Home after surgery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bigsidster]

Good for you Todd.Wish I was on the other side of the mountain like you.I too have had big swings in my emotions since finding out about my upcoming AVR and double bypass.Of course I try to hide it and it will most likely come tumbling down on me after surgery is over (like you).A few tears after this ride should be nothing to be ashamed of.Wishing you the best.

 

[MarkG87]

I am now 9 days away from my surgery. Cardiac cath is next Wednesday, then surgery on Friday. Glad to hear yours went well and that recovery is also.

 

[Bean Counter]

Congratulations on moving to the other side!

 

[pat45750]

Glad all went well and you are home. It takes a bit of time to start feeling better - but there is no place like home. A few weeks makes a big difference. I could feel improvement each week. I started feeling more normal at 8 weeks, but still not able to do everything. Now I am 3 months post op and feeling pretty good. Still a bit slowed down and my chest hurts everytime I do something I haven't done for months, but my energy level is higher than before surgery. Take it easy. Good Luck. Pat

 

[AgilityDog]

HIJACK:

Pat,
You are right about the chest still hurting 3 months out. This is my 3rd month-a-versary today, I still get sternum and shoulder aches, and turning over in bed is still owie.

This weekend I volunteered to help with an agility demonstration at the local pet shelter, but made arrangements for someone to come schlepp Jet's wire crate from my Tahoe to the arena area. NO WAY am I gonna try and pick up that 50 pounds of metal crate. Chase a dog around an obstacle course? Sure. Lift the crate? Nope.

 

[Lily]

What a nice post, Todd! If you were given a spirometer, keep doing any breathing exercises you may have been given to do
(edit - until your doctor says you can stop anyway ).
Continued best wishes to you for a successful recovery; take care

 

[pat45750]

Laurie Good Luck this weekend. It does feel good to start doing things we use to do. I still get some help for lifting heavy things. Most people are quite willing to help. Even the dogs would if they understood. Mine always want to do something, but mostly end up barking and running around. It took me a long time to be able to feed all 9 comfortably having to bend over to pick up dishes.

Have fun this weekend. Pat

 

[Sarah_Louise]

WOW!!!
Welcome home =D
So pleased to hear how well the op went
Luv Sarah xx

 

[Sbullock]

Hi Todd . See I told you they would great care of you at st. Mikes. I know how you feel,like you just survived a train wreck. Every day that you walk you will feel better. You'll get some surprising pains weeks after you get home. I had incredible shoulder and arm pain lasting about ten minutes each time three times after two weeks of being home. It eased each time but scared me because of it's intensity. I made sure I kept up the Tylenol daily and after a month it stopped happening. At night when i was restless or fearful I'd take one of the Ativan they prescribed and a calm would wash over me and I'd be able to sleep. I pretty much stopped all medications except the beta blocker after a month taking the odd Ativan just to get some solid sleep.
I found the beta blocker caused me to slow the speed I walked. I also had very vivid nightmares which can be a side effect of the metoprolol (beta blocker) and as I had no fib asked to stop taking it at my post surgery checkup. I had a lower than normal bp before the op and I found the beta blocker lowered it to 90 over 60 which is too low for me. It's now four months post op for me and I still now feel my incision but I have now upped my walking to 5 miles a day(to and from work) So take care of yourself and walk as much as you can you'll heal fast from now on and as both robin Williams and david letterman said after their surgeries,it takes about a year til you feel absolutely as normal as you did before all this began.
Good luck
Steve

 

[Greg a]

I am now 9 days away from my surgery. Cardiac cath is next Wednesday, then surgery on Friday. Glad to hear yours went well and that recovery is also.

Mark I have added you to the calendar so we can all join you in spirit


Todd ...when are the twins due