I saw the cardiologist that works with the surgeon who replaced my valves. He says that I have adhesions and traumatic arthritis caused by my surgery. He also said that this is not a real common thing but it is very painful when it does occur. According to him the arthritis may go away by itself within about two years from when I had surgery. But the scar tissue or adhesions , as he called them, will always be there and could always cause some pain and maybe even a problem that may have to be surgically corrected later. For now I take steriods (YUCK!!) and go back to work and get my juniors ready for writing term papers and get my American History and Government students ready for the National "We the People " competition in January.
chest pain caused by scar tissue and arthritis
- Thread starter lcwhitney
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Ross
Well-known member
If your taking Prednisone, make sure that they don't keep you on it for a long term therapy. It does damage to your bones. I've had a total hip replacement because of it. Please beware.
hensylee
Well-known member
Goodness gracious, Ross - bless your heart. What else have you not told us?
Ross
Well-known member
Add some bolts to my neck and let me run around with my shirt off and I'll scare all the villagers away!
J
Jean
Wow! Sure sounds like your chest pains are mega wattage! I guess I'll just shut up about my little twinges! Good luck and I agree with Ross to watch that steroid stuff for long term...it can also mess with your immune system.
hensylee and ross,
you guys are too funny. i actually found myself sitting at my computer, laughing and giggling to myself!
keep it up, it's great to laugh!
-sylvia
you guys are too funny. i actually found myself sitting at my computer, laughing and giggling to myself!
keep it up, it's great to laugh!
-sylvia
M
Mara
whitney-
I had a big old keloid scar and went to the plastic surgeon to get it injected with a drug called kenalog. It was a painfl scar, the injections, which can only be described as agony, have really helped. You should ask a plastic surgeon what can be done. I don't care what my scar looks like, I did not get anyting done to it to make it look pretty, but I had the soreness. It has made a 100% improvement.
Ross-
so now we know.....Dr. Frankenstein's monster, uh huh. It all makes sense now.
I had a big old keloid scar and went to the plastic surgeon to get it injected with a drug called kenalog. It was a painfl scar, the injections, which can only be described as agony, have really helped. You should ask a plastic surgeon what can be done. I don't care what my scar looks like, I did not get anyting done to it to make it look pretty, but I had the soreness. It has made a 100% improvement.
Ross-
so now we know.....Dr. Frankenstein's monster, uh huh. It all makes sense now.
Ross!
Ross!
My goodness Ross. I sure hope you don't ever need to have anything else done surgically. You have certainly been through your share. Take Care and God Bless!
Creed3
Ross!
My goodness Ross. I sure hope you don't ever need to have anything else done surgically. You have certainly been through your share. Take Care and God Bless!
Creed3
Ross,
Unfortunately I know all too well what steroids can do. Before I was diagnosed with pulmonary artery stenosis I was treated for asthma for several years. This treatment included tons of steroids. The main thing these steroids did for me was make my veins fragile and cause me to gain 50 lbs. Since my surgery I have worked too hard to lose the last 30lbs from my steroid days to let anybody get me to stay on these things more than a couple of weeks. I know they can turn your bones to powder and I personally prefer to have my bones intact.
Don't consider yourself a good model for Frankenstein, just consider yourself a very lucky person who is able to find humor in even the worst situations. I have had that image of myself as Frankenstein several times. I spent years dealing with infertility issues and had multiple surgeries prior to my heart surgery. These things are just part of who we are, not what we are.
Lettitia
Unfortunately I know all too well what steroids can do. Before I was diagnosed with pulmonary artery stenosis I was treated for asthma for several years. This treatment included tons of steroids. The main thing these steroids did for me was make my veins fragile and cause me to gain 50 lbs. Since my surgery I have worked too hard to lose the last 30lbs from my steroid days to let anybody get me to stay on these things more than a couple of weeks. I know they can turn your bones to powder and I personally prefer to have my bones intact.
Don't consider yourself a good model for Frankenstein, just consider yourself a very lucky person who is able to find humor in even the worst situations. I have had that image of myself as Frankenstein several times. I spent years dealing with infertility issues and had multiple surgeries prior to my heart surgery. These things are just part of who we are, not what we are.
Lettitia
Scar repair
Scar repair
Mara,
Kenalog is a steroid, as you probably know, and injecting it into my scar would not help much. The scar tissue that is causing me a problem is internal. My external scar tissue is only minimally visible. Most of the scar tissue is inside the chest cavity itself. That is the problem. To try and remove it would just create more scar tissue.
Scar repair
Mara,
Kenalog is a steroid, as you probably know, and injecting it into my scar would not help much. The scar tissue that is causing me a problem is internal. My external scar tissue is only minimally visible. Most of the scar tissue is inside the chest cavity itself. That is the problem. To try and remove it would just create more scar tissue.
M
Mara
Lettitia-
What about something similar to the laser procedure plastic surgeons use to break up tattoos? I think there is a similar laser procedure that is used to break up tough tissue. It might be worth a call to a plastic surgeon to see what is available.
My cardiac surgeon was a heck of a nice guy, and good at heart surgery, but his cosemtic sewing skills were poor. Leaving it up to your regular crew might not yield the results you want.
