Post Op Day 3 from AVR and doing GREAT!!

[jpattillo]

I had a mechanical AVR on Tuesday. It's now Friday evening and I'm nearly pain free, eating full meals and back to work (albeit from the hospital bed). I think the biggest difference lies in the fact that I had a right anterior thoracotomy instead of a mini-strernotomy. Dr. Clifton Lewis here in Birmingham is the only doc here doing this procedure. Oh, and the incision is only 2 inches or so with no broken bones.

I'm also starting to sleep pretty well too. My biggest fear was being bothered by the click. While I definitely hear it, it isn't bothersome at all.

The worst part about the recovery has been the back pain I've had from the posterior chest tube on the right side. That cause some major pain for a while. The percocet really helped but it made me nauseated. I've finally gotten past that after about 48 hours. I ate some good ole Birmingham BBQ tonight and didn't leave a single bite on my plate.

 

[Bina]

Nice to see you on the "other side". Recovery can have it's ups and downs, but it is so worth it.

 

[TheGymGuy]

Sounds like you're doing well. Keep it up. wow, a 2" incision - awesome!!!!!

 

[Bill B]

Excellent!

Just to show how weird these things can be, I got the big sternal incision, spent 10 hours on the table, had the chect tubes, pacing wire and bladder catheter for several days and never had ANY pain anywhere and received no pain relievers at all after the first routine dose.

I wish everyone could do as well as you, GymGuy and I have done.

 

[jpattillo]

Bill, you definitely win! I do have back pain but it's nothing lortab won't fix. My stamina and endurance is what has really bounced back.

 

[Sarah_Louise]

Glad to hear everything went well
love Sarah xxx

 

[neil]

brill news,