How long does it take to recover from mechanical valve replacement

[rufus]

Hi,

New to this and have been trawling the web for days looking for some hope in relation to how im feeling.

Im 37 year old female who had a mechanical valve fitted dec last year. i knew nothing of my condition before i went to my gp april last year with a cough. it transpired i had a heart murmur....further examinations found i had biscupid aortic valve with stenosis. therefore i required surgery. i wasn't given much of a choice as to what type of valve i should have due to my age. my surgeon decided on a mechanical valve.

My problems have been since post op recovery period. My inr is very up and down 9 months on and im still having blood tests every 2 weeks. I am not doing anything different but it seems my inr is never stable. currently on 15mgs of warfarin daily. Since this time i have put on nearly a stone in weight and am constantly tired. My cardiologist cannot give me any answers and states my not feeling well is nothing to do with my valve or medication. but before the op i never felt like this.

I am at my wits end and wish i hadnt had the surgery in the first place. Is there anyone out there that has felt the same but has got through the other side?

I dont know where to go next.

 

[Ross]

Woe, slow down there. It takes a good full year to recover. Your having some tough times, but if you'll let us help, I think we can get your Coumadin issue straightened around. Come on down to the anticoagulation forum and post your current dose for the week, what other meds your on, what your diet is like, how active you are and so on. Give us as much information as possible. There is a real strong chance that the persons managing your dosing are the cause of your problems.

If you hadn't had surgery, you'd of surely died. You have a whole new chance at life and I, for one, would like to see you happy again.

 

[Bina]

Hello Rufus and welcome.
I can honestly tell you that at 9 months post op I was still quite depressed and tired.
Are you working? Try to rest when you can.

 

[SHEEPDOG]

Sorry to hear...

Sorry to hear...

... you aren't recovering as you like. The surg SAVED YOUR LIFE!!! There are bound to be problems with any major procedure. Give it time. Ross is right about the INR thing. There are MANY here that know much more about it than me so I will let that go.
Good luck with the future recovery.

 

[Freddie]

Hello and Welcome rufus.
Everything happened very quickly for me too. Its been just over a year and my mood has improved.
Try to take everything one day at a time and always try to see the brighter things in life.

Take Care

 

[aussigal]

Welcome Rufus...

Being a memeber here will help your recovery and hopefully you will cheer up a bit as you realise how normal and special you are for being here.

Clinical and/or shortlived depression of some sort is quite common after OHS and many of us here have had some dealings with days , weeks, months where we didn't feel so great.

It took me a good 6 months before I was feeling somewhat normal again and I had the support of these wonderful guys. A support network such as this makes a huge difference.

As Ross said come post a detailed thread in the anti-coag section and lets see if we can help in getting your INR steady.

Weight gain is also something we deal with here and you will find Cooker's throw-down in the active lifestyle section. I am still trying to blame my weight-gain on the beta-blockers instead of my own sedentary lifestyle .

Ok...I have rambled on too much...
see you 'round.

 

[Freddie]

I forgot to mention that I still go for blood work every 2 weeks.
I think of it as a 'Bye Weekly Event' and is now part of my routine.

But if your living in the U.K. are you not able to get a home monitor to check your INR? If so, maybe if you were to look into it you may feel more independent and relaxed.
Just a thought.

 

[WayneGM]

Welcome to VR, Rufus. Glad you found us. Like you, my GP discovered my heart murmur during a routine check and I had no previous history. Pre-op I did not have any noticable sympotoms. As a result post-op I felt much worse than I did pre-op. It was over a year before I felt like my old self and had my full stamina back. It was a long road travelled but I have absolutely no regrets. Best wishes and good luck.

 

[skeptic49]

This is just a note to welcome you to VR, Rufus, and to say that you will find a lot of helpful people here. We're pulling for you!

Best wishes,

Jim

 

[Bonzo Dog]

Hello rufus , greetings from Yorkshire.

It is 10 years since I had a mechanical valve (I'm now tissue), now a bit rusty on warfarin and INR, I'll let others answer that.
It can take many a month to fully feel yourself again after valve replacement. Melancholy and depression are common post surgery. A stone: 14lbs for our American readers; is a substantial weight gain. My first Q would be are you exercising regularly? If no, then the sooner you start the better for both mind and body; if yes then a visit to the GP could be in order. Has fluid retention as a cause of weight gain crossed your mind and been investigated?

 

[davidpa28140]

Rufus, I hope you are feeling better today. I can't offer any advice on the INR but others will. I had no symptoms before my OHS and had some of the feelings that so many commonly do afterwards but now it is behind us and soon things will be better. I think it is very important to remain as active as you can socializing and exercising are very important. I was floored when my cardiologist told me my recovery was a "mind, body, sprit" event. This was one of the few times I could agree wholeheartedly with a doctor. The alternatives to not having the surgery are grim.