Massage therapy to ease the arthiritis and help loosen the soft tissue around the scar area?
Watch out for the anti-inflammatories. I am sure you already do though if you had a rough time on steroids.
-Mara
What about something similar to the laser procedure plastic surgeons use to break up tattoos? I think there is a similar laser procedure that is used to break up tough tissue. It might be worth a call to a plastic surgeon to see what is available.
My cardiac surgeon was a heck of a nice guy, and good at heart surgery, but his cosemtic sewing skills were poor. Leaving it up to your regular crew might not yield the results you want.
Massage therapy to ease the arthiritis and help loosen the soft tissue around the scar area?
Watch out for the anti-inflammatories. I am sure you already do though if you had a rough time on steroids.
-Mara
joy
Well-known member
Hey guys, my mom does not have heart disease, but she does have rhuematoid arthritis, and I figured I would post this after reading Ross's post, My mom has had 1 knee replaced, she has to have her feet rebuilt, and her elbow replaced. She has also had 2 thorocotomies, and I think that's it. SHe has emphysema very badly, because she has what they call alpha one anti trypsin deficiency, and was born with non of the particular protein that protects the lungs from harm. ANd she smoked for 20 years. She quit 17 years ago though. Anyways, thought you guys would be in awe of that. SHe's only 52 years old. AMazing woman.
J
John Cochran
Geez, the trials and tribulations people have gone through here are amazing. Ross was right to raise a red flag on steroids (even though sometimes that is the only solution).
I know a surgeon who had a back problem he took steroids for, and he ended up getting necrosis (tissue death) resulting in BOTH hips having to be replaced. He is no longer a surgeon. This side effect is not common, but certainly something everyone who might need to take steroids should be aware of.
--John
P.S. Ross' revelation about his hip surgery confirmed something I already knew about him--he is one of the "hippest" dudes around!
I know a surgeon who had a back problem he took steroids for, and he ended up getting necrosis (tissue death) resulting in BOTH hips having to be replaced. He is no longer a surgeon. This side effect is not common, but certainly something everyone who might need to take steroids should be aware of.
--John
P.S. Ross' revelation about his hip surgery confirmed something I already knew about him--he is one of the "hippest" dudes around!
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Ross
Well-known member
To clarify
I had to be on Prednisone for 5 years. 60mg a day and sometimes I.V. in my second home, the intensive care unit. What John mentioned, the necrosis, is exactly what killed my left femoral head. They decided to take me off of the Prednisone since it was now doing more harm then good. If I have another flare up, they will put me back on Prednisone. They continue to watch for Alpha one Anti-trypsin deficiency, Good Pastures Syndrome, and Wegeners disease. All this with a confirmed diagnoses of: Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis
Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis is a rare childhood (It affects adults also) disease that leads to the deposition of hemosiderin (an iron byproduct of hemoglobin) in the lungs. It is believed to be an auto-immune disease, meaning that the body mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissue and, in so doing, causes major damage. Patients suffer repeated sudden attacks of hemoptysis and dyspnea (difficult breathing).
So now you all know why I fear anyone messing inside my chest and particularly my lungs. I almost forgot-I looked like the Michelin Tire man. The stuff is downright nasty and dangerous.
I had to be on Prednisone for 5 years. 60mg a day and sometimes I.V. in my second home, the intensive care unit. What John mentioned, the necrosis, is exactly what killed my left femoral head. They decided to take me off of the Prednisone since it was now doing more harm then good. If I have another flare up, they will put me back on Prednisone. They continue to watch for Alpha one Anti-trypsin deficiency, Good Pastures Syndrome, and Wegeners disease. All this with a confirmed diagnoses of: Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis
Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis is a rare childhood (It affects adults also) disease that leads to the deposition of hemosiderin (an iron byproduct of hemoglobin) in the lungs. It is believed to be an auto-immune disease, meaning that the body mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissue and, in so doing, causes major damage. Patients suffer repeated sudden attacks of hemoptysis and dyspnea (difficult breathing).
So now you all know why I fear anyone messing inside my chest and particularly my lungs. I almost forgot-I looked like the Michelin Tire man. The stuff is downright nasty and dangerous.
hensylee
Well-known member
Joy - your mother is only a few yrs older than my two daughters and she has been through SO MUCH. We never know how fortunate we are, do we, until we hear of someone like your mom who has been through the mill and still with us! Give her a cyber hug for me. God bless
joy
Well-known member
Ann-Even though my mom has had all that, she still goes out dancing and just actually got remarried on august 9th! I am happy for her that she finally found someone who makes her happy and is a nice guy. She's been married twice before, and the men just treated her badly until Mike came along. He treats her likea woman deserves to be treated. She just had a cortisone shot inher shoulder, and cannot move it much. I hope that this flair up is a short one,but winter is alwasy a hard season for her. She is now on prednison, and percocet. I think maybe this year instead of buying her a jacket for christmas(she likes mine...I awas going to get her one like it), maybe I will get her one of those chair messaging things for when she is at work. She's jusst done so much for my family in the past year, I think she deserves to get repayed. WEll, Take it easy!
