How different is your life after surgery?

[Scottie]

Hi folks ....I've a question for you (if you can be bothered answering) ..
How different is your life after surgery ?better ? much better?
Are you back to the same as the people who are "normal " and not had surgery ?
I am great in as far as I live a very "normal " life ...work full time, do house work but my energy levels are not the same as people the same age as me who do not have heart problems. I get very tired quickly , I seem to go from fine to exhausted extremely quickly ...which can lead to me having a curtailed social life ..although I work fulltime I can spend a lot of my weekend resting so I am able to face the coming week ahead. I have been annoyed at myself when I have had to leave a social function very early in the evening as I am so exhausted. I don't intend to "moan" here as I know there are many who are much worse off than me ...but I just wondered how others are doing. I know with the problems I have had I am extremely lucky to be as active as I am.
Thanks
Scottie

 

[Ross]

It's unfair for me to answer this because of compound problems, but I'm much worse then before. Cannot breath right, tire constantly though I cannot sleep. On and On.

 

[Scottie]

Ross !

Ross !

I was aware of your problems when I asked the above question ...I'm sorry ..I did not mean to offend you by asking it ...I really did not mean to moan ..I hope you are feeling okay today ...
Scottie

 

[Ross]

I was aware of your problems when I asked the above question ...I'm sorry ..I did not mean to offend you by asking it ...I really did not mean to moan ..I hope you are feeling okay today ...
Scottie

You didn't offend me any at all. No one had answered so I stepped up to the plate. As each and every day goes by, I get a little worse. It's expected.

 

[geebee]

Scottie,

I was much better after each of my surgeries. The most profound was after my first surgery. I did not realize how sick I was until I wasn't anymore. I had slowed my life down to match my limitations and was doing so little before surgery. I could not even vacuum the carpet or walk up stairs or even sit without paying attention to how I was breathing.

After surgery, I could do everything any other 28 year old female could do (after recovery of course).

At 53 (in a couple of weeks), I think I am fairly normal (no comments please ) in my ability to do things. I am in constant a-fib so that puts some limitations on me but, for the most part, I keep up.

Hope this helps some.

 

[Karlynn]

Over 13 years I have become progressively better. I had so many symptoms and permanent damage had set in before my surgery that it took me a long time to physically recover and improve, as well as mentally recover and improve. I'm sure my mental state held me back more than my physical. I still have ongoing issues of some SOB on occasion and some arrhythmia, but all in all, my life is full and complete.

And I think I'm a bit of a snob, because I truly feel that we appreciate life so much more than the average person who hasn't had to look death in the face quite so fully.

 

[Creed3]

Hi Scottie!

Hi Scottie!

For me there doesn't seem to be much difference. I never knew I had a problem in the first place. I didn't seem to have any symptoms. Now, since having surgery, I believe around the time you did, I am back to normal, the only thing is that I am more aware of things when they happen. Such as when I get sick or a bacterial infection. Of course the coumadin issue. Also the visual disturbances from time to time. Physically I feel the same as I did before surgery but mentally I think I am more aware of my body, so I guess I do worry more about my health than I did before my surgery.

Take Care!
Gail

 

[JimL]

I went from nearly dead to full alive, physically anyway, in a very short time. I use the stairs in hospitals often, without any increase in breathing rate. Mentally, however, is another story.

 

[BionicBob]

Better Than the Alternative

Better Than the Alternative

Life is better because I still have life. Without the surgery, it is doubtful I would have been around much longer.

But eight weeks after surgery, quality is still uneven -- yesterday with folks visiting from out of town, I felt like I could do anything. Today I'm feeling tired with spells of lightheadedness. I guess the secret maybe lies in pacing yourself....

 

[PJmomrunner]

Questions for Ross

Questions for Ross

Hi Ross.

