Just a few questions...

[Mama2Rylan]

Ok, I have been browsing over both the pre- and post- operation stories..and I was wondering if you guys could give me your feelings about a few things...

The first thing is the breathing tube...now I have had a TEE done (where they stick a tube with a small camera down your throat) and was wondering if the breathing tube was like that...I think they usually give people medication to relax them, but since I was pregnant, I didn't get much help...I was told that this experience would be "no big deal" and that I would probably sleep through it...YEAH RIGHT! I felt like someone was sufficating me... so I was hoping you all would tell me that the breathing tube was nothing like that, but I have a feeling that I am wrong

Also, I was wondering about the chest tubes...some people say the hurt coming out while others say its a "weird" sensation?? Anyone have any comments about those? How long do they stay in?

I also thought I heard someone say something about "waking" up with a bypass machine?? Is this correct? I guess what I am asking you all is what to expect when I wake up from my OH surgery...what tubes and machines will I be hooked up to? What should I "watch out" for ???

 

[geebee]

Breathing tube - not pleasant but tolerable. I am claustrophobic so my experience might be on one end of the spectrum. I learned, by the third OHS, to breathe "with the tube" and not fight it. Many folks say they wake up with the tube out and no memory of it. I was not that lucky but I did not panic and it was easier.

Chest tubes hurt coming out. However, they usually give you some meds before taking them out so, again, it is tolerable. It is over so fast that they are out almost before you realize it is happening. The pain went away the minute they were out (for me) so it was a brief problem. The tubes are in for a couple of days, a little different for each person.

The awareness of machines will depend on how medicated you are once you wake up. You will be hooked up to a heart monitor for sure and maybe the ventilator but that's about all I remember. You will have various tubes and IV lines and pacer wires but, again, all are very vague memories. I think more of my "memories" are of people telling me things afterwards.

Keep in mind that these are MY experiences. These are the things that prove the "everyone is different" scenario so please don't cast them in concrete.

 

[tobagotwo]

We should have a set of "tube posts." Everyone asks about the breathing tube, and understandably so.

Most people wake up with it still in. I am claustrophobic, and was petrified that I would be clawing at my throat, trying to get it out. But when I woke up, I was so delighted to be alive that I didn't care.

The only sensation that might be really bothersome is if you try to breathe against the machine. You can't. it's too strong. My machine was too quiet, so I couldn't time my breathing to it.

Try to take stock: the tube has provided you with oxygen perfectly well for several hours. You're not going to suffocate now that you're awake. In fact, I had some fun with it, realizing I didn't actually have to breathe at all. How lazy is that? You can't get that at Club Med...

Once you see it as your friend, it isn't bad at all.

Best wishes,

 

[Ross]

All I can do is echo what's been said. I've been tubed numerous times and trached twice. I have absolutely no love for the vent at all and it doesn't like me either. Through all of my experiences, the best thing to do is just not fight it. If you can time your intake breath with that of the machine, great. Things will be much easier. They will remove it just as soon as your awake enough to breath for yourself. In many cases, your not actually awake, but have followed a command from them, so they know your alert. You may or may not awake with it in. In the event you do, try to remember not to fight it.

Chest tubes--They didn't hurt me when they took those out, but it was a terribly weird sensation and the sounds accompaning there removal are rather disgusting. Some people say they hurt, but I haven't had that experience. Oh yeah, I've had chest tubes about as many times as I've been on the vent! Too many times. They are ususally removed in 24 to 48 hours.

I don't think anyone could wake up on the bypass machine, because that is when your heart is stopped. They may have seen a filtering device much like renal dialysis, but not a bypass machine. Perhaps that persons kidneys just weren't up to the job at the time?

While this all sounds terrible, your going to be so sedated, that most of it will be only a faint memory if you remember it at all.

 

[mmarshall]

they took my breathing tube out while i was still on the operating table so i have no info on that part....they also did the tee once they knocked me out right before surgery so i can't even try to compare it. i had the two lung tubes and one incision tube when i woke up. the incision tube was a little bigger and was taken out the next morning before i left icu. the 2 small lung tubes stayed in there for 72 hours...they did not hurt but did become uncomfortable. none of the tubes hurt when they took them out....the tubes were plastic and flexible so i am not sure if that made a difference or if they are all like that. the 2 lung tubes did feel really weird coming out though...and the person taking them out did tell me that i was going to hear the click noise...it was the tube disconnecting from my lung...weird...but not painful at all.

 

[karlaosh]

I did wake up with the breathing tube still in, but I was still so dopey that I only have very vague memories of it. My worst memory is of them removing the tube...but that memory is also very vague and muzzy.

