Day -3

[Tirone]

My surgery will be this Tuesday morning (AVR). I'm starting to get more and more nervous, anxious but also glad to have it done soon. This site has been a tremendous help in the past months! I've spent hours reading posts of people from "the other side".
I'm planning to stick to Gymguy's advice and get of pain killers asap, start walking soon and hope to be back in the gym for some easy cardio workouts in 3-4 weeks. Will probably wait a bit longer with pecs :wink2: I'll keep you posted!

 

[Jkm7]

Please don't pre-plan to stop pain killers. You will know when it is time for you to get off them. We are all different.
The fine nurses at Mass General were very clear with me and advised they consider pain control as important to healing after OHS as is temperature and blood pressure control etc Take no more than you need but do not play 'hero'. It can delay your recovery.

Hopefully you will experience the calm many of us describe. Many (including me) report when we cross through the hospital doors, a calm comes over us and we hand ourselves over to the experts. We've made all the hard choices by then and we know 'submit' to the care of the teams we have chosen.

Sending you all best wishes for a successful surgery and bump free, easy recovery. Please let us know how you are doing when you are able.

Godspeed......

 

[Guest]

I certainly agree with Jkm7; the pain meds are there to be used. I began Cardio Rehab five weeks after the AVR surgery and that was soon enough for me. Each time it is a bit easier but it will be a long time before I feel completely straight. I have taken the pain meds occasionally and as I feel the need but will continue to do so as needed.

Don't rush your recovery. Your body will lead you so listen to it. As to the calmness there is certainly that after the surgery is finished. While in the hospital listen to the staff and take it slow. Most especially when you're shown how to get out of bed. The first week is important in the healing process. No fast moves, use your legs to slide out of bed and only when there is someone around to be of help. Any fall will set you back a long ways...

Joe

 

[clay_from_nj]

I'm planning to stick to Gymguy's advice and get of pain killers asap, start walking soon and hope to be back in the gym for some easy cardio workouts in 3-4 weeks.

I never needed pain killers and had to convince my nurses that I wasn't just trying to be tough. You might be in a lot of pain, or somewhere in between. Listen to your body and take what and when you need. And "walking soon"? How about within a day of the surgery? Yeah, you'll be walking soon and as much as you can. Breathe deep; my nurse kept a pulse-ox on me during walks and kept an eye on that percentage. As far as that goes, keep sucking on that spirometer and get your lungs back. By light cardio, I guess you mean something more intense than just walking up and down the hall. I would probably stay away from the elliptical for a little while, but there's no reason you shouldn't be walking or even jogging on the treadmill within a week or so.

 

[neil]

wow walking on a treadmill within a week, i was still trying to get up the stairs in one go lol, joking apart everybody recovers at a different rate, i did mine slow and easy no heroics for me, but then i am a big wuss ha ha

 

[TheGymGuy]

Man are pansies when it comes to pain-killers. Yes, here is a guy telling you that women have a much higher pain tolerance. Anyways, while I agree that pain-killers and pain tolerance are very individual you have to agree that less chemicals in your body is better not worse. Do I take a headache medicine when I have a headache - sometimes, it depends on how bad it is, and if natural remedies do not resolve it. My advice is to take everything at your own pace, but always overachieve by 2-10%. If you overachieve just a tiny bit out of your comfort zone, imagine how much faster and better things will be. Apply this as you see fit

 

[big_L]

Good luck! Just a couple more days. As others have posted, your body will let you know what you can do. Don't try to be a hero with the pain meds. If you let the pain get 'ahead of you', it can be a bear. Take them for a day or two before you start easing up on them. I didn't have much pain, but I wasn't shy about taking them for the first couple of days either.

 

[TheGymGuy]

I am here just pinging Tirone. His surgery was this morning and I cannot wait to see his post and hear his recollection of what went down.

 

[mbeard]

Thinking about you Tirone. So hope you are doing well.

 

[TheGymGuy]

Hey, anyone know which hospital he had his procedure at? He is probably busy recovering and kicking butt. I have his real name and if anyone remember the hospital I will call and try to say hi.

 

[Tirone]

Hello everybody

Had a pretty rough last week and spent 3 days in the ICU because of postop complications.
The good:
I can't remember anything about the day of surgery, including the extubation.
My sternum never hurt. Breathing and even coughing were no problem at all.
I was very glad about iv morphines in the ICU but now at POD 7 I don't need pain killers anymore.
I wasn't bothered by the chest tubes at all.
The removal of lines and tubes wasn't painful, just a little burn. I was expecting it to be much worse.
The little steps you make forward every day!

The bad:
I suffered from nausea during the first couple of days, though never had to vomit.
Felt like hit by a truck and was very, very tired.
The constant ligths and noise in the ICU
Shortness of breath while in the ICU
Having to sleep on my back, which among others led to severe upper back pain.

Overall I'm glad to have it done and to be on the otherside! It wasn't an easy walk, but it also wasn't as bad as expected!

 

[TheGymGuy]

Woohoo, this deserves a new post with more details. I know newbs here love reading this stuff.

 

[clay_from_nj]

Awesome to hear your doing so well, Tirone! It's also awesome to hear that the items in your "bad" list are all the ordinary stuff, and nothing "really" bad.