First night home from surgery

[mwedlake]

Only couple of hours sleep. Everytime I lay down I get anxious and feel like I'm choking. Thought someone had left the vacuum cleaner on till I realized it's just my heart pumping. I thought hot flashes were bad but they have nothing on the cold sweats I've had since surgery!

Just have to keep doing my spirometer and walking at it will all get better, right?

 

[Bill B]

Yeah, I sure had a lot of trouble falling asleep for the first week. I had some sensations of tightness in my neck and I experienced some startle reactions that would wake me up as soon as I started to drift off. I absolutely needed a sedative/antianiety pill for a few nights (which I had never needed or taken before), but after a few night of some reasonable drug-assisted sleep, I started to relax on my own and never took those drugs again. Also, my heart raced in the 90s post-op. That really bothered me. POUND, POUND, POUND! The surgeons prescribed metoprolol when I complained about it in the hospital and that really helped. Once it dropped into the 80s things felt much more relaxed. Eventually it returned to my baseline HR of 60.

Yes, it gets better. But like you, I had some problems that bothered me a lot at first but proved to be transient.

 

[Greg a]

........................
Just have to keep doing my spirometer and walking at it will all get better, right?

You hav e THAT right ....welcome to the good side of the mountain .....rest walk rest walk.............you get the idea

 

[Jeff Edmonton]

The hospital is like a security blanket, being home is a good thing! Sounds like the same symptoms I was having, 1 month now and still hard to sleep at night but getting better, much better!

 

[nngbwh]

Must be nice to be home. Give it some time it will get better. Try to get some rest and DON'T overdo yourself.

 

[epstns]

I, too, had anxiety and difficulty breathing at first. In my case, we believe it was due to excess fluid retention. Are your ankles or legs swollen? I'm now on daily lasix, which helped to dissipate the fluid and I can sleep in a normal bed - I just use extra pillows.

Hang in there - it has to get better, doesn't it?

 

[mwedlake]

Thats what I keep telling myself, Steve! And I sure dont have as many complications to deal with as most on this forum. They do think a lot of mine is from fluid retention. I am also on daily lasix although im no really swollen Go for blood test tomorrow to check iron levels. I was borderline needing a transfusion and they decided to give it a few days to see if it will come up just taking some iron tabs.

 

[Mentu]

I am glad to hear you are home. What Steve said about the hospital serving as a security blanket is something most of us feel. When my surgeon told me it was time to go home my first thought was "but it is too soon". I have never understood the business with the night sweating. I am still experiencing it some at a year and a half post-op but it is getting better. Mine start between 03:00 and 05:00 in the morning. So, one day at a time, one walk at a time and make the spirometer your close friend. Take care.

Larry