Anxiety after surgery??

[Lauratx22]

Hello!

I am wondering if other people feel the same. After surgery, I came out thinking "How long is my repair going to last?" and "I need to see an echo now to see that no leakage is really going on?" just a bunch of anxiety and it's slowed down but it's in the back of my mind. How do you soothe yourself on the anxiety and how do you get over it?

Thank you!

 

[Greg a]

Laura, I know that you have seen it ad nausium here in the forums but one of the best ways to get on with life is to get into .............YES a CARDIAC REHAB.....challenge your self there under thye watchful eyes of staff who "have seen it all before" and are there to tailor make recomondations for you and you are standing or walking or riding or rowing or .........beside others facing many of the same issues:thumbup:

 

[Mentu]

Laura, anxiety and depression are common before heart surgery. They are also common following heart surgery. When I learned that surgery was about a month away, my family doctor recommended that I begin taking an antidepressant to begin dealing with this problem before it got out of hand. She also suggested a book that I found helpful. At Amazon, you can get a used copy for as little as $0.76. The title is

Coping with Heart Surgery and Bypassing Depression: A Family's Guide to the Medical, Emotional and Practical Issues

A link to Amazon.com is:

http://www.amazon.com/Coping-Heart-Surgery-Bypassing-Depression/dp/1887841075

Greg mentioned the benefits of Cardiac Rehab. I cannot say enough good things about my experience there. You are monitored continuously while you are there which can be very helpful if you have concerns about how well your heart is functioning. The nurse-physiologists who run the program watch how your heart is performing and alter your exercise program as needed. Also, they are an excellent source of information. Laura, these people have helped hundreds and sometimes thousands of people recover from heart surgery. They know how to keep you safe as you redevelop stamina and strength. By the time you have finished the program, you once again have confidence in your body and that your heart is working normally again. The exercise itself will leave you sleeping better and feeling like yourself again. It is also very nice, Laura, to exercise with a group of people who know exactly what you have been through because each of them has had a similar experience.

Laura, you are in charge of your recovery. There are things you can do to feel better and to feel less anxious. Call your doctors and discuss how you want to continue your recovery.

Larry

 

[Jkm7]

Mentu,
You mentioned that book in the past and I purchased it. I am reading it now...... four years post op my second surgery and feel even now it is helpful. I haven't learned very much that is new to me (yet) but I'm not even half through the book but it reminded me of things I had forgotten.

I think it a useful resource.
Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[jdlouth]

I'm six weeks post op and have had some of those exact thoughts. I am going for my cardiac rehab eval on Thursday and can't wait. As with what Mentu said my eval has four cardiology staff members and during rehab the hospital has you hooked to telementray and is staff by cardiac nurses who can address any concernre. I'm starting two weeks late due to a slight bump in the road but I'm so looking forward to starting. You should ask your cardio about this at your next visit.

 

[nngbwh]

I was like you after surgery. You are still healing give it some time don't worry.

 

[bradvo]

Exercise seemed to get my head strait, I never made it to rehab since I felt I could exercise for a 1/2 hour each day without help...not recommending this , it just worked for me.
I could tell if I missed a couple days, I would begin to feel down, was amazed what a 35-40 minute walk would do to help me think positive thoughts.

Brad

 

[Ovie]

I'll be checking that book out, I've had some post surgery depression, pretty bad to be honest, I expect it after also, thank you for that information.

 

[epstns]

I'll second Larry's comments about cardiac rehab. My cardio and I duscussed rehab. He said that although he doubted that I needed rehab to "heal" (I was sort of a gym rat right up until surgery), he felt that it would do me worlds of good emotionally. I never gave it a second thought, I just said "Sign me up!"

I formed a very close bond with all of the members of the rehab technical team. They were wonderful, being very supportive yet pushing me to do more than I thought I could. They were right -- I could do so much more than even I thought I could. I am now nearing my first anniversary and I'm doing almost everything I used to do a couple of years before surgery. (I'm now power-walking rather than running. After 30+ years of running, my knees have had enough of the impact.) In a closely monitored situation I learned that my newly repaired heart will not break if I work it hard. In fact, done properly, working the heart makes it stronger.

The other patients in my rehab class became my cheering section, as we all did for each other. We became close, sharing life stories and many, many jokes. I guess I was nominated "class clown" for all the jokes I kept bringing to rehab. We had a ball, all the while getting healthier. It was a very uplifting experience. Don't miss it -- you've earned it!