I notice you had an aortic dissection repair in '95 and an AVR in '02. I am looking at an ascending aortic aneurysm repair and AVR...timing as yet undetermined. I was diagnosed in December '04 and am having another CT tomorrow. I have been told my aneurysm is close to the arch and at about 4.5cm (I have also been told it's 4.8cm, but I'm going with the estimation given by the surgeon I have chosen). I have been told by 2 cardiologists and 2 surgeons to have the aneurysm re-imaged every 6 months and operate when it hits 5cm. The surgeon I trust most also added, "don't lift, push or pull using more than 30 lbs. of pressure, keep a log of shortness of breath and heart symptoms, take BP 2x a day and keep a log, don't shovel, don't do anything that makes you go "unh!". If you can't live with those restrictions schedule surgery." I scheduled. Then my cardiologist said, "What! Don't have surgery yet! It's too soon! You're trading one set of problems for another! Your aneurysm could be stable for 10 years or more!" So I said, "Well, we have no idea how long it has taken to get the size it is. Let's do another CT at 3 months (that's tomorrow) and see if there's been any change." He said okay. In the meantime, I have not spoken to the surgeon and my surgery is still scheduled.

My questions: You've been where I DO NOT WANT TO GO...namely, you've dissected. Did you know you had an aneurysm? Did you do the "watch and wait method?" You also had a subsequent AVR. Was your native valve bicuspid? (I understand there is a high correlation between BAV's and aortic aneurysms, particularly ascending.) I am 42 years old. How old are you? Any advice for me, since you have the benefit of hindsight?

Thanks in advance for any info you might offer.

P. J.

 

[lcwhitney]

spend a lot of my weekend resting so I am able to face the coming week ahead. I have been annoyed at myself when I have had to leave a social function very early in the evening as I am so exhausted. I don't intend to "moan" here as I know there are many who are much worse off than me ...but I just wondered how others are doing. I know with the problems I have had I am extremely lucky to be as active as I am.
Thanks
Scottie[/QUOTE]No. I am not back to normal. But, I had a stroke during my second surgery. I also recently began feeling very tired. i had hemoliti canemia. 2 units of blood needed to increase my energy.

 

[Ross]

Hi P.J.

I have a lung disease that has landed me in the hospital with chest pains many times. At first, I thought it might be a lung pain, but it was sudden onset and when my lungs do their thing, I usually have a small fever before pain and fluid build up. At any rate, this was in November of 1994. I was 33 then. At that time, my Cardiologist did an echo and catscan and saw the aneursym. It was about your size now. I was told that we would wait and watch. I never made it to my next check up. It blew in March of 95. I'm more then lucky to be typing this to you. Most people do not survive, but a few of us here have.

Do to the time I was on the heart lung machine, my surgeon opted to try and repair what was left of my Aortic Valve and resuspend it. The best he could get still left me with moderate regurgitation, but he had no more time to do anything. It was decided to see how long it would last as was. It made it until late 2001 and then I had the mechanical put in in July of 2002.

Your Doctor is on the ball with yours. Keep a close tab on it. Mine never did make it to 5cm before it blew, so your definately in the neighborhood now.
As far as I know, before all of this transpired, my Aortic valve was normal.

Keep a log and don't be afraid to call him if you think you need too. If it ruptures, I can tell you that the pain is like that of a heart attack. Never want to go through anything like that again. You don't either, I'm sure!
You've got to be feeling like a time bomb. I know I did. All I can tell you is to follow those instructions to a T. Where were you going to have this done at?

 

[Jan]

Life after AVR

Life after AVR

I feel 100% better, and did so about 6 weeks after the surgery

I can now breath so much better

I thank god each and every day

keep smiling

Jan

 

[tobagotwo]

My heart felt better the next morning. Felt like it was actually coasting.

Overall, like Jan. Six weeks or so. I do everything I did before I had AS/AR. If complications don't rear their ugly heads, mental attitude is a big factor in time and satisfaction with recovery. In recovery, you should practice toward doing the things you want to do after you've completely healed.

Best wishes,

 

[Moo]

Two answers.

Two answers.

I've had 2 AVRs (tissue then mech.) and would say that after the tissue, life was the best. After the mechanical, everything is taken down a notch. You can do whatever you want after a tissue valve (more so than pre-op) but there are numerous "simple things" you can't do (or shouldn't for that matter) with a mechanical valve.

How different is your life after surgery ?better ? much better?

With a Mechanical - better.

With a Tissue - Much better.

