Post op complications

[Protimenow]

If your INR was too low, you wouldn't have been given Vitamin K -- they probably gave you Lovenox (low molecular weight heparin).

 

[carolinemc]

If your INR was too low, you wouldn't have been given Vitamin K -- they probably gave you Lovenox (low molecular weight heparin).

Mine was very low, so I was given Vitamin K shots in the hospital till the INR was normal while taking Coumadin. Ain't had no problems since then. Had a great Cardio at that time. From India. They are the greatest Cardio doctors.

 

[Protimenow]

Vitamin K reduces your INR. It's what they give you when your INR is too high. Vitamin K is injected into the arm.

Lovenox is a form of heparin. It's injected twice daily into abdominal fat. It often leaves a very nice bruise. It's what they use to protect you until Warfarin brings your INR into range.

I've used Lovenox in the past, after I reduced my INR for medical or dental procedures.

 

[carolinemc]

Oh you so right, my bad(used to be bag). Sorry, did Lovenox when I was off the warafarin when I lost my job and lost the insurance. I have to do it for Coloscopy in November, not lookin forward to it, but at least, hopefully, I won't feel a thing.

 

[Protimenow]

Lost job. Lost insurance. I feel for you. At least Warfarin is relatively inexpensive, even without insurance - but a doctor to prescribe it may have added a lot of cost to that. Here's where having your own meter, and being able to self-test (and perhaps self-manage) can help you get through this.

I hope your situation has gotten better for you.

And - getting briefly political - it would be good to live in a country where they view medical care as a human right. Then you, and me (and my poor wife), and millions of others wouldn't have to worry about when a problem is large enough to seek medical help, balancing that against available finances, and when seeking medical help is worth cutting down the number of meals we have for a few months.

End of pollitical comment.

Again, I hope your situation has improved.

I'm told that they use some 'pretty good drugs' when doing a colonoscopy -- the biggest problem for most people is that damned prep.

 

[tom in MO]

Lost job. Lost insurance. I feel for you. At least Warfarin is relatively inexpensive, even without insurance - but a doctor to prescribe it may have added a lot of cost to that. Here's where having your own meter, and being able to self-test (and perhaps self-manage) can help you get through this.

I hope your situation has gotten better for you.

And - getting briefly political - it would be good to live in a country where they view medical care as a human right. Then you, and me (and my poor wife), and millions of others wouldn't have to worry about when a problem is large enough to seek medical help, balancing that against available finances, and when seeking medical help is worth cutting down the number of meals we have for a few months.

End of pollitical comment.

Again, I hope your situation has improved.

I'm told that they use some 'pretty good drugs' when doing a colonoscopy -- the biggest problem for most people is that damned prep.

If you don't like the normal prep, and don't mind enemas, you can do back to back enemas an hour or so before the procedure instead. It's not offered any more but used to be, and if you ask they will let you.

 

[Protimenow]

There's also a newer prep that is supposedly a bit easier to take.

 

[Rainbow]

Hi Team. So back to hospital we go again. This time it’s a pulmonary embolism. They are treating it with drugs and hoping it will break up and disperse but have to wait for CT scan to see how it’s going.

 

[Seaton]

Hi Team. So back to hospital we go again. This time it’s a pulmonary embolism. They are treating it with drugs and hoping it will break up and disperse but have to wait for CT scan to see how it’s going.

Really sorry to hear that, @Rainbow.
Hoping things can be resolved well and quickly and better health can progress.
Sending good thoughts to your husband and yourself for the days ahead.

 

[pellicle]

Hi Team. So back to hospital we go again. This time it’s a pulmonary embolism. They are treating it with drugs and hoping it will break up and disperse but have to wait for CT scan to see how it’s going.

Hey ... there's often a few bumps in the road to recovery.

I hope this resolves quickly and moves into the "simple recovery" phase

Best Wishes

 

[Brynn]

My surgery in 2004 resulted in a pericardial effusion 2 weeks after going home. Ended up back in ER and had a Pulp Fiction moment, no anesthesia, just direct *** into chest to drain 2000 kg of fluid. I stayed in the hospital longer for that recovery than I did for the surgery. I also, gain 15ibs in hospital when they weighed me post surgery 3 days later,it was so gross, way too much fluid. I am facing my 3rd surgery thursday, many procedures to be done. Ascending aorta, root and BAV replacements, VSD repair and ligation and ablation to correct arrhythmia and afib/flutter.

