New Guy done made it through the zipper gates!

[EasterRat]

Hey kids, well I made it through the surgery last week. It was a week today and I was on the table right now. I have an AV repair, with nothing else required at this time. Quite the experience from top to bottom. Thanks to all on this site for helping me with mental preparation and in the weeks and years to come, in advance. I stayed in ICU for less than 24 hours (a scary incident when my neighbour coded - damn) and the next night on the ward I had some palpitations but nothing that showed as problematic on the tracings, just anxiety inducing. Met some great nurses, dodged the not so great ones and got out 5 days after surgery. Code brown did become my final hurdle, but after all measures were brought to bear, function was restored. I was up and walking quick and often, thank the lord for never skipping Leg Day at the gym...each night's sleep has been better, there sure were some sketchy ones when all the tubes and such were in...geez louise....

Now onto the phase where I manage my energy and my expectations and all the followups start happening, crossing my fingers for great news there...already getting lots of street cred for the sick new scar....lol

Oh, and my word, the tube and wire pull outs....impossible to explain...

If you are heading in soon, be brave, be calm, be strong, the level of expertise and caring in this area of medicine is astounding!

Dylan

 

[Duffey]

Congratulations, Dylan, on a successful repair. I hope any bumps you hit are small, and you resume your normal everyday activities quickly. Best wishes, Mary

 

[dick0236]

Oh, and my word, the tube and wire pull outs....impossible to explain...


Dylan

Some things don't seem to have changed much in 50 years........I still remember the "tube pulling" experience.

Glad to hear all is OK with you and that a repair was all you needed.

 

[Paleowoman]

Glad you made it through the Zipper gates Dylan ! Sorry the tube and wire pull outs were a bit......(fill in the dots). I don't remember the ventilator tube coming out at all, and when the drainage tubes were pulled out I was prepared for it to hurt and it was absolutley fine, the same with the wires, I was pleasantly surprised, I guess I was lucky. Keep walking and breathing and you'll soon be in cardiac rehab !

 

[pellicle]

Well done.

The tubes and wires remind you that you are just a biological thing that's for sure.

I keep telling people that kimchi is the answer to code brown.


When they took out my catheter there was an amount of surplus gas injected, so when I had my first pee , just when I still thought there was more liquid my little guy made a fart sound

Laughed really loud and hurt myself

 

[LondonAndy]

Welcome Dylan, and very glad to hear all went well. Interesting to be reminded of some of the things after surgery - I only vaguely remember the ventilator tube coming out, which wasn't painful but maybe that was because of the meds I was on. The drainage tubes were a little uncomfortable coming out, and I they have left the sternum wires in, I think they said.

Hope you are finding a comfortable position for sleeping; I prefer to sleep on my side, so having to sleep on my back for a few weeks was frustrating. I found an electric recliner best, as I could hold the angle I wanted exactly.

 

[EasterRat]

Thanks folks! I don't remember the ventilator coming out that much so it's all good. The drainage tubes and wires didn't really hurt...just you know...if you've been there. I have this lazy boy couch with multiple different areas to get comfy, def money well spent. I'm usually a tosser and side sleeper so the back sleeping has been a bit of a challenge. A wedge pillow helps!

 

[jwinter]

Good to see this post from you and welcome back. You now have wisdom to share here. I agree with you on those tubes and the ventilator. Loved my Lazy Boy after first surgery and lived in it for a long time. Second surgery I was able to go from couch to bed sooner.

Heal now and also know there will be up and down days for awhile. Be good to yourself as you deserve it!

 

[pellicle]

I'm usually a tosser ..

Totally different meaning I Australian vernacular.

Got a grin out of your unintended meaning

 

[epstns]

Pellicle - You never told us that you could fart in two-part harmony! Pics or it didn't happen! ! !

Dylan - You got a ZIPPER? I didn't. They just closed me up with Krazy Glue and that was it. Internal sutures dissolved, glue eventually just peeled off. Not much of a scar left at all.

Oh, and thinking of that new scar, Dylan -- You can make use of one of my stories. If someone at the gym stares at my scar or asks me about it, I just tell them "That is from a knife fight that I almost lost." It gets really quiet after that. . .

 

[pellicle]

Pellicle - You never told us that you could fart in two-part harmony! Pics or it didn't happen! ! !

. . .

Consider yourself lucky there were no mobile phones and YouTube in 1992

 

[cldlhd]

Good to hear. I actually don't remember the ventilator tube but now that you mention it I remember the drainage tubes. Funny today is 2 years for me and I can't remember the last time I thought about them.

 

[EasterRat]

Totally different meaning I Australian vernacular.

Got a grin out of your unintended meaning

Haha, totally...I have been known to be one of those too!

 

[EasterRat]

Oh, and thinking of that new scar, Dylan -- You can make use of one of my stories. If someone at the gym stares at my scar or asks me about it, I just tell them "That is from a knife fight that I almost lost." It gets really quiet after that. . .

The scar is the best part, I have already ordered a pile of deep v's and the Mr T starter kit for Summer! My cool factor has increased by at least 3.4%!

 

[pellicle]

Hi

The scar is the best part,

Just read this in the news letter I get from the company I buy coaguchek strips from

http://news.doccheck.com/en/newslet...mpaign=Newsletter-EN-DocCheck+News-2017-02-01

Maybe scars are going away

 

[honeybunny]

Hearty congrats and best wishes for your continued recovery.

Hugs,
michele

 

[Agian]

The scar is the best part, I have already ordered a pile of deep v's and the Mr T starter kit for Summer! My cool factor has increased by at least 3.4%!

LOL Love your work!!

Just make sure the gold chains don't obscure the scar. But seriously, if you were to go shirtless so soon after to op, people would be scared shitless.

 

[Lisa2]

Congrats on making to this side of the mountain!

 

[EasterRat]

Thanks again folks for the well wishes...I can't believe the difference a week makes! Feeling good and getting registered for the cardiac rehab program...should be nice to meet some older folks, looking forward to tales of wisdom...lol. My shoulders and chest are starting to loosen up and my brain is able to focus for longer stretches which is nice...still waiting for the inevitable plateau that will vex me...

D