Pulling the chest tubes wasn't pleasant, but I wouldn't say it was terribly painful, either. And it's fast, accompanied by weird fluid sucking sounds. For what it's worth, I thought the temporary pacer wires being pulled was more painful, but I had them in extra long, I think, because I was in complete heart block. Plus the NP who pulled the pacer wires clipped the sutures holding them in place, gave a good, hard yank, and then, seeing that the wires hadn't budged, said, "Oh, I think they put in three stitches instead of two...I still need to clip one."

 

[coryp]

Ok, I have been browsing over both the pre- and post- operation stories..and I was wondering if you guys could give me your feelings about a few things...

The first thing is the breathing tube...now I have had a TEE done (where they stick a tube with a small camera down your throat) and was wondering if the breathing tube was like that...I think they usually give people medication to relax them, but since I was pregnant, I didn't get much help...I was told that this experience would be "no big deal" and that I would probably sleep through it...YEAH RIGHT! I felt like someone was sufficating me... so I was hoping you all would tell me that the breathing tube was nothing like that, but I have a feeling that I am wrong

Also, I was wondering about the chest tubes...some people say the hurt coming out while others say its a "weird" sensation?? Anyone have any comments about those? How long do they stay in?

I also thought I heard someone say something about "waking" up with a bypass machine?? Is this correct? I guess what I am asking you all is what to expect when I wake up from my OH surgery...what tubes and machines will I be hooked up to? What should I "watch out" for ???[/QUOT


I echo what has been said for the most part. I do not remember the Breathing tube at all (except when they pulled it out) and my advice is to have your surgeon remove the chest tubes (mine did and it did not hurt at all).

 

[Cris N]

All I can say about chest tubes is they felt a lot better out than in! Very short duration of discomfort during removal.

 

[MarkU]

To be honest, getting my chest tubes out was the most intensely painful part of the whole experience. At the same time, it's over very quickly.
My surgeon didn't say much except "Take a deep breath and hold it", then yanked them out.
A minute or so later when I could talk again, I said to him, "You didn't tell me how much that was going to hurt!"

"That's why I didn't tell you"

They "forgot" to pull my pacemaker wires until it was time for me to be discharged, and a physician's assistant was sent to pull them. It was a strange sensation, but not painful.

Mark

 

[OldManEmu]

Its wasn't bad

Its wasn't bad

When I woke up I was unsure if I even had the breathing tube in and drifted back off to sleep. I awoke again latter and the nurse said they were going to remove the tube, however they were going to use it to suck any fluid that had accumulated in my lungs first, this was like having you mouth sucked clean of fluid at the dentist, then the tube was removed so quickly I didn?t even notice it coming out.
I had 3 drainage tubes these exited just above the navel; they were taken out the day after surgery at the same time as the bladder catheter was removed. As others have said I was told to take a deep breath and the drainage tube was removed. It wasn't painful getting them out but it was a strange feeling especially the first one, felt like pulling something out of mud, sort of a "sloop" feeling.
The pacing wires were removed 4 days after surgery these didn't hurt either but it does feel strange, as the nurse who removed them said, "This will curl your toes!"

 

[Mama2Rylan]

Thank you all for your input...overall it doesn't seem like it's TERRIBLY painful...just more uncomfortable i would much rather have some discomfort then real pain...

 

[KMB]

I am not trying to scare you and everyone has different experiences, but I can remember the breathing tube and how much I wanted it out. I kept gagging on it. I also kept trying to point at it - trying to tell them to take it out. I thought it was only in for about 20 minutes, but I guess it was more like a couple hours. I remember saying I love you to the nurses when they took it out. I think I also threw up after that!
I was also very glad when the chest tube came out. It was painful when the nurse would try to drain/squegee the tube. I hated that part a lot. I still have pain from where the top of the chest tube was. It gets worse when it is really hot and humid out.
I loved having a catheter in though...you don't have to worry about going to the bathroom! I am weird like that!

 

[mmarshall]

strange how different doctors/hosptials do things differently. i was told to just relax and breath normally when they took out all of the tubes. i forgot about the pacer wires...or booster cables...lol...but they did not hurt either. i did not even know they took them out. and i was concerned because i was about 45 min away from getting my pain meds....i was getting 2 500mg of vicodin every 4 hours. so i wanted to wait to have them taken out but the dr. told me that they will not hurt at all and none of it did. i'm not sure if things have changed in the last couple of years or if each hospital is different. my lung tubes were a clear plastic tube with these small balls at the end of them. they had a small cap on them where the nurse would come in and empty them out and mearsure the fluid. the lung tubes were about 6 to 8 inches inside me so that was the weird feeling. did anyone else have the same type of tubes? like eveyone has said...they get uncomfortable after a while...especially when you have to do the breathing machine every 2 hours...but it did not hurt when they were taken out...and if it does hurt for a short time...you definitely feel much better when they are out. i know i felt like i could walk out of the hospital that day once they were out...lol

