Hello & BAV Replacement Scheduled

[Chuck C]

Hi Timmay.

1) When did any of you "work from home" desk jockeys actually start returning to work (part-time from home)?

I was able to work from from home immediately. I even returned all my business emails the day after surgery in ICU and made a business call.

2) Is it too optimistic of me to think that I could be lounged back in a recliner (or on sofa), laptop in my lap, and just low-stress computer work 2 weeks after surgery (part-time)?

This seems totally doable. As noted in my answer to your first question, I started remote working from the hospital. First day in ICU I just did email and a phone call. By the next day I probably put about 1-2 hours in remotely. By day 3 I was able to get everything done I needed to, phone calls, emails, in between the vital checks and blood draws. They had a nice recliner and it worked great.

I was thinking I might be able to work for an hour. Sleep. Work for an hour. Sleep. Lather, Rinse, and Repeat.

That was very much how it was for me. I was not putting in multiple hour stretches by any means. I would just check emails during the day and respond accordingly and return client phone calls when it was convenient for me. I was still able to get plenty of rest.

FWIW, I'm back to working out and making gains quickly (as always).

I would keep that up. It will help your recovery.

 

[Timmay]

Thanks Chuck and pellicle! Seems that I got both sides of the coin - which is totally fine because we will respond differently as individuals.

Pell said "the rest of those is unrealistic and based on you never having had this sort of whack out before"
Chuck said "I was able to work from from home immediately. I even returned all my business emails the day after surgery in ICU and made a business call."

Here's to hoping that I might be in the middle somewhere (lol). That said, I will take it slooooooow.

Thanks again.

 

[d333gs]

I was at my computer (working and social media) the second week post op BUT I stayed 3 weeks at a rehab. There, on a daily basis, waking an hour, stationary 1/2 Hr, and light stretching and breathing an Hr a day became the focus. In the second month, I was at home and the routine became more difficult to maintain . Take advantage of anyone that offers to walk with you daily . If you don't have a bike at home, then walk two times a day.........and try to break a sweat!

 

[d333gs]

Hi Chuck. What kind of incision did you have?

 

[KLS39]

And thanks so much for the info on the INR. I was reading here already about that so the reminder is great and, yea, I’ll definitely be back with questions. If you have a particular place I should start with developing a REALISTIC understanding of how I should manage it on my own, let me know. The main thing I am seeing is “Dose the diet. Don’t diet the dose.”

Any thoughts on best INR monitoring machine?
Thanks again everyone.

I have the Coagsense and if I had been on this forum sooner or if I was able to choose a different machine I probably would have. The Coagsense requires you to prick your finger, get a good sample, collect it in a thin flimsy tube and get the sample in the machine in 15 seconds. It took me months to master it. I use dental floss not a rubber band and that has been a great help. I also have anywhere from a .3 to .5 discrepancy with the lab I used in the first 8 months but I am fine with that since the lab is always higher. I can be at a 1.9 at home and know it is actually a 2.2 to 2.4.

 

[Timmay]

Well - Tomorrow early AM is the big day. I'll make a new post in the Post Surgery forum when I can get back online. HUGE thanks to @pellicle for all of his off-forum assistance and chit chat. Also big thanks to everyone who has replied and those who have offered to help. This community is a God-send (for the believers) and a Incredibly Wonderful Find (for the others). You all do great work here.

I am going into this surgery as prepared as I think I could be. From valve choice ... to what to expect before and after ... to threads of hope (TheGymGuy, Chuck C, etc). Just awesome.

I already have my CoaguChek and test strips. All from ebay. Found a nice Multi-Meter hard case on Amazon that fit everything beautifully. Experimented with different lances to find what works for me. Used the 'ol dental floss method and voila! Success on the first try. In fact, I have used it twice to practice and was able to easily get enough blood and use it correctly without wasting a $6 test strip. Sweet.

Tim

 

[Dano64]

Godspeed!

 

[Chuck C]

Well - Tomorrow early AM is the big day. I'll make a new post in the Post Surgery forum when I can get back online. HUGE thanks to @pellicle for all of his off-forum assistance and chit chat. Also big thanks to everyone who has replied and those who have offered to help. This community is a God-send (for the believers) and a Incredibly Wonderful Find (for the others). You all do great work here.

I am going into this surgery as prepared as I think I could be. From valve choice ... to what to expect before and after ... to threads of hope (TheGymGuy, Chuck C, etc). Just awesome.

I already have my CoaguChek and test strips. All from ebay. Found a nice Multi-Meter hard case on Amazon that fit everything beautifully. Experimented with different lances to find what works for me. Used the 'ol dental floss method and voila! Success on the first try. In fact, I have used it twice to practice and was able to easily get enough blood and use it correctly without wasting a $6 test strip. Sweet.

Tim

Best of luck for your procedure Timmay! Please keep us posted on how things went for you as soon as you feel able to. We'll see you on the other side!

 

[pellicle]

and was able to easily get enough blood and use it correctly without wasting a $6 test strip. Sweet.

That in itself had got to be some sort of record.

Wishing you an uneventful procedure and event free recovery

 

[KLS39]

Best wishes!!!

 

[user 15848]

Best wishes !

