Just been released from hospital

[JimHurst]

Just been released from hospital

Things were going great signed of by my Cardiologist on the 17th December five weeks after a min. inv. Mitral Valve Repair.
On the 22nd I had some chest pain on the LH side, which I attributed to straining myself lifting and twisting.( I had no pain at all on my LHS for weeks)
Took painkillers (Paracetamol) but they did not do much. Phoned clinic on the 23rd advised to combined pain killers (paracetamol/Ibuprofene)

Gave me some relief. Night of the 24th went to emergency. I have double pneumonia. (I only had a slight non productive cough)

Diagnosis was a relief I thought I had torn the valve.

Given antibiotics and stronger painkillers (Di-Gesic) discharged in the morning.
Night of the 25th is hell. Go to GP given Endone. Pain goes away but I cannot breathe lying down back to Emergency morning of the 26th. Admitted to ICU and 19 litres (5 U.S. Gallons)(wow the effect of narcotics. I have overstated the fluid by the power of ten. 1.8 litres not 19 litrs. The alarming part is I have been in the bottled water industry for twenty years and I know what a five gallon bottle looks like.) is drained from my RH lung. Instant releif but the pain was extreme until the Morphine kicked in.

Good news is No infection.

Discharged this morning New Years Eve.

Just have to wean myself off the Endone.

 

[Duffey]

Oh, my goodness, you've been through the wringer! Five gallons of fluid is a LOT!
Get well so you can celebrate the new year with renewed good health!

 

[Mileena46]

Wow! Bless your heart! I hope you are on the mend now!! Good Luck!

Mileena

 

[BlindFaith]

Oh my goodness... here's hoping you are through with the problems and you move quickly through a smooth recovery... AND Happy New Year !!!

 

[AgilityDog]

OMG! I had a touch of pneumonia 15 years ago, and bronchitis (which started my valve problem) in 2006. Sounds like you have a really nasty case. Thank goodness you were smart enough to go back to the hospital!

Minimally invasive or not, I can only imagine the discomfort you are in, having to cough and cough and cough while still recovering from surgery, and being unable to rest.

I really feel for you! Do what you can to rest, sit near a humidifier (to help break up the gunk) and drink lots of hot fluids (ditto). It takes several weeks to get over that stuff.

 

[DebbyA]

That's a LOT of fluid--two quarts nearly did me in. Glad you finally got the correct treatment and hope you continue to mend without any more setbacks.

 

[Cris N]

Yikes - sounds like you were drowning - probably felt like it too. Here's hoping that the rest of your recovery will be uneventful.

 

[Danny]

Sorry for the bump in the road for you, hope it all goes well from now on.

 

[OldGeezerWNC]

It's always good news when you get to scram out of there. Take care of the water for sure. I know how you felt. to a tea ( spelled it that way on purpose.) My weight, right after surgery was 357 wow. After two weeks of the leg bumps and heavy duty lasix I weight 314 this morning. that a little over 4 gallons, so you win the coveted giant Bed Pan Trophy. Congrats. Keep pluging, keep peeing!!! Rick

 

[Lynlw]

Wow you are lucky they FINALLY gave you the right diagnosis. I can't believe when you called on the 23rd they didn't have you come in for testing when you called with your symptons that close to OHS. How did they diagnose you with the pnuemonia? Did they do an echo or just Xrays? I can't believe you kept going back and calling and everyone missed THAT much fluid building. I'm glad they finally helped you, but I would be pretty angery about the care, (or lack of care) that let you get so bad.
I'm curious, when the cardiologist discharged you on the 17th what testing did they do to decide you were fine?

 

[Superbob]

You've really been through the wringer! Hope all smooths out for you now -- how neat to get home on New Year's Eve! Happy New Year to you!

 

[Johan]

What a business! Hope you can now get shot of the lung problems to get going with your OHS recovery and enjoying your overhauled heart. Lung problems (but not as extreme as yours) seem to be par for the course, what with our lungs just lying there like deflated balloons for a couple of hours..

 

[JimHurst]

Hi everybody. It is the first morning of a new year and I am feeling great.

Rule #1 Never post when under the influence of narcotics.

Of course the 19 litres should have read 1.89 litres.

I also neglected to state that my original procedure was a minimaly invasive Mitral Valve Repair.

It is a bit scary that I thought I was operating normally. Oh a small mistake, just a decimal point. No especially when I have worked in the bottled water industry for over twenty years and I know what a five gallon bottle looks like

 

[Johan]

Jim, nearly 2 litres is still a lot of fluid and it is wonderful that removal of same has given you such relief. The sun has just risen on the New Year here as well and it is going to be a sunny and hot but very windy day...

 

[Lily]

Hoping for a completely successful recovery from here on out .
And the old geezer would like his trophy back .

 

[Mentu]

Glad to hear you are home again if somewhat the worse for wear. Hopefully, things will even out for you now.