David

 

[duncanjo]

Hey welcome

Its been 6 months since my replacement. I was really emotional for the first 2 months and weighed 165pds before surgery, went down to 150 pds after surgery and now 185 pds . I quick smoking to i think thats why i gained so much weight. But my inr was'nt that great when i started 2.2 then now its around 2.7.. after ready some of the posts i've learned what affects my inr and how much greens and alchol i should intake. so before i ge tested i have a good idea where my range is at. i still get tested every 2 weeks because im still finding how much greens or alcohol affects my inr. good luck and its true what there saying ur still recovering and it takes up to a year

 

[Eva]

Hi Rufus and welcome,

The whole thing happened so quickly for you that you did not have any chance to grasp and accept what was happening to you. I knew I needed surgery since 1986 and I knew it was time five years ago, and yet, when the cardiologist told it is time, it was like a bombshell that fell over me and I was not sure whether I was going or coming, unable to concentrate on anything, lost interest in many issues -- I got real shocked despite I was expecting this to happen. So, be easy on yourself and once you deeply are convinced and accept that the surgery saved your life instead of wishing not having had it, you shall start improving. It definitely saved your life and consider yourself somehow lucky that you had it right away, as believe me, I wish now I had the surgery many years ago as the quality of my life was deteriorating and was depressing me, the lack of good oxygen circulation was affecting my moods and sleep and relationships!! Count your blessing this was caught on time with you and look forward to the good life ahead. Increase your exercise, your social life, anything you like to do. Even if you need to take any medicine to help you get out of this if you feel down or depressed, do it until you pick up on your life again. I was taking prozac three time a week when I knew about the surgery, now I am taking it daily until I feel strong enough to exercise and get out and do things on my own. Good luck. What you are going through is a normal shock reaction which you have not recovered from yet. You are young and fight this. You have a new lease on life, live it well. You INR will stabilize. Mine is crazy, but I know it will settle down with time.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Greetings Rufus,

Your mention of weight gain (1 British Stone = 14 lbs per my Dictionary) caught my attention.

Do your Feet or Lower Legs look swollen?
(can you see the bones in your feet or are they 'puffy')

Press your shin bone above the ankle. Do you see a divit?
How long does it take to 'fill in'?
The longer it takes, the more fluid you are retaining.

Excess fluid retention can cause your heart to have to 'work too hard' which will result in your feeling tired and listless. One common solution is for your Doctor to prescribe a diuretic (typically Lasix) to help drain off the excess fluid. You may need to monitor / supplement your Potassium Levels while on a diuretic.

Have you had a post-op Echocardiogram recently?
That can often pinpoint 'issues' of concern.

What does your Primary Care Physician have to say about your symptoms?

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Bonzo Dog]

AlCapshaw, do you read other peoples contributions. ^^ I did the weight conversion, mentioned fluid retention and suggested a GP visit.

 

[rufus]

Thanks

Thanks

Hi,

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has replied to me.....lots of good suggestions and things for me to think about in a positive way. Glad i found this site, i feel more settled already.

Keep your opinions coming and i'll update you all on my progress.....

 

[ALCapshaw2]

AlCapshaw, do you read other peoples contributions. ^^ I did the weight conversion, mentioned fluid retention and suggested a GP visit.

I guess I did not see your response Bonzo. Is that a crime?

After I found and read your reply, I noticed that you did mention fluid retention in your last sentence but did not advise on what to look for and how to check it out.

I hereby acknowledge you were the FIRST to give the weight conversion and mention a visit to the GP.

Do you (Bonzo) read every reply to every thread?
I gave that up long ago. There are too many.

 

[Bonzo Dog]

..................................

Do you (Bonzo) read every reply to every thread?
I gave that up long ago. There are too many.

As you ask Al, no I don't and doubt many of us do. We all skim. I suspect we all apply similar general criteria, i.e. how long in time and how long in replies is the thread. However, in a 'please help' type thread as this is, I am sensitive to the original posters worry and do try to read all replies before posting myself. Threads do tend to be organic and either drift off topic or focus on a niche aspect of the topic. For that reason I always read the preceding few posts in any thread to ensure the relevance of my reply and in case it has already been said.

Anyway, Rufus seems reassured and has some ideas from us, so

 

[Eva]

Please do keep us posted, Rufus, as we are all interested in your good recovery. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

[The English Patient]

Hi Rufus...(fellow Brit) Glad you are feeling a bit better. On the healing time, I must be the biggest wimp on the site. It took me 12 months to completely get over my appendectomy 4 years ago...so it sounds to me like you are doing better than you think!

We've got good weather today in Cheshire...how about you?