Biggest Suprises

[67walkon]

The one I tell people about the most is the lack of chest pain.

I had no pain to speak of in my sternum. Ever.
My shoulder blades hurt for a few days--that surprised me.
Shuffling a few steps the day after surgery was harder than I expected because I was in good shape.

The best surprise was to learn how many people cared about me, prayed for me and visited me. It's pretty hard to feel real sorry for yourself when you don't have much pain and know so many people really, really care about you.

John

 

[Bina]

Bad surprises:

1) Waking up intubated, getting whacked with morphine seconds later.....
2) Back pain, rib pain
3) Removal of staples was not fun
4) 16 days in hospital, SVT, wacky INR
5) 6 weeks of being housebound with nursing care

Good surprises:

1) no incision pain
2) my friend asking her pastor to visit me in hospital, and having her whole church pray for me.
3) coming home to pages of phone messages with best wishes.
4) hubby doing all housework and shopping.
5) neighbour made our suppers for 9 weeks.
6) daughter and neighbour looking after pets and plants.

 

[Ross]

That I could spell, but could not write. I knew numbers, but could not dial a phone. I could not walk and had to relearn all of it.

 

[blessed1416]

2nd surgery surprise

2nd surgery surprise

Good thread...I've had 2 surgeries, the first was an attempted repair, then it failed...2nd was to replace my mitral valve. I thought I was ready, been there, done that kind of attitude. Boy, was I wrong!! When arriving at the hospital the 2nd go round, they immediately put me in CICU!! Hey, I wasn't even sick!! I sure didn't want to see all those sick patients. The nursing staff informed me that the surgeon wanted my heart to rest for at least 24 hours prior to surgery, so I needed a "balloon pump" inserted in order to do this. It was a horrible procedure!! Then, I had to wait in CICU for my surgery, watching all those poor people intubated and I wasn't even medicated. Extremely stressful. From what I understand, this was standard procedure for a redo, I just don't like surprises!!!

 

[kman]

1.tHAT THERE WAS NO PAIN REMOVING THE CHEST TUBES
2, THAT THE BREATHING TUBE DIDNT MAKE ME LOSE IT
3.THAT IM ALLERGIC TO THE TAPE THEY USE TO HOLD EVERYTHIND IN PLACE AND IM COVERED WITH WELTS AND BLISTERS THAT ITCH AND BLEED
4.HOW EMOTIONAL i GET WHEN IT COMES TO THE IMPORTANT STUFF

 

[donnamarie]

Great thead!

Great thead!

My biggest surprises were the thirst on waking up (felt like the Sahara desert in my mouth); no tubes down throat when woken up; that I don't remember a darn thing from my 3 shifts in the ICU except the nurses names; when I woke up in the middle of my 2nd night with extreme pain in ribs and more pain with every breath. It was great that when they took out the tubes it didn't hurt - hurt like hell when I had my mastectomy, so I was expecting the same pain. The back pain I am still experiencing! The best surprise was how incredibly nice every single person was that I came into contact with at the hospital. I cry everytime I think of it.

 

[Freddie]

Pre-Op

Pre-Op

The first BIGGEST surprise is when I told in the ER that I NEEDED surgery
2nd - even though I was feeling like myself again they were going to admit me for the week
3rd - How calm I was (came this() close on not signing the consent forms)
4th - How calm I was in the "holding area" just before surgery

Post-Op
1 - How sore my throat was
2 - Getting the drainage tubs removed - I cried blue murder
3 - Feeling no pain in my chest, but seeing the stitches were shocking. I remember saying to myself "damn it he did it anyways". (I'm still in denial)
4 - Back and tail bone pain was the most painful and still is today
5 - How I couldn't walk
6 - after coming home I couldn't even wipe the kitchen counter
7 - How emotional I was and maybe still am

 

[INRtest]

When I came to, post-op I had many surprises.

I was especially surprised that I was in a hospital. had been in the hospital for 5 wks. I was also surprised that I was barely coherent (perhaps I didn't know that);
Had survived OHS (barely);
Didn't have the strength to move my feet, turn-over; hold a pen; open my right eye;
I was hooked up to an I.V that beeped constantly.

Second set of surprises occurred when I became coherent enough to understand that I couldn't swallow properly so I had a feeding tube and nothing by mouth.

Third biggest surprise came almost 1 yr. post-surgery when I realized that aside from some scars, a coumadin "habit" and clicking in my chest, I'm in as good or better shape than I was before I got sick and I lead a normal life again.

 

[plexxer]

I think the biggest surprises for me were that they almost shaved me completely, and that my suture was "glued" back together, not stitched nor stapled. It is healing very quickly and nicely, too.

