river-wear
Well-known member
Yesterday I wrote a response and the site made it disappear, so I'll try one more time. (I've been having this problem every other day - where I can't actually post anything.)
Day 1 for me: surgery started late and ended around 5:30pm. My husband and sister were able to see me soon after that. I woke up at about 11pm with nurses telling me to wiggle my toes and pull their hands. I had loose restraints on my wrists and the breathing tube was in. It was removed around 11:30pm and my family left shortly after. My right shoulder was the source of all the pain I noticed - a heating pad later on helped it go away.
I didn't have much interest in stuff for a few days, so I didn't need most of what I took to the hospital. The biggest thing for me was having some pre-moistened face wiipes to wash my face.
By the time I got home I didn't need anything special. It was nice to have plenty of pillows around to get comfortable and take a nap when the urge struck. I had a hard time reading (low interest, blurry vision), so watching movies on TV was nice. Oh, and it's great to have someone to walk with you 1-2x per day. At the beginning I'd say it's a requirement, just for safety in case you get too tired.
As for repair v. replacement, only go for a repair if you find a surgeon who has done a lot of them and keeps up with the latest improvements. Even the early repairs done at Cleveland had a fairly high re-op rate. They're much better now because the methods are continuing to improve.
Day 1 for me: surgery started late and ended around 5:30pm. My husband and sister were able to see me soon after that. I woke up at about 11pm with nurses telling me to wiggle my toes and pull their hands. I had loose restraints on my wrists and the breathing tube was in. It was removed around 11:30pm and my family left shortly after. My right shoulder was the source of all the pain I noticed - a heating pad later on helped it go away.
I didn't have much interest in stuff for a few days, so I didn't need most of what I took to the hospital. The biggest thing for me was having some pre-moistened face wiipes to wash my face.
By the time I got home I didn't need anything special. It was nice to have plenty of pillows around to get comfortable and take a nap when the urge struck. I had a hard time reading (low interest, blurry vision), so watching movies on TV was nice. Oh, and it's great to have someone to walk with you 1-2x per day. At the beginning I'd say it's a requirement, just for safety in case you get too tired.
As for repair v. replacement, only go for a repair if you find a surgeon who has done a lot of them and keeps up with the latest improvements. Even the early repairs done at Cleveland had a fairly high re-op rate. They're much better now because the methods are continuing to improve.
