I didnt take it seriously when they said laughing hurts but laughing hurts as bad as coughing. Thats no fair at all. I cant even watch a comedy. Also whats with the nerves turning on and off making me aware of my bones in my chest then all the sudden they are gone and at the same time my shirt rubs on my chest and it feels like sand paper. Am I crazy or is this normal
I honestly thought it was a joke..
- Thread starter Robb Wilder
- Start date
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
I FOUND NO HUMOUR ON THE DIY programs ...........only one part of my sig line works can't love or laugh so enjopy the live part it's all good
greg
greg
OK, Robb, I wasn't going to say anything but it seems you ARE crazy!
"This too shall pass."
You've never experienced childbirth, have you? You'll be fine, just need to give things time to heal.
Does that sound mean?-- don't mean it to, just kidding you. Maybe you need to switch to soap operas or mysteries for now.
"This too shall pass."
You've never experienced childbirth, have you? You'll be fine, just need to give things time to heal.
Does that sound mean?-- don't mean it to, just kidding you. Maybe you need to switch to soap operas or mysteries for now.
I know exactly what you mean Robb.. this sandpaper sensation is annoying more than anything. My son is a real comedian and I had to tell him to quit making me laugh for it hurts. 
Last edited:
Ross
Well-known member
Try watching Beavis and Butthead!
Marcia58
Well-known member
Robb,
re: sandpaper shirt
You're not crazy. They did a femoral incision for my heart/lung hookup, and because of nerve damage there were several days where it felt like my leg was on fire! It gets better.
Marcia
P.S. DON'T SNEEZE!
re: sandpaper shirt
You're not crazy. They did a femoral incision for my heart/lung hookup, and because of nerve damage there were several days where it felt like my leg was on fire! It gets better.
Marcia
P.S. DON'T SNEEZE!
Ross
Well-known member
Justin took a Seasons of Scrubs to watch in the hospital. He said it wasn't his best idea, so we switched to Bourne idenity, Davinci Code- type movies
ROSS.............NOT FAIR you big meanie
Chele
Active member
about 2 or 3 weeks after surgery an episode of fraser nearly killed me ...
Ross
Well-known member
I'm not mean. Just trying to drive the point home. Remember the pain from laughing. While it sucks, it's needed.
Robb,
Guess you have not experienced sneezing yet, that'l rattle you some.
At about 4-6 weeks, the itching on chest will likely drive you batty.
Ahhh, to be alive and recovering form a valve job, small things to be thankful for
Gil
Guess you have not experienced sneezing yet, that'l rattle you some.
At about 4-6 weeks, the itching on chest will likely drive you batty.
Ahhh, to be alive and recovering form a valve job, small things to be thankful for
Gil
Ross
Well-known member
Really! You haven't felt pain yet if you haven't sneezed. I had rapid fire sneezing. About 6 in a row real fast. No time to grab a pillow or anything and I swear I saw things that God himself has not yet seen.
If you don't have a little heart pillow, you should have had. It was a life saver for me. I had it everywhere I went and I still have it after all these years. I got attached to it. Any small soft pillow would probably work.
The hospital sent me home with cleansers to use on my incision and my chest and it was very soothing , also some kind ot lotion. I think they were antibacterial.
The hospital sent me home with cleansers to use on my incision and my chest and it was very soothing , also some kind ot lotion. I think they were antibacterial.
Consider a Minimally Invasive Surgery
Consider a Minimally Invasive Surgery
Ok, I'll mention this to newbies who are dealing with an upcoming surgery, and I hope there are some browsing this section: This is all the more reason to consider a minimally invasive approach, that does not involve any type of sternotomy. (Sorry, but I just don't see anything "minimally" invasive about a smaller sternotomy and think it's silly to even call it that.)
I had quite a bit of a cough after surgery, and though I had some soreness, it was not painful to cough. It was not painful to sneeze or laugh.
If you are having only an AVR or MVR, and nothing else needs to be done, you may very well be a candidate for a small incision, about a 3-inch thoracotomy. Though I've never had a sternotomy, my hunch is what I had was a lot less painful after surgery than those who've had it. I don't know why more people don't consider it and I don't know why chests are still being cracked when they don't always need to be. Just my 2-and-a-half-cents' worth.
Consider a Minimally Invasive Surgery
Ok, I'll mention this to newbies who are dealing with an upcoming surgery, and I hope there are some browsing this section: This is all the more reason to consider a minimally invasive approach, that does not involve any type of sternotomy. (Sorry, but I just don't see anything "minimally" invasive about a smaller sternotomy and think it's silly to even call it that.)
I had quite a bit of a cough after surgery, and though I had some soreness, it was not painful to cough. It was not painful to sneeze or laugh.
If you are having only an AVR or MVR, and nothing else needs to be done, you may very well be a candidate for a small incision, about a 3-inch thoracotomy. Though I've never had a sternotomy, my hunch is what I had was a lot less painful after surgery than those who've had it. I don't know why more people don't consider it and I don't know why chests are still being cracked when they don't always need to be. Just my 2-and-a-half-cents' worth.
My surgeon told me he can do that "Minimally Invasive" type surgery but it means more risk because I will be on the heart/lung pump longer and that would be a greater risk during surgery. Also, My friend in Central Florida told me the same thing and shes a perfusionist.
Robb, I had no problem with laughing but about 4 weeks post op my chest became hypersensitive. As I've mentioned elsewhere, my cotton T-shirts could periodically feel like sharkskin and those new chest hairs growing back out could feel like barbed wire. This usually has nothing to do with the chest itself but is the brains way of reprogramming itself to deal with the healing nerves. For awhile the brain can periodically interpret all sensation from the area around the incision as pain stimuli. Mine wasn't constantly extremely painful - that came and went - but it was very sensitive for about 6 weeks. My Cardiac Rehab nurse had me start doing sensitization routines which involved rubbing the area with items of different texture several times a day. I used soft cotton, silk, a pumice stone, a wash cloth, etc. After about two weeks of this, the sensations began to fade until things had returned to normal. Once in awhile, I still have some of these sensations return for an hour or so but then it passes.
Like Lilly, I also developed costochondritis which is an inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs and the sternum. When this was most troublesome, the hypersensitive became a problem again at times but it faded as the swelling went down. Basically, these are just after shocks and hopefully will all recede permanently.....someday.
Larry
Like Lilly, I also developed costochondritis which is an inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs and the sternum. When this was most troublesome, the hypersensitive became a problem again at times but it faded as the swelling went down. Basically, these are just after shocks and hopefully will all recede permanently.....someday.
Larry
WilliamJE
Well-known member
I watched Apollo 13 times during my 16 day stay for surgery. They were all shown on AMC which would constantly show commercials for Progressive Insurance and the Lakeside Terrace. By the time I was discharged I was dreaming of a moon launch that had Samuel Jackson and Flo in the capsule.
Kathy McCain
Well-known member
Hi Robb,
Sounds about normal. Sneezing, coughing and oh yes, LAUGHING is very painful. I know it just isn't fair, especially the laughing!!
Try to be patient. It does get better I promise!
Sounds about normal. Sneezing, coughing and oh yes, LAUGHING is very painful. I know it just isn't fair, especially the laughing!!
Try to be patient. It does get better I promise!
We were lucky because all the rooms have a game system that also plays DVDs, so usualy take a few things he saves to watch in the hospital, before the rooms each had their own, they had the little carts that had a tv, game and dvd player, so we just took our own and when he was a toddler it was VHS, you can't even imagine how many times you can see EVERY Sesame Street sing along video and Disney movie when you spend over 6 months total in the hospital with a toddler.
