Pumpheadedness?

[Harpoon]

Al: I dunno if this is a defect or if it was intentional, however, you can't lock the keys into my car because you can't lock the driver's side door unless you do it from outside the car (hence, you have to have the key in your hand.)

I think this ia pretty neat trick and I've never heard of it in any other car (I have an older model Olds) so I suspect it's actually some kind of malfunction in the locking mechanism. I CAN lock the car completely from the outside so that's not an issue, I just need to use the key to do it.

Wouldn't it be nice if this was a standard feature on all cars.

Automatic cut-offs for all electrical systems (headlights) should be standard too.

My brother needs something that prohibits him from parking his car in the sand, but that may still be a few years off....


Heehee! =)

 

[Kenny F]

Interesting, Harpoon, about stopping the heart. I just got my medical records today and read with fascination how they cooled me down to 28 degrees, clamped my aorta, put me on the pump, and, ultimately, cooled me 17 and arrested the heart, packed it in slush (!) so they could repair the root. Of course, it notes they successfully restarted the heart.

I have been looking for effects, but after 4-5 weeks most or all of the fog lifted. I could not read anything deep or involved and was easily bored with stuff. But all that seems to be lifting. I still have trouble with small details and names I should know.

Anesthesia, Pump or "Slush-head"? Who knows?

 

[Christina L]

I still feel foggy-headed nine weeks out from mitral valve repair!!

This thread got me to thinking - the thing I do remember pretty well now (bad memories) is that the FIRST night in the regular ward, after being in ICU where care is constant, I felt like the care was not as good and the noise was awful and I couldn't sleep (was in a shared room, eventually got a private room - what a Godsend that was) - I was totally "out of my head" - I was crying and upset - and I TRULY thought that I could go back to my hotel room with Wayne because I would get more sleep there and feel better.

Thank God I didn't, in that state, get up and walk out of the place! I was really drugged up and not thinking straight at all!

The first few days are the roughest when it comes to not thinking clearly, but like I say, I still feel kind of "foggy."

Christina L.

 

[Marge]

Oh, please, somebody tell me that they don't pack you in ice anymore! Or if they do it, that they only do it during the surgery itself, when you're not going to be aware of it. Because if you are aware of it, it is truly a horrifying experience.

I have never had heart surgery (not yet anyway) but when I had my arm/shoulder amputation I had the ice packs.

It must have been after the surgery because of course I have no recollection of the surgery, but a definite recollection of the ice packs.

I remember (or I think I remember) they told me it was because they had collapsed a lung, but I was so confused I may have completely misunderstood. That is really the only BAD memory I retained of that period. ICU itself was a blur; and the rest of the hospital stay was bliss, because everybody was so nice & because I was no longer in the pain that I'd lived with for months before the surgery.

But those icy sheets! For days afterwards I was terrified I'd have to go back into them. Because of the mention of "collapsed lung," I guess, I assumed that the ice was somehow connected with breathing. I thought that if I didn't perform properly when the respiratory therapist came by with the breathing machine I'd be sent back to be packed in ice again. He told me I was the best little breather he had on his rounds. He probably had no idea why I was so compliant, even when they woke me in the middle of the night to breathe into that thing. I was terrified to even mention my fears.

 

[Nancy]

Marge-

When you have your meeting with the surgeon, be sure to mention your past experience with being packed in ice. It's always a good thing to bring these past experiences up so history does not repeat itself. I think under some circumstances they do cool the body down, but it is not every surgery and I'm sure the patient is out. It might be the more lengthy ones, or those requiring special things done.

Your feeling are very legitimate and need to be aired with the surgeon.

You are not the only person to mention being packed in ice and having a dread of it. We have a member who had his first heart valve surgery in the 60's, before there was any modern means to put people on the pump. His surgery was an emergency repair and they had to stop his heart for a short time, so he was put on an ice mattress. He remembered that quite vividly. He was a young teen at the time.

Amazingly, that crude repair lasted until a couple of years ago, when he had a mechanical valve put in.

 

[Kathy]

But, seriously, I started using a Palm device about two years ago, which I keep a LOT of information in; addresses, phone numbers, to-do lists, passwords, you name it.

Raverlaw;

I have used a Palm religiously for 4 or 5 years. I didn't have it a the hospital the first week because I was afraid it might get lost. My husband brought it in for me the second week. I was shocked when I couldn't remember how to use it.

I also couldn't remember how to make a credit card call. I ran up a $150 bill using the hospital operator!!

I was able to read novels with some substance at about 6 weeks.
The first book I read was a really light weight book about first ladies. It was large print book and I didn't need to remember any characters. Although it was somewhat boring, it gave me a feeling of satisfaction to know that I had completed a book.

I found it interesting that I was able to read music and play the piano before I could read books.

 

[fisher6476]

Marge,
I don't know if it is the same for everybody but I remember as I was being wheeld down the hallway to the OR feeling really OK. I think they gave me some happy juice by then. I remember them saying something about starting some IVs but I did not seem to care. The next thing I remember is trying to open my eyes after surgery because my wife and daughter were at my side wanting to see me. I bet by the time you get going your experience will be similar... really kind of at peace by the time I was in the OR

 

[hensylee]

Marge - be sure to tell your dr.

I think you will be ok. My experience was that everyone introduced themselves, they told me the room was cold but they had heated sheets waiting for me. The last thing I recall is the wondrous feeling of those warmed sheets as I drifted away........and I will never forget it.