 

[twinmaker]

I didn't wake up on the ventilator with the first OHS and I can't remember much about the removal of the chest tube. I do remember the ventilator with the second OHS. They kept me on it for a little over 24 hours after the surgery. I wasn't that uncomfortable with it and as Bob said, I too played games with it...like trying to not breathe but I was so doped up on morphine, who knows what I was doing. I do remember vividly have two chest tubes removed the second time and it was painful but only for a moment. Then they were out and that's all that mattered at that point.

 

[OldManEmu]

The three drainage tubes I had were a red/brown colour and appeared to be made out of something that looked like rubber. They were not in my lungs as far as I was aware, rather around the heart area to drain any leakage.
The tubes exited above the navel and were connected to a device that was placed under the bed. This device had a clear plastic tank that the drained fluid went into and was measured. I think it may have been a pump of some type as there was a poster on its use in one of the hospital wards.

 

[Diane]

I am claustrophoebic and was very anxious about waking up and having that tube down my throat. When I went for the pre-op the day before the surgery, I told the cardiac nurse that I was very nervous about that part. They kept me pretty sedated until it was time to take it out. I woke up off and on and knew I had that tube down my throat but before it could bother me, I was out again. I knew when they took it out but I don't remember it hurting or anything.....I was still "in and out" a lot. I only had one chest tube right above my belly button. The doctor had the nurse give me some IV pain meds just before he took it out and I did not feel a thing. When they took the pacer wires out, it felt wierd but it did not hurt and it was not even uncomfortable. The worst part about the whole hospital stay for me was the food......do they really expect people to EAT that stuff?! Thank goodness I had my mom there to bring me something to eat!

 

[Lynlw]

Hi I asked Justin, and he said the chest tube hurt but not real bad, mostly it was just the weird feeling and noise. he was on the vent just for 4 hours after surgery and the and said it was mostly unconfortable and the main reason he couldn't wait to get it out was he was so thirsty. poor kid thru up while on the vent right before they took it out, so he gagged while it come out. The thing he rememberred most from this last surgery was when they were going to take the temp pacer wires out, theytold him it would feel like spagetti was getting pulled out of your chest and he told them he never pulled spagetti out of his chest. his biggest fear this time around was having the cath pulled because last time (7 years ago) his got stuck and it was pretty painful, so he was just happy nothing like that happened this time. Lyn www.caringbridge.org/nj/justinw

 

[Lynlw]

mmarshall, when Justin had his last surgery his chest tube was the one that just had a little bulb on it, it reminded me of the bulb on the end of a blood pressure machine, All the other times he had the big box on the floor that had water in it. I was pretty happy w/ the newer one, because one of my biggest fears before was since I was a klutz, I wouldn't stand on the side of the bed where it was, because I was afraid i'd trip on it and yank the tube out of his chest. Lyn www.caringbridge.org/nj/justinw

 

[rbl1999]

I was one of the lucky ones, I do not remember the breathing tube at all, my husband says I was kind of awake but I really do not remember it. When I remember being awake the beathing tube was already out.And that was one of my biggest fears!!! The chest tube coming out was painful and, yes, a weird feeling, but it was very quick. The good thing I remember is getting ice chips!!!!! Man, did that ever feel good in my mouth. Rose

 

[Mama2Rylan]

Well now that I have had my surgery...I guess I can comment on my own questions

I don't remember the chest tubes at all. I know I had them cuz they left some little marks but I really don't remember having them at all. My mom said that she saw them take all of them out, that they were very long. I do however remember both the breathing tube and pacer wires. I thought the pacer wires hurt a little bit. I don't know if it was the person who was pulling them out or what but as soon as mentioned it hurt, they were out. As far as the breathing tube, I don't remember the first time I had it in. I did however have to have the breathing tube a second time (during surgery I got pnemonia so they had to put me under again to try and get the fluid out of my lungs) and I remember that one. It did feel uncomfortable...my aunt said that I kept trying to take it out so she had to hold my hands down a couple of times. But it didn't seem to last long...they took it out and I was better. I just felt very VERY thirsty!!!! I mean I have never been that thirsty in my ENTIRE life...even the ice chips sounded GREAT

I didn't really find intensive care to be all that bad...I mean they keep you pretty medicated so you don't really have that much pain. Then when you get out you don't really remember much anyways