WOW! I dodn't know about the pacemaker hookup. Lots of good information in this thread. Victor, I hope you're feeling better about things because at least you're armed with a lot more information.
Hang in there!
Best wishes,
Jim
Pre-Op Fatigue
- Thread starter vkernus
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WOW! I dodn't know about the pacemaker hookup. Lots of good information in this thread. Victor, I hope you're feeling better about things because at least you're armed with a lot more information.
Hang in there!
Best wishes,
Jim
netmiff
Well-known member
Victor :
the last thing the doctors or nurses want is to have you in pain, you will be given lots of pain meds the first few days. We have said it before, those of us on this side of the mountain, the waiting is the worst!
pacemaker wires are only placed "in case" - after heart surgeries, it is not uncommon for the heart to start beating erratically, or even not at all. The staff are aware of this and watch for it. They leave pacemaker wires in basically for easy access - nurses on the floor (where mine were removed) called them "jumper cables". They never needed to use mine.
As for the breathing tubes, I was kept sedated for 2 full days after surgery, due to pneumonia or some such. I remember drifting awake, being annoyed by them (but not in pain), trying to get my hand up to get them out, and someone making, "no, no leave them" noises, and drifting off again. As I woke up on day 2,removing them was the first thing they did. I don't remember pain, but I do remember releif.
The worst part for me was my surgeon liked his women patients to have their breasts bound; apparently it keeps some pressure off the nice new incicion and helps it to scar nicely. The only thing they could find in ICU was a rib brace. So there I was, all this little metal bumpy things attached to wires, a wired sternum and a whole bunch of what looked like Scotch tape from throat to belly-button, and this rib brace biting in to the whole bunch. I swear I had more pain from that thing than anything else! My mother, who had been at my surgeon's appointment with me as part of my post-op care team had insisted to the ICU staff that I be bound - thanks, mom
At least, you won't have to suffer that indignity!
the last thing the doctors or nurses want is to have you in pain, you will be given lots of pain meds the first few days. We have said it before, those of us on this side of the mountain, the waiting is the worst!
pacemaker wires are only placed "in case" - after heart surgeries, it is not uncommon for the heart to start beating erratically, or even not at all. The staff are aware of this and watch for it. They leave pacemaker wires in basically for easy access - nurses on the floor (where mine were removed) called them "jumper cables". They never needed to use mine.
As for the breathing tubes, I was kept sedated for 2 full days after surgery, due to pneumonia or some such. I remember drifting awake, being annoyed by them (but not in pain), trying to get my hand up to get them out, and someone making, "no, no leave them" noises, and drifting off again. As I woke up on day 2,removing them was the first thing they did. I don't remember pain, but I do remember releif.
The worst part for me was my surgeon liked his women patients to have their breasts bound; apparently it keeps some pressure off the nice new incicion and helps it to scar nicely. The only thing they could find in ICU was a rib brace. So there I was, all this little metal bumpy things attached to wires, a wired sternum and a whole bunch of what looked like Scotch tape from throat to belly-button, and this rib brace biting in to the whole bunch. I swear I had more pain from that thing than anything else! My mother, who had been at my surgeon's appointment with me as part of my post-op care team had insisted to the ICU staff that I be bound - thanks, mom
At least, you won't have to suffer that indignity!vkernus
Well-known member
This is all great information. Sometimes I think the more I learn the more I have to be worried about, but I am an information junkie and like to know all that I can. I can't thank you all enough for your input.
brd
Well-known member
Victor, I too was very fatigued prior to surgery. I am now two weeks post-op and though I have not regained full strength I feel less of that pre-op fatigue already. Re the breathing tube and chest tubes......I was awake when both were removed. In retrospect I wish I had not wasted time worrying about them. In the scheme of things they were really non-issues. At least for me. I would have been better served by focusing on how well I was going to do and how deliriously happy I was going to be to have it all behind me. I wish you well. Barbara
S
Susan BAV
I suffered from a strange kind of overwhelming tiredness before my deteriorating bicuspid valve was replaced.
Emotionally you say you don't feel prepared and I wonder if this is because you feel so lousy. Before surgery, I had a very strong feeling that I was slowly dying but that feeling completely went away for me with the new valve.
I've woken up on the vent twice and this last time was much worse for me and I don't ever want to go through that experience again. But there is a particular commonly administered med, called either Verced or Versed, that can disallow you to remember some things like the vent, which you can ask your doctor about.
I asked for extra pain medication right before my two drain tubes were going to be removed this time.
I don't think I had the external pacer wires, but only because I don't recall them being removed or clipped.
Hope all goes well for you.
vkernus
Well-known member
I suffered from a strange kind of overwhelming tiredness before my deteriorating bicuspid valve was replaced.
Susan. That is how I feel. Overwhelmingly tired at times. Not as if I am moving toward the white light
Victor
Victor,
Waking up tired was my main pre-surgery symptom, and 6 months later, it's gone.
I was at Fairfax, not Alexandria hospital, but just wanted you to know I was never aware of the breathing tube before or after. I dimly remember waking up and being aware that I couldn't speak, but not bothered by it. Removal of the pacer wires and drainage were likewise done painlessly. They cut one of the wires rather than keep pulling when it resisted--said it would dissolve in 30 days. I had been apprehensive about having the tubes out, but the PA just said "Take a deep breath", then "ok", and I said "That's IT???" and it was. I was not on any painkillers at that point, either.
Also, it's an external pacemaker, and the wires in your chest are temporary. The really good thing about getting all these out is that then you can take a SHOWER!
Waking up tired was my main pre-surgery symptom, and 6 months later, it's gone.
I was at Fairfax, not Alexandria hospital, but just wanted you to know I was never aware of the breathing tube before or after. I dimly remember waking up and being aware that I couldn't speak, but not bothered by it. Removal of the pacer wires and drainage were likewise done painlessly. They cut one of the wires rather than keep pulling when it resisted--said it would dissolve in 30 days. I had been apprehensive about having the tubes out, but the PA just said "Take a deep breath", then "ok", and I said "That's IT???" and it was. I was not on any painkillers at that point, either.
Also, it's an external pacemaker, and the wires in your chest are temporary. The really good thing about getting all these out is that then you can take a SHOWER!