Just my $.02

Rich

 

[McCln]

Scottie

Scottie

Been a time since I saw you post. Glad to see you. As to your question, I have two sides to it. One, for a time, I did get better. Then, I came crashing down, feeling low energy. Foud out a year abd a half after surgery, type 2 diabetic. Got medical attention and made changes and exercise. Feeling better now. It takes time to recovery completely. I just had a side problem after the one year. Doing tons better.

 

[Debrinha GT]

For me it was like this...

For me it was like this...

Hi there Scottie, nice to see you around again. In my case, what I can tell you is that when I had my first surgery at the age of ten, I was so sick that nobody at all thought I would make it anyway. But I do recall feeling great after a couple of months and I was able to lead a pretty good life for the next four years until it was time to go through another replacement, then at fifteen. By then I had lost an awful lot of weight, but I soon recovered and despite some limitations, I had a normal life and was very active. Again, I was never really one for sports so I guess I didn't feel I was at an disadvantage there. I've never been able to run fast either even though I could walk fast. When I come to think of it, I've never been able to do all the things that people my age did and still do, but adjusting to life with a heart condition has always been the case for me so I would say it's something I might not even realize I'm doing, if you get what I mean. The big change for me came after the third surgery at thirty. I used to be an English teacher and although I've always been a bit of an anxious person, I noticed that when I tried to go back to teaching a couple of months later, I simply didn't have the patience left, as well as that, all I could think of was to get pregnant which I did six months after my third mitral valve replacement. I don't know exactly when my next surgery will be, probably in a couple of years, but the valve's deteriorating again and there are a few things I can no longer do. But it's not always easy to tell the difference between real symptoms and your imagination due to awareness of the problem. I think that when we're not sick, we don't pay as much attention to every little thing as we do when we know there's something wrong. I try not to think of it too much, but the truth is that I've had to make changes in my life ever since I found out about my condition. Just one of those things, I suppose. Well, I hope this has answered a few of your doubts. Take care.
Débora

 

[PapaHappyStar]

I am doing better post-surgery, I am beginning to understand more and more when people say that even if you do not have "overt" symptoms before surgery, you are probably in worse shape than you think. I am more alert and concentrated now ( 4+ months since surgery ), maybe my presurgery condition was partly due to the stress of the impending surgery -- but I think getting rid of the severe stenosis has helped me become sharper and better able to concentrate post surgery.

 

[Granbonny]

Hi Scottie

Hi Scottie

Enjoy when I see you on Sunday Night chats. I know it is late for you..but, we love hearing from you To answer your question...I was age 62 when they found my aneurysm...It was a 5 and they told my family..she needs to be taken care of NOW...and a Mech. valve..so, she will not have to go thru this operation again.... I had no problems..and only had to wait 3 days before surgery.... That was 3 years ago.. I have NO problems taking coumadin..but, am aware of things like..going down icey steps, ect. Back to your question..I am now soon age 65.... I have great days most of the time..but, when I overdo something, yard work, ect. I can feel it the next day. Just had my Cardio visit this week..and he said, everything looked great. ...So, I think if I do feel tired, ect. chark it up to getting older. ..TO P.J..not to scare you..but, I lost my wonderful Brother-in-law to a dissection of his valve.at the age of 50..Same age as me at the time..He thought he had indigestion.. Died 24 hours later..AFTER VR. surgery.leaving my sister to raise 2 young boys alone....To ICWHITNEY..so good to see you back posting on VR.Com.... Ross and I searched for you for many months. Then, we found out, I think from your brother that you had had a stroke. How are you doing? Back to teaching in LA? Yes, I thank God, for letting a great Cardio find my aneurysm... Got it taken care of..and now living a Great life. Bonnie

 

[Kristi in MD]

Great Attitude

Great Attitude

Life is better because I still have life. Without the surgery, it is doubtful I would have been around much longer.

But eight weeks after surgery, quality is still uneven -- yesterday with folks visiting from out of town, I felt like I could do anything. Today I'm feeling tired with spells of lightheadedness. I guess the secret maybe lies in pacing yourself....

Bionic Bob - very good attitude to have. Life is the greatest gift of all and second is love. I am sure the people who love you are glad you had the surgery and are around. Pace yourself - good idea.... you want to have energy when you need it