I was surprised by how thirsty I was
I was surprised by the man next to me who yelled in Chinese all the time, and who I eventually yelled 'shut the f___ up' at in my loudest voice, which thankfully was a whisper and no-one heard

Later:
I am now surprised (week eight post-op) that I have gone off coffee, I just don't like it anymore
I am surprised at how things have gotten SOOOO much better, gradually, and I can't remember exactly when things did get better, they just did
I was surprised at eight weeks post-op on my first ride of my real bike how I was able to ride up a hill I've never been able to ride up before!!!
Mostly I have been surprised at how I want to throttle anyone who tells me to 'take it easy' - I have actually yelled at a few people for that