 

[hensylee]

When I came to, post-op I had many surprises.

I was especially surprised that I was in a hospital. had been in the hospital for 5 wks. I was also surprised that I was barely coherent (perhaps I didn't know that);
Had survived OHS (barely);
Didn't have the strength to move my feet, turn-over; hold a pen; open my right eye;
I was hooked up to an I.V that beeped constantly.

Second set of surprises occurred when I became coherent enough to understand that I couldn't swallow properly so I had a feeding tube and nothing by mouth.

Third biggest surprise came almost 1 yr. post-surgery when I realized that aside from some scars, a coumadin "habit" and clicking in my chest, I'm in as good or better shape than I was before I got sick and I lead a normal life again.

goodness - you had a close call. Sounds kinda like Ross. Glad you are still among us and happy. Blessins.......

 

[Kandice]

3 weeks post op

3 weeks post op

I made it to the 3 weeks !!! Thats a big surprise, some of my most surprising moments are:

Fragmented memory during the first 3 days. But also continued some memory lapses since but that seems to be improving.

Pain during the first week and the back pain.

Right breast and axila numbness,, surgeon said with the thoracatomy approach that going through muscle and nerves causes this, suppose to get better.

kandice

 

[donnamarie]

I made it to the 3 weeks !!! Thats a big surprise, some of my most surprising moments are:

Fragmented memory during the first 3 days. But also continued some memory lapses since but that seems to be improving.

Pain during the first week and the back pain.

Right breast and axila numbness,, surgeon said with the thoracatomy approach that going through muscle and nerves causes this, suppose to get better.

kandice

Kandice - I was glad to read about the breast pain - I have it too. My right breast is very sore - I had a huge bruise on the inside, so I thought they were just pushing it out of the way. The top of my arms are sore too. I'm just 12 days out - still exhausted!

 

[Isis]

Biggest Surprises:

1) How alert and well I felt when I woke up in the ICU. No pain, fully awake and coherent, no breathing tube. That is until they gave me a pain killer or something and shortly afterward I was out. I woke up the next morning out of ICU in a regular room.

2) How well I felt on the first day after surgery. Was walking the halls without assistance.

3) Feeling even better on the morning of day two post surgery. They let me take a shower around mid day and I put a lot of effort in trying to scrub off the yellow glue like film covering my skin. Then surprised how tired I felt in the afternoon and into the next day; probably due the long, warm shower and scrubbing effort.

4) How easy and pain free it was when the two drainage tubes were removed from my chest.

So, for the most part I had an easy recovery except for some fluid build around my left lung in the hospital and again at home around week three.

5) Oh and one more thing; from the time I had my pre-surgery tests (the day before surgery) to approximately week 4 post surgery I had 15 chest x-rays. Nine of them after returning home; from the cardiologist, PCP, and pulminologist. That can be too good for you
And I have two more to do in mid December to verify the fluid build up has cleared, which I believe it has.

 

[wes]

cognitive function

cognitive function

wow, it's great to see so many wonderful responses, and I hope all of the pre-op people are taking diligent notes!

i just realized another big surprise.....i misspelled surprise on the thread title!!!!!! pumphead?

i did notice my decreased cognitive ability while in ICU. I seem to remember, shortly after they pulled out the breathing tube, I started going on some verbal rampage that was neither in English nor Japanese! I'm sure I really freaked out the ICU nurses - thank you morphine! I also remember around that same time, losing consciousness and waking up lord-knows how much later, feeling very, very calm and relaxed. My only only guess is that they must've put some Propofol in my IV, or conked me over the head to make me shut up. My wife tells me my hands were not tied down when she saw me in ICU, and I do remember squirming like an earthworm and coughing a lot when they took out the breating tube. Maybe I tried to pull it out prematurely? I distinctly remember that immediately after the tube came out, I wasn't breathing, and told myself, you have to start breathing on your own! and I did! I have to ask the nurses if they have surveillance cams in the ICU. I'd love to see a video of myself so I can determine exactly what happened. My wife & parents visited me in ICU while I was still unconsciousness.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

How great I felt immediately, both physically and emotionally!

Definitely the length of the chest tubes.

The horizontal scar was also a surprise because when the surgeon and I had discussed it at my first appointment, he said he had done them for aortic valves, but not mitrals, and wasn't sure it would be possible. Guess he did his research in the month prior to my surgery!

That they didn't demand that I leave the hospital in a wheelchair or an escort. I just rode the elevator down and walked out with my husband.

That the wires in the sternum might move and have to be removed down the road.