 

[DJ-Rae09]

Well - Tomorrow early AM is the big day. I'll make a new post in the Post Surgery forum when I can get back online. HUGE thanks to @pellicle for all of his off-forum assistance and chit chat. Also big thanks to everyone who has replied and those who have offered to help. This community is a God-send (for the believers) and a Incredibly Wonderful Find (for the others). You all do great work here.

I am going into this surgery as prepared as I think I could be. From valve choice ... to what to expect before and after ... to threads of hope (TheGymGuy, Chuck C, etc). Just awesome.

I already have my CoaguChek and test strips. All from ebay. Found a nice Multi-Meter hard case on Amazon that fit everything beautifully. Experimented with different lances to find what works for me. Used the 'ol dental floss method and voila! Success on the first try. In fact, I have used it twice to practice and was able to easily get enough blood and use it correctly without wasting a $6 test strip. Sweet.

Tim

good luck mate!

 

[d333gs]

Hi Timmay.



I was able to work from from home immediately. I even returned all my business emails the day after surgery in ICU and made a business call.



This seems totally doable. As noted in my answer to your first question, I started remote working from the hospital. First day in ICU I just did email and a phone call. By the next day I probably put about 1-2 hours in remotely. By day 3 I was able to get everything done I needed to, phone calls, emails, in between the vital checks and blood draws. They had a nice recliner and it worked great.



That was very much how it was for me. I was not putting in multiple hour stretches by any means. I would just check emails during the day and respond accordingly and return client phone calls when it was convenient for me. I was still able to get plenty of rest.



I would keep that up. It will help your recovery.

Hi Chuck,
What kind of incision did you have?

 

[Chuck C]

Hi Chuck,
What kind of incision did you have?

I had a mini sternotomy. The incision was about 3.5 inches at the top of my sternum.

 

[bizinsider]

I was at my computer (working and social media) the second week post op BUT I stayed 3 weeks at a rehab. There, on a daily basis, waking an hour, stationary 1/2 Hr, and light stretching and breathing an Hr a day became the focus. In the second month, I was at home and the routine became more difficult to maintain . Take advantage of anyone that offers to walk with you daily . If you don't have a bike at home, then walk two times a day.........and try to break a sweat!

I had the 9" full sternotomy. I was doing social media as well w/in a week from my phone, and working on Day 11 at my desk (at home) BUT... still a bit foggy and comically probably falling asleep at my computer. But I have this thought: I wonder if immediately making my brain work, as hard as it was at times, helped avoid pump fog. I tried to avoid "stress" but tried to write, acknowledging that for a few weeks I wouldn't be able to have the same depth and give it the same level of thought I could pre-surgery. But like everything, I was very much back to normal - work-wise and exercise wise - within two months. The only thing I didn't dare do until three months was try to lie on a foam roller. I didn't want to test fate. I tried it once and my body admonished me.

 

[d333gs]

I had the 9" full sternotomy. I was doing social media as well w/in a week from my phone, and working on Day 11 at my desk (at home) BUT... still a bit foggy and comically probably falling asleep at my computer. But I have this thought: I wonder if immediately making my brain work, as hard as it was at times, helped avoid pump fog. I tried to avoid "stress" but tried to write, acknowledging that for a few weeks I wouldn't be able to have the same depth and give it the same level of thought I could pre-surgery. But like everything, I was very much back to normal - work-wise and exercise wise - within two months. The only thing I didn't dare do until three months was try to lie on a foam roller. I didn't want to test fate. I tried it once and my body admonished me.

Hi Herb!
Pump fog: It was week two when I was sitting on the side of the bed flipping through Instagram posts when it suddenly occurred to me that I didn't know where I was or why I was in this room that felt very familiar. There was no panic. It took about an hour to come back and left me amazed that I could forget like that.

 

[d333gs]

I had a mini sternotomy. The incision was about 3.5 inches at the top of my sternum.

Thanks Chuck !
It is surprising that they could get in and do all that work through such a tiny hole , but I am sure it made recovery time faster. Did they cut a rib or two?

 

[d333gs]

Bike ride update;
My bike ride time is still getting faster. Pre op it was 1:38h for 1 28k XCountry circuit, and it felt great.
Post op, the last two weeks it has been down to 1:25h which seriously surprised me. And today it was 1:21h +30 sec. which just farking amazes me! And I am not fatigued after the ride. Same route, same bike and same apple watch.... I have a cardio visit on the 31st.

 

[Chuck C]

Thanks Chuck !
It is surprising that they could get in and do all that work through such a tiny hole , but I am sure it made recovery time faster. Did they cut a rib or two?

I continue to be amazed at the skill set required to do what he did through such a small opening, which involved not only aortic valve replacement, but my aortic root and ascending aorta. No rib cut. And yes, I expect that it did speed up some elements of my recovery. Although I resisted pushing things, I felt pretty normal 2 weeks after my surgery.

 

[Chuck C]

Bike ride update;
My bike ride time is still getting faster. Pre op it was 1:38h for 1 28k XCountry circuit, and it felt great.
Post op, the last two weeks it has been down to 1:25h which seriously surprised me. And today it was 1:21h +30 sec. which just farking amazes me! And I am not fatigued after the ride. Same route, same bike and same apple watch.... I have a cardio visit on the 31st.

Great news!

The question is which team will you be joining for the next Tour de France?