Do'd and Dont's After Surgery

[Jkm7]

Have they explained how you suffered knee injury during the surgery, Shari? How awful to not only have chest pain from the surgery but knee as well. Who would have expected that?

 

[Shari]

No one explained anything to me.
I had a heart catheterization on the 24th of March and OHS on the 27th of March. I was then rushed back into surgery for a tracheotonmy. I was very drugged up and on a ventilaor.

I even have sleep apnea. I gues I am one sorry mess.

 

[bugchucker]

Hey Shari. Healing is different for everyone. You certainly don't strike me as a "sorry mess", hang in there, use your breathing dealy bob and walk if you can. It will get easier and we are all rooting for you.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Shari,

You SHOULD have received a page of Written Instructions from your Surgeon as your Discharge Papers.

#1 - CALL your Surgeon's Office and ask for a copy of his Discharge instructions, and especially what weight limits he specifies for Pushing / Pulling / Lifting and a Time Table for increasing those limits. Also a time when he thinks you might be able to drive (alone).

The issue with your WALKER may be a BIG ONE as I'm guessing you are putting more than the usual 5 or 10 lbs limit on your arms / walker. You need to discuss this issue with your Surgeon and Physical Therapist.

Your Sternum Pain could Very Well be a result of putting too much weight on your arms and continually disrupting the healing of your sternum. If this is the case, it is a BIG DEAL and needs to be addressed.

Note that the 'usual' time for the Sternum to reach 85% of it's strength is typically 6 weeks with NO excessive forces applied, and 12 weeks to reach 100%.

Bottom Line: Call your Surgeon TODAY.
You need a Clear and Appropriate PLAN for Recovery.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Nancy]

What are they doing for your sleep apnea? Several people on this site have that and some use a C-Pap machine at night which helps a lot.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Shari,

You should have some idea of your Recovery Plan.
The fact that you do not seems to indicate that someone Dropped the Ball somewhere along the line.

Questions:

WHO signed your Release Papers?
(I can't imagine a nurse telling you
"You can go home now" without giving you discharge instructions and requiring your signature, or the signature of someone who would be responsible (e.g. your husband).

Did you have a Follow Up appointment with your Surgeon?

If not, did he discharge you to your Cardiologist to do a Follow Up?

Have you had a Chest X-Ray or Echocardiogram since your surgery?

Has anyone examined or removed stitches from your incision?

As I said before, you need to contact your Surgeon's office about your situation and condition. Also your Cardiologist's office. The sooner, the better.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Shari]

Thank Al I will call on Friday to see if he will mail me my instruction.

Sad part is this is the same surgeon that said I was stubborn because I would not allow a feeding tube put into my stomach.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Shari -

It's difficult to offer you any specific guidance without knowing some more details of your surgery.

It would be helpful to know what type of Valve you received (Tissue or Mechanical?).

Did your surgeon send you home with any New Prescriptions?
In particular it would be useful to know if you were given a prescription for Coumadin or Warfarin which requires regular monitoring.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Shari]

First I use a CPAP with extra oxygen everynight and I am on three litters a day and when I walk in the house, I bump it up to four litters.

I was given the mechanical valve since the aorta was not in to good of shape.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Shari,

Since you have a Mechanical Valve in the Aortic Position,
I want to be sure that you are taking either Coumadin or Warfarin to prevent Blood Clots which can cause strokes.

Do you have your Blood Tested for INR at a Coumadin Clinic or a Doctor's Office or Lab?

Has anyone explained INR to you and what you need to do to be sure that the level of Coumadin (or Warfarin) in your Blood is in the Safe Zone?

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Bina]

Shari, has a home nurse or occupational therapist been offered to you?
I had a home nurse for a few weeks; my incision was needing extra care that my husband and I just couldn't deal with. It was a huge benefit to know that a professional was monitoring my situation.

 

[Maryka]

Gee I am sorry things are so hard! Maybe doing the OHS so close to your heart cath is part of it, huh? (I DO wonder if they performed voo doo rituals on me while I was under anesthesia. About anything could have happened, you know!)

All the people on this list running up stairs--how disgusting! But I have to remember that I have TWO bad knees (which I had before OHS) so I probably will never be able to run up stairs again. Also, I am always carrying heavy stuff as I walk up stairs (like laundry) so that is part of my problem with stairs.

My surgeon told me not to expect to get my energy back for one full year. That is what I tell people who expect too much from me. Also, it turned out that I had this big growth in my throat (caused first from my OHS intubation) that made me feel almost as bad as I had when I went in for OHS. It has been one week since I had my throat operated on and I am amazed that I can breathe easily and feel so well right now. (But run up stairs? Forget about it!)

I guess I would try to pin the doctor down about your knee. Maybe there is a clot or something there? There is no rational explanation about the knee pain.

Poor dear! Hang in there!

 

[Nancy]

What hospital did you have your surgery at? And who was your surgeon?

 

[Ross]

There is total lack of information in this thread. We really need to know answers to all the questions you've been asked. You can't help someone if you don't know what all is wrong.

 

[Shari]

My surgery was done at Kenosha General Hospital in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
My surgeons name is Dr. Stone.
The reasons I cannot answer all of your questions is because I died on the operating table and they brought me back. I stopped breathing even on the ventilator and it was back to surgery for a tracheotomy of which I died again and was brought back.

I am so out of touch with a lot of things. Soplease forgiveif I cannot answer everything.

 

[kfay]

My surgery was done at Kenosha General Hospital in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
My surgeons name is Dr. Stone.
The reasons I cannot answer all of your questions is because I died on the operating table and they brought me back. I stopped breathing even on the ventilator and it was back to surgery for a tracheotomy of which I died again and was brought back.

I am so out of touch with a lot of things. Soplease forgiveif I cannot answer everything.

Sheri, you don't need to ask for our forgiveness. Feeling out of touch with things is pretty common. It will get better. I know I really felt drugged for a good 3-4 months after surgery and then it slowly got better. Even now, one year out, I forget things more than I used to and I'm constantly switching letters and words around when I'm typing. I'm sorry you had such a hard time, but it will slowly get better, just be patient.

Kim

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Shari -

It would help us to better understand your situation if we knew What Medicines you take every day.

Can you list your Medications for us?

 

[Nancy]

Shari-

We are all comcerned for your recovery and want you to have the best healing possible. Along with others, I hope things will move ahead for you.

Al's question is important in understanding what is going on with you. If you can, please list your medications.

Some medications have side effects and that may contribute to some of what you are experiencing. Also, many medications have to be taken just so and some like Coumadin, have to have testing that goes along with it.

 

[hall]

Shari, has a home nurse or occupational therapist been offered to you?
I had a home nurse for a few weeks; my incision was needing extra care that my husband and I just couldn't deal with. It was a huge benefit to know that a professional was monitoring my situation.

Welcome. I think Bina has a great idea. I had home nursing too. At first I thought, oh brother, I do not need this, but they were a great help! Call your doctor and see if he can arrange this. Sounds like it would be very beneficial for you. Maybe nurses could help with letting hubby know that this is not a minor surgery. This is a BIG DEAL! Best of luck to you.

 

[Shari]

Here are my list of new meds.

Here are my list of new meds.

Furosemide
Linsopril
Potassium
Amiodarine

My Old List of Meds I Take
Neurotin
Plaquenil
Imuran
Glimeride
Enalaporil or something like that
Estrogen
Trazodone
Requip
Zoloft
Vicodin