Post Op thread

[AmyR]

Hello fellow valvers.

Now that i feel human i thought i would share my exp with you guys. First i will start of with the biggest thank you to all you guys who have been my real support and confidence boosters. I went in on monday morning at 12:30pm was out of OT by 5:45 pm. Was in the ITU for 2days. During my ITU stay most of the tubes were removed and thats when i got to know my valve was repaired instead of being replaced, was a little shocker but all in a positive way. 3rd day i was back in my room recovering. Tiredness, poor vision, a little pain all of it existed but was manageable though not a pleasant exp. Today i am 5 days post op. I do my walks and my cardiac rehab. Doing a little yoga as well. I feel pretty much back to okay i wouldnt say normal but okay. On the whole it sure was one exp. Hats off to all you who have been tru it and the ones in the waiting room my suggestion is All you need to do is stay positive and go in with a blank mind. You would be irritable for a couple of days but all will fall into place. I am having a bad time with the hiccups but yeah its okay should be handled, though most of you guys wouldn get actual hiccups. Stay fit. Keep ticking. Keep smiling and most important take in all in a positive way. Life should be kept as simple as possible. Once again thanks a lit to the blog and my fellow bloggers. Love and hugs all your way.

 

[Agian]

Thanks for sharing your story.

 

[kimcdougc]

What a wonderful attitude Amy! Keep on getting better everyday!

 

[njean]

So glad to hear from you Amy and to know that you are progressing well!

Wishing you a very wonderful and renewed life! Enjoy!

 

[jhc1]

Way to go Amy! glad things worked out well for you. I'm almost 2 weeks post op and itching to get back to yoga. what form do you practice?

 

[AmyR]

i am day 5 post op. They have a yoga program here at the hospital. They giving us only basic relaxation techniques. It is very helpful in keeping you calm and composed. the basic ones i am typing below 4 u.

1. block left nostril with a finger and breath in deep from the right hold your breath for 2 sec then block your right nostril and breath out from the left. Try sitting on a chair with your back straight and close your eyes while you do this. repeat it in vice versa manner. You can do this for about 5 min.

2.Deep breath in from your nose and hold breath for 2 sec and then exhale from your mouth. Same 5 mins and chair and straight back.

3. Take a deep breath and then exhale with your mouth closed and making a humming noise. Not too loud just so that you feel the vibrations in your head.

It takes 15 mins and best done early in the morning.

All the best.

 

[AmyR]

Again- Anytime.

Kim- Thank you. I think the positive attitude helps you recover faster so yeah thats my secret.

njean- thank yu so much.

 

[AmyR]

All was going perfectly good. i am 2 weeks post op. i walk about 2 miles a day at normal speed not like a brisk walk. i do my physiotherapy. All was fine till today, felt breathless all evening and the muscles spasms on my back from my sleeping posture took a toll on me and to end it, i had some coughing session outta letting water into my wind pipe and darn i could feel every rib in my chest with every cough. Uuuf...!! one tough day. feeling better now with a little bit of relaxing. back on track to recovery. I know having a few bad days in normal so yeah i just want to leave it behind and move on and not get anxious about it. thanks for listening.

 

[ski girl]

Amy you really are doing well! I'm having a bit of a giggle at you coughing because you inhaled water, I'm sure I did the same at some point! Just wait until your first sneeze . . . that is NOT fun. :-( Keep up the positivity!!

 

[pellicle]

pipe and darn i could feel every rib in my chest with every cough. Uuuf...!! one tough day. feeling better now with a little bit of relaxing. back on track to recovery. I know having a few bad days in normal so yeah i just want to leave it behind and move on and not get anxious about it. thanks for listening.

Great to hear. Keep up that positive attitude

Great to read. Complain as needed, we know how it feels even if we can't help any more than listen

best wishes

 

[AmyR]

SkiGirl- i guess i will giggle when i think back about it after about 3-4 months. Oh let me tell you, i had my first sneeze 3rd day post op and i felt my lung where cracking every possible rib of mine to plunge outta my body. Darn that was the worst exp till date but yeah taught me a lesson. I dont do anything that would make me sneeze now and still in case i feel like i am going to sneeze i will hold my nose and sit like i was a school boy who was punished for not doing homework. Hahaha. thanks again .

pellicle- Dont say you cant help, you guys replying and telling me its all normal is better than some1 standing by me as a support without understanding wat i am going through. Positivity and the mental peace is what i have got from all you wonderful people i found here.

 

[epstns]

Don't forget - if you just have to cough or sneeze and don't have your heart pillow nearby to support your sternum, you can just press both hands flat against your upper sternum to support the bone during your cough/sneeze. I got caught many times during my first month or so post-op, and this trick saved me a lot of pain. Just use one or both hands, pressing flat against your sternum as you cough.

 

[Agian]

pellicle- Dont say you cant help, you guys replying and telling me its all normal is better than some1 standing by me as a support without understanding wat i am going through. Positivity and the mental peace is what i have got from all you wonderful people i found here.

I agree with you Amy. These guys are a source of great comfort.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

For me, coughing has been worse than sneezing. However, that is mostly due to the fact my dog, who hates the sounds of coughing, gives me the evil eye. She has gotten sensitive enough that, even before I cough, she runs to keep her eye on me if she hears the sound of the indicator on my spirometer.

I'm lucky she still enjoys belly rubs because otherwise I'm pretty useless right now. What good is a master who can't play tug of war or frisbee? -- Suzanne

 

[AmyR]

epstns ya i tried that also. It sure is a good support but still a horrible pain. So yeah i try my best to avoid coughing or sneezing.

Again- Yeah. trust me i went in for surgery laughing and telling people to take a chill pill cause it was just a surgery not a war i was going for. and i thank all these amazing ppl here for the confidence they have put in me. also not to be so bad my surgeons also where a very imp part of pumping me with the confidence.

Suzanne- Trust me dogs are super cute and m sure she understands your pain. but still for me the sneeze is like a canon shot into my rib.

 

[epstns]

The worst thing about sneezing is that it often catches you by surprise and there is no way to stop it from happening.

 

[AmyR]

lol i have never had those surprise sneezes fortunately till now. TOUCHWOOD.

Guys one quick question i have been having a few funny symptoms. when on the comp i suddenly feel my sight slipping off followed by a mild headache. Also i have been having a few skipped beats today, i am 2 weeks post op. is this normal?

 

[epstns]

Vision issues are quite common after valve surgery. Some attribute the issues to "debris" caused by the heart/lung machine, which can block some of the tiny capillaries in the eye for short periods of time. This causes what feels like muscle cramps in the eye and may result in vision disturbances. As long as the incidents are short and not frequent, I would just mention them the next time you see your cardio. If they get to be too frequent or too painful, it could be a sign of more serious blockage and need medical attention. I am over 2 years post-op and still have these incidents once in a while. Mine are sometimes just like muscle cramps in the eyes, making it difficult to focus clearly at certain distances. If it happened while driving, I would still be able to see well enough to drive safely.

 

[Jkm7]

Occular migraines without headache are not unusual post OHS.

Though they are harmless they should be checked by ophthamologist just in case it is something else. Don't ignore or brush off visual disturbances. Be sure to have them checked.

When in doubt, check it out.

 

[Agian]

Eye symptoms are too easily dismissed. I've had retinal detachments in both eyes. Fixed now, because I didn't ignore them. Better to be safe than sorry.