Bit of a scare today.

[Ovie]

Well today was the day I was too leave the city I've come up to have my OHS done. It's been 1 week today since surgery, I've been in a hotel since Monday due to my dad getting tests done while we were up here. Anyways had a good sleep last night, my back is sore from not moving in the night, but I'm feeling good. So I get to packing this morning and I'm probably pushing myself a little too hard, moving things a little too heavy for me, I ended up sitting down on my bed feeling exhausted, I sat there for 20-30 minutes while I waited to leave and about 20 mins after sitting down I feel a tingling in my left hand on my pointer and middle finger, kind of disregarded it than I noticed all my fingers were tingling and slowly but sure going numb, I was telling myself something is really happening, and walked through the door connected to my dad and stepmothers room and they were packing and I told them my left hand is going numb and as I'm telling them this it's really going now, my dad gets up and we rush to the car to go to the ER, thankfully we were across the street, but as were driving my left hand was complete dead weight, it was completely numb. I didn't know if it was going to continue down my arm, I didn't know if this was the start of a stroke. We got to the hospital and I was rushed through to the ER on a wheelchair, we explained to the doormen that I was a week out of heart surgery.

As I was being put in the ER room I started gaining feeling back in my hand and had full feeling back before the ER doctor even showed up. A doctor I saw while in the hospital after my surgery came down and spoke to me and didn't really know what it was, other than maybe nerves in my arms or shoulders healing maybe caused something strange to happen? Other than that, blood tests were ok, chest x-rays were good. Everything ended up being ok, 6 hours in the ER (they lost my blood so had to have it drawn twice) but left scratching my head wondering what had happened causing completely turning my hand numb and making me an emotional wreck.

I was really looking forward to going home today and getting out of a hotel room, but we ended up staying the night because it was so late after getting out. I shouldn't of pushed myself as hard as I did but for only my left hand going numb? Anybody know or have their own opinion on what could of happened? It was a wreck of a day to say the least, I know this is one of those bumps in the road, but I don't know how many of those I can have, mentally I just feel weak now and anxious.

Anyways just thought I'd share this and get some insight.

Thanks.

 

[D.C.]

Hang in there. Hope all is OK now. And by the way NO lifting. I was told not to lift more than a plate full of food.

 

[Ovie]

Yeah. My dad and step mom were lovingly upset with me, but I just moved in with them
And have a habit of having to do everything myself, they made it very clear that I watch myself, it'll take some getting use to asking for help on minor tasks, but will be good after today's scare.

Thanks D.C.

 

[Bill B]

I've had a few odd things like this as well, but they have always passed in 10-15 minutes. I even had one leg that would get super cold while sitting in a chair, while the other one was fine, as if one leg had lost circulation, but as there was no pain or other signs of trouble, I just observed it and it evntually stopped doing that.

 

[bbuck]

Ovie,
I had something similar happen a week after my cardiac cath. My right arm "went to sleep" and I lost strength in it. Originally they thought a mini stroke, but all MRI's showed negative and about a month later I had an MRI of my upper back/neck. Turns out it was a pinched nerve. Mine had lasted about 3 hours. I see you say your back was sore from not moving while sleeping. Maybe its a pinched nerve like mine was?
Hope all goes well from here on out.

 

[Ovie]

That's what I was kind of thinking bbuck, what did you end having to do to get rid of it?

 

[Cooker]

Rule # 1 ... don’t over do, period ... and, you can expect more “weird” feelings and sensations ... they spread you open and pulled, stretched and maybe ripped some muscles ... It takes a long time to fully heal from this surgery ... do yourself a favor and don’t freak over everything ... If something serious is happening you will know it ... good luck ... relax ...

 

[Ovie]

At what point do you decide that it's not worth going to the hospital for?

 

[bbuck]

I was not able to get rid of it. It's not as bad, bit I still get the feeling its falling asleep, I found out after an mri that I have some bulging discs, as far as your second question, I would and will go in whenever I think I should, its better to go in and have them decide its nothing to worry about than to not go in when you should have

 

[escargome]

Oh Ovie, come on now. Slow down. I know you are accustomed to taking care of yourself. But you need to indicate you need help. It likely was like bbuck said, a "pinched nerve" You had not been moving your back and neck and arms very much, then suddenly you are moving them all at the same time in most likely a rushed fashion, so those muscles and nerves yelled out "Wait A Minute". I know that it is hard to tell what is a situatiion to get medical help and what is just plain old your body trying to adjust to the big hit it took, but if you take it slow, don't lift, push, pull or strain, your should continue to heal well. The healing is a slow process so take it a little more carefully. As I used to tell my son when he was younger "No babe, you are not 10 feet tall and bullet proof". Of course this was said while we were on on way to the ER cause he can either cut, burned, or smashed something. Anyway, keep up the healing and recovery. Soon all this will be a thing of the past.

 

[Bill B]

Ovie: If it were due to local ischemia from a clot, there would be pain and other signs. So, don't worry about that. I know it's hard for us lay people to make the distinction between something odd but inconsequential, like what just happened to you, and something more serious, but that's what you have to try to do. During "business hours", call your cardiologist's office, once you are back home and have that established, if there are any further anomalies you don't understand. They should have a nurse or physcian's assistant handling this, if not the doctor, and that usallly works out very well. Baring that, if something does happen, find out where the best "urgent" care place covered by your insurance is located. They can be very effective for bothersome but not life-threatening events. I'll echo that you need to start focusing on enjoying your new healthy valve and learn to identify what's serious and what's just some odd aches and pains from recovery. Hang in there, buddy. Do some walking every day. Do some pure relaxing, naps. Don't lift anything over 10 lbs or whatever they told you for several weeks. But otherwise, just appreciate your new lease on life.

 

[SusQ]

Ovie, it's always better to treat a pinched nerve as a stroke/TIA/clot, than a stroke/TIA/clot as a pinched nerve. At worst you get some extra tests, a few hours/night in the ER and maybe an additional dose of aspirin. If it doesn't wake back up right away when you move around, go in.

 

[bradvo]

I was extremely cautious in the early stages, the thought of opening the scar or hurting the sternum was my motivation.
It may have paid off as I have had nothing that made me want to go to ER. I had plenty of weird feelings and pains, I think joining this site prepared me for most from reading all the other experiences.
Ovie, the doctor and the PA's tell it like it is, do like they say and you will be fine, it's time to be a good patient.