 

[pellicle]

Hi Team. So back to hospital we go again. This time it’s a pulmonary embolism. They are treating it with drugs and hoping it will break up and disperse but have to wait for CT scan to see how it’s going.

a rocky road recovery it seems ... keep strong and just patiently follow it all through ... that's why we're called patients ;-)
Some words from Marcus Aurelius:

we always say "you can be anything you want to be" ... this includes strong

Best Wishes

 

[Ladybug]

My surgery in 2004 resulted in a pericardial effusion 2 weeks after going home. Ended up back in ER and had a Pulp Fiction moment, no anesthesia, just direct *** into chest to drain 2000 kg of fluid. I stayed in the hospital longer for that recovery than I did for the surgery. I also, gain 15ibs in hospital when they weighed me post surgery 3 days later,it was so gross, way too much fluid. I am facing my 3rd surgery thursday, many procedures to be done. Ascending aorta, root and BAV replacements, VSD repair and ligation and ablation to correct arrhythmia and afib/flutter.

I’m holding best hopes for you to have a great outcome. This can’t be easy. What a trooper you must be. Just hang in there. Surely better days are ahead.

 

[tom in MO]

My surgery in 2004 resulted in a pericardial effusion 2 weeks after going home. Ended up back in ER and had a Pulp Fiction moment, no anesthesia, just direct *** into chest to drain 2000 kg of fluid. I stayed in the hospital longer for that recovery than I did for the surgery. I also, gain 15ibs in hospital when they weighed me post surgery 3 days later,it was so gross, way too much fluid. I am facing my 3rd surgery thursday, many procedures to be done. Ascending aorta, root and BAV replacements, VSD repair and ligation and ablation to correct arrhythmia and afib/flutter.

Good luck! Hoping all goes well. Pretty soon you will be back doing "beachbody HIIT workouts with light weights, tennis, golf, biking 25/30 miles a ride, devoting 1.5 hrs a day everyday to exercise."

 

[newarrior]

Your husband’s experience is why I suggest everyone weigh daily for 6-12 weeks post-op. Fluid build up in the lungs or around the hearti is a fairly frequent complication following valve replacement and the scales will show it early on. I’m glad you figured it out in time.

Why is fluid build up a post complication and how does one know when it is serious ?

 

[slipkid]

Why is fluid build up a post complication and how does one know when it is serious ?

That is a good question.

I don't know the answer but in my case assumed it was just from all the trauma of what I went through, that my body had to adjust & get back to normal. I had more than just the AVR though (had a heart attack, emergency open heart surgery with AVR and double bypass). The fact that I had a vein removed from my right leg (giving me what is called a "veinous deficiency" of something like 60%? in my leg - can't recall the %) I assumed was most of that reason.

My legs were so swollen I did not even have toes for most of my hospital stay. I looked like the Michelen (spelling?) man. Had to wear some kind of foot massaging & mechanical exercising sock/shoe things in bed at the hospital to try to reduce the swelling.

And although the swelling had gone down when I was released just sitting in my sister's car for the ride home my right leg swelled up so bad I was back to being toeless when I got home. Thankfully that went back down to normal in a few hours.

Luckily I did not have swelling/fluid buildup elsewhere. Or rather that went down in the hospital during the first week or whatever it was, thx to the 3 chest tubes I had stuck in me.

 

[MdaPA]

Why is fluid build up a post complication and how does one know when it is serious ?

See below link.

pleural-effusion-drain-valve-replacement-repair-symptoms

 

[newarrior]

That is a good question.

I don't know the answer but in my case assumed it was just from all the trauma of what I went through, that my body had to adjust & get back to normal. I had more than just the AVR though (had a heart attack, emergency open heart surgery with AVR and double bypass). The fact that I had a vein removed from my right leg (giving me what is called a "veinous deficiency" of something like 60%? in my leg - can't recall the %) I assumed was most of that reason.

My legs were so swollen I did not even have toes for most of my hospital stay. I looked like the Michelen (spelling?) man. Had to wear some kind of foot massaging & mechanical exercising sock/shoe things in bed at the hospital to try to reduce the swelling.

And although the swelling had gone down when I was released just sitting in my sister's car for the ride home my right leg swelled up so bad I was back to being toeless when I got home. Thankfully that went back down to normal in a few hours.

Luckily I did not have swelling/fluid buildup elsewhere. Or rather that went down in the hospital during the first week or whatever it was, thx to the 3 chest tubes I had stuck in me.

So sorry to hear