My official post op thread

[sood]

Day 12 post op:

-INR has not stabilized. Was at 1.7 yesterday. Next test is Tuesday. Will be taking 7.5 mg per day as I have with a couple 10 mg days mixed in.

- Taking 3 walks per day, now up to over 3 miles total per day. Doing a mile in about 17 minutes, I really really feel like I can almost run at this point but of course I won't.

- stopped the pain meds a couple days ago

- restful sleep has returned

Very grateful!

 

[kimcdougc]

Day 12 post op:

-INR has not stabilized. Was at 1.7 yesterday. Next test is Tuesday. Will be taking 7.5 mg per day as I have with a couple 10 mg days mixed in.

- Taking 3 walks per day, now up to over 3 miles total per day. Doing a mile in about 17 minutes, I really really feel like I can almost run at this point but of course I won't.

- stopped the pain meds a couple days ago

- restful sleep has returned

Very grateful!

Sood,

Are you doing your INR testing at the lab right now? Otherwise, sounds like you are doing great. Only (6) more days until my surgery. Funny but I can't wait to get it done and over. Your post are very inspiring...of course you are a lot younger than me. lol - Kim

 

[sood]

Kim,

Yes I am testing on a meter at the cardiologists office. I have been eating what I want but as of yesterday I'm a little more conscious of green veggie intake. You will be fine hopefully!

 

[youngmom]

so glad and so encouraged by your recovery. Im a little scared about the blood thinner and what i can and cant eat. guess they will explain that on the 15th of june when i go in for surgery

 

[AgilityDog]

youngmom,
You can eat anything you want to on warfarin/coumadin. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise (just nod your head and roll your eyes at their ignorance - I remember a co-worker who was told and believed he couldn't even eat iceberg lettuce while on warfarin).

Ideally, your intake week to week should be fairly consistent in the greens department. I have found few things that affect my INR, though I do try not to binge on Kale (at 1200 mcg of Vit K per cup, vs. about 400 mcg for spinach, cabbage, and 100 mcg for green beans, carrots, etc.), although I eat it and enjoy it when it is in season. I keep it down to one bunch per week, not two bunches!
The only thing that really sends me through the roof is tonic water (quinine). some people have problems with drinking lots of cranberry juice, although the occasional glass is NBD.
You'll get more interactions from antibiotics and other drugs.

 

[sood]

I have found that many of the nurses, etc. that have talked to me about coumadin don't know very much about it. I've tried to eat what I want as far as greens the past couple weeks. I think the hard thing to do is maintain consistency, so I think I might jot down what greens I eat and approximately how much on a daily basis just so I can compare it to my INR. I'm confident we'll stabilize my INR. We've only really been working on it less than 1.5 weeks.

 

[sood]

Feeling the energy to go watch a movie with my wife today! 2 walks already down. Yesterday I felt really emotional, I think I need to get out here and there and do some normal stuff once in a while.

 

[kimcdougc]

Sood, you just keep on keepin on. A movie sounds absolutely NORMAL! Go for it. Keep us updated. Kim

 

[epstns]

Another thing to keep in mind is that during the initial phases of recovery, some of us had trouble stabilizing and regulating INR. I needed to take warfarin for 3 months for post-op afib, and we had a terrible time regulating my INR. Just about the time I was to stop the warfarin, things seemed to settle down.

 

[missaviator]

Just wanted to see how your doing? It is a hot gorgeous day in Southern California hope you and your wife are enjoying it! I go in 5AM Tuesday, hopefully I won't get bumped again...I want to be on the otherside!!!

 

[sood]

Thanks Rachel I am doing great. It was a beautiful day today! I got some shopping in at fashion valley with my family. Yesterday was my 36th birthday, so we had family over for a little party. All in all I'm doing pretty well, get tired but I can do 25 minute walks of 1.5 miles each with ease. I have a bit of a cough from all the irritation the surgery does on the lungs, but that's getting better. Pain and soreness is minimal. I'm starting cardiac rehab and meeting with the surgeon on the 29th.

I'm hoping all goes well with your op Tuesday. Keep us updated!!

 

[missaviator]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Let me know how you like cardiac rehab. I didn't do it last time but I am curious after everyone's experiences on here. I am so glad you are doing so well. I hope I have as smooth of a recovery.

Thank you, I am a little nervous, but I can't wait to smile right when I wake up post-op.
I know I won't be able to sleep a wink tomorrow night!

 

[sood]

Thanks Rachel! I am waiting for your update that your surgery went well!

I am now 22 days post-op. I met with cardiac rehab a couple days ago and start next week. I'm pretty excited about that so I can advance in my exercises in the appropriate manner.

My INR was 2.8 the other day, which is good. So it looks like we're getting toward stabilizing that.

I am doing 2, 30 minute walks per day now. The cardiac rehab nurse told me to remove one of my walks as it seemed like I might have been going overboard. I walked a mile today in 16m 13 seconds, which is the fastest I have walked thus far and probably right around my pre-surgery rate. So I'm excited about that because I didn't even feel tired.

My recovery has been pretty uneventful thank God. I do have occasional 30-60 seconds of rushing dull pain in random places like my shoulders or back happening a couple times a week. After a quick search in the forums many seem to have been complaining of similar issues. I'm not too worried about this but will discuss with the surgeon when I meet with him on Wednesday.

All in all things are pretty positive, I'm hoping to be cleared to drive next week and return to work the beginning of June in some capacity. I plan on doing cardiac rehab 3 times per week in June and then going off on my own beginning in July.

 

[AZ Don]

Sood,
Glad to hear you are still recovering well. Can you tell me how soon you were able to sleep on your side? I tried lying down in bed yesterday and I'm clearly not ready for it. I don't sleep well flat on my back and my side was quite uncomfortable. Luckily I have a nice recliner but looking forward to the day I can sleep in my own bed again.

 

[sood]

Don, glad your surgery went well! You must get a wedge pillow from bed bath and beyond or somewhere similar. With the aide of that I have been sleeping in bed 2 nights after I got home. I think I can lie flat now but I'm still using it at night to sleep, I feel it takes a lot of pressure off my back and chest. I have been sleeping on my side with the wedge pillow since about 1 week post op. I put my regular pillow on top of the wedge pillow.

Here is a link hope it helps!
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=10060850

 

[AZ Don]

Thanks. I'll probably wait a couple days then give that a try.

 

[sood]

I met with my surgeon today. He cleared me to drive and return to work part time next week. Also had my first day of cardiac rehab today which was nicer than walking miles. All in all things slowly returning to normal

 

[epstns]

Good news! Enjoy rehab. I found it to be very reassuring to me. They showed me that I wouldn't "break" if I pushed it a bit. I enjoyed it so thoroughly that I stop in to visit and thank the rehab staff when I'm in the hospital area.

 

[Rachel]

Sounds like you're doing great!

I used my heart pillow for an additional 12 weeks when I returned to driving to cushion my sternum from the seat belt - I think it helped.

 

[sood]

I guess I finally hit a minor road bump. I got a mild sore throat a couple days ago that's turned into a cough and cold. The cough stays with me for months. Hope I don't get pneumonia. Had a follow up with my cardio on Tuesday anyway. So far just feels like a regular cold. Usually I just get many herbal drinks from the supermarket that helps. But trying to be careful with Coumadin so I'm sticking to water and oj.