 

[Mentu]

Sorry for stepping into the stream a second time. Reading Steve's comments made me recognize that when I've spoken of Cardiac Rehab I have not emphasized how much I liked doing it. CR was not some drudgery that I had to attend where I watched the clock and prayed every day for it to be over. Steve put it better. It turned out to be a joyful experience. The friendships that developed helped make it fun and I looked forward to being there. The atmosphere was infectious; not only do you see yourself heal but you see those around you healing also. It was, indeed, a "very uplifting experience".

Larry

 

[Lauratx22]

Just got the book Mentu and I CANNOT put it down! Awesome book! Thank you so much for the recommendation!

 

[Tom Berning]

I'm also going to weigh in on the positive effects of cardiac rehab. I wasn't going to do it, I thought it was for "old people" with heart disease. I thought I could get back into shape all by myself but my cardio talked me into going and I'm glad he did. It's not like going to boot camp, the staff builds an exercise program for you that gets you going without overdoing it, which is what I would have done on my own. The facility is full of people who have had OHS. At the facility I attend the rehab staff is great and I actually look forward to my sessions. Exercise is good for your emotional side also.

 

[normofthenorth]

+1 to all the above! I've never been a gym rat, but I've been a volleyball and bicycling and skiing . . . "rat" for a long time. That made me unusual in my Cardio Rehab group, but the staff accommodated me remarkably well. After I changed days (and "classes", to fit my schedule better), I ended up with a RN supervisor who was even a volleyball player! She and I eventually got me into a volleyball-like Interval Training routine on the stationary bike (using my HR monitor) that suited me and my needs to a "T". Now, 14+ months post-op, I'm back to playing flat-out competitive volleyball, including 2-on-2 beach and 4-on-4 full-court court ball, all with players 30 and 40 years my junior(!). The cardio program (including 3 stress-echo-EKGs) got me back at a reasonable pace, and with more confidence than I ever could have had without it. And yes, I also looked forward to the sessions!

And as Tom and others have mentioned, all the studies now show that physical activity decreases stress and anxiety, etc. My CR program expected us to exercise for around 45 minutes (plus warmup and cooldown) FIVE days a week, so it was a lot of physical activity -- all of it reported to the medical staff weekly, including beginning and ending heart rates, Relative Physical Exertion levels, etc. They also prescribed and requested ~3/wk sessions of resistance (weight) training.

 

[Bill B]

Again, another vote for cardiac rehab. I did it for 12 weeks with great results and also loved the staff. Then I thought I could continue on my own, but that just did not happen. I gained 20 lbs and my blood pressure went out of control. I went back to rehab and lost the 20 in 2 months and got things under control again. The point is, rehab is SCHEDULED, even after you graduate from the basic 12 weeks. I was not disciplined enough to go to the gym or otherwise exercise. In rehab, they expect you to be there according to a schedule, and that works for me.

All that said, it is hard not to worry at times if you are REALLY doing OK. Although I have been over all very happy and have tons of energy to do what I want, I still wonder if I'm going to do well in the long haul. Since this was my first encounter with a major health issue, I had walked around most of my life feeling rather invincible. This problem and the surgery shattered that illusion. We are mere mortals, fragile and vulnerable. People like me spend most of their lives blissfully ignoring that and find it hard to reconcile our mortality when we are finally confronted with it. So, I think it is normal for events like this to provide an undercurrent in our lives that is difficult to deal with. On one hand I am grateful for the miracle of modern medicine that saved my life, but on the other hand I am aware of its potential pitfalls and complications and wonder if and when one will rear up and affect me. It's understandable and needs to be addressed. I spent a fair amount of time with my very patient cardiologist in the last visit going over some of these concerns, and it really helped me.

 

[D.C.]

Another vote for rehab. Rehab calmed me a lot. After my sessions I would feel great for hours and look forward to the next one. Being a type A person, it was very good for me to go thru rehab to hold me back. I always think if a little is good a lot must be that much better. NOT always so.

But it did get me thinking about my physical being. I finished rehab and went and joined a gym the same day. Have been going for the last 3 and 1/2 years. Love every minute. Still have to remember I am NOT 20!! Have a few limitations but try to work around them. The best day at the gym was when a friend asked if I had overheard the 2 20 somethings talk about the OLD guy with the big weights on the leg press machine. It gave and still does give my heart joy to think about that.

Also I always like to think about all the things I can do now with no pain or shortness of breath. The doctor gave me 2 limitations. Don't shovel heavy snow(THANKS!!!) and keep my heart rate within reason. Anything else go for it. There are always the what ifs. I can't control those so try not to worry about them.