 

[MarciaB]

I may be wrong about this, but I think they do cool you down. Not with ice anymore though. I think it's to minimize damage during the time they are working on you. Once they stop the heart there is no blood flowing to the heart muscle and by cooling you down it gives them 30-45 minutes with the heart stopped. My surgeon mentioned something about the horizontal incision taking more time to cool you down. I've also heard that sometimes they won't let your family touch you after surgery because your skin is cold, and along with the grey color, would be freaky.

Kenny: How did you get the record of the surgery - from the hospital?

Pumpheadedness - I was only able to read short magazine articles (like in People) while in the hospital. After a couple of days home I read a book of short stories. Then I could handle a real book again. I remember my first shower at home, I couldn't fiqure out which way to turn it to get more "hot".

 

[ALCapshaw2]

ICE PACKS

ICE PACKS

Some time ago I saw a piece about Heart Surgery on Educational TV and they mentioned that in Russia, they use ICE instead of Heart-Lung machines so their patients don't get 'pump headedness', but the surgeons do have to operate very FAST. I'm sure they don't have problems making Ice in Siberia!

BTW, I believe the 28 degree body temperatures we see in our surgery reports is Centigrade and NOT Fahrenheit. 28 degrees C = 82 deg F

'AL'

 

[Gisele]

Huh?

Huh?

I have learned how to cover up my forgetfulness pretty well so it doesn't show as much, but boy do I forget stuff!

I noticed after my subdural/stroke/brain surgery, I couldn't remember names of people who I should have known! It was frustrating. I also had difficulty saying what was on my mind, like the thought would be stuck in my brain. I also couldn't differentiate the different days of the week, like what day I had gone to the hairdressers. Words would be at the tip of my tongue. Some of this improved a bit but I still have difficulty focusing and concentrating on anything. I have to write everything down as I am afraid to forget. I sat there for two hours on Friday night trying to recall the name of a band I had seen this past June at the Fleet Center. It finally came to me--it was the Eagles......but I just couldn't come up with it!

Of course my recent OHS didn't help matters too much. I am not sure how much is neurological from my event and how much is from the pump.

All I know is someone can tell me a secret and not have to worry that I would repeat it as chances are I won't even remember it! LOL

 

[hensylee]

getting your report - maybe this will help.

After surgery of another sort last May, on my first visit to the surgeon, I asked his office personnel for a copy of his surgery report the moment I walked in and before I saw the doctor. When I left, she had it ready for me. Much easier, I would think, than trying to get it later. They can't refuse you. It is your right to have a copy.

As to cooling, I don't know - they may have - I was sleepin, I guess. I only recall those warmed sheets and the warm fuzzy feeling. lol

 

[Marge]

Oh, I don't mind being "cooled down" DURING the surgery.

I don't care what they do at that point -- as long as I'm out of it!

My recollection from the earlier surgery -- and it is VERY vivid -- is that this was done after the surgery, and that I was awake. I remember screaming. I still think it had something to do with the collapsed lung, which they had not intended to have happen, apparently. At some point I apparently passed out again (or, more likely, they knocked me out). I woke up in ICU, without icy sheets, thank goodness. I remember a few things from ICU, but most of it is a blur.

But what it felt like to be in those sheets was very vivid, and stayed with me throughout the hospital stay. The sensation is just indescribable. In my confusion, I think I thought of them as some kind of punishment -- I was deathly afraid of doing something that would get me back in them. It made me a very compliant patient, and the nurses and techs loved me dearly -- not, I think, having a clue to why I was such a "good" patient -- since, for some reason, I thought it was better not to talk about it.

 

[Kenny F]

Marcia,

I called Records dept., asked for a form, filled it out and 4-5 days later got 20-30 pages in the mail ( and a bill for $42!) Your records are YOURS, they have to release them to you. I highly recommend it - great read ("...solution was given to arrest the heart... heart successfully arrested.." that kind of thing!)

 

[Harpoon]

The heart/lung machine cools your blood down some which in turn cools the rest ofy our body down. I don't think it goes down too far, maybe only a few degrees.

The same thing can happen when someone gets kidney dialysis and other proceedures (like platelet donation) that take the blood out of the body then return it after some kind of processing.

 

[Bryan B]

I find all of this facinating...and a bit scary as I am noticing that my short term memory has gotten worse recently and I haven't even had surgery yet. I did go on a beta blocker about 6 weeks ago to help with my anxiety disorder...I wonder if this is causing the difference I've noticed. I didn't realize that beta blockers had this side effect (and I'm a pharmacy guy).

I can tell you a little bit about the solution they use to stop your heart with during the surgery since I used to make it when I worked in a hospital pharmacy. It's called cardioplegia. They keep it refrigerated and "pour" (?) it on your heart to arrest your heart and keep it preserved during surgery. I just did a google search to make sure I had this right and ran across some interesting articles about cardioplegia. Apparently they are looking at different methods of using cardioplegia (warm vs. cold) and replacing the potassium that's used to stop the heart with drugs that are potentially less damaging.

Looks lilke I have one more thing to add to my list of questions for the CV surgeon. This one might catch him off gaurd.

 

[ccrawford]

Bryan - I've never heard of a beta blocker causing short term memory problems, and have not experienced them when I used a beta blocker. Might just be that you are busier than usual or anxious and this is causing forgetfulness. Hope you solve the problem as it can be frustrating. Chris

 

[Bryan B]

Hi Chris,

I noticed this phenomenon shortly after starting the beta blocker. As I read this thread I thought I remembered someone saying that they had noticed some short term memory loss associated with taking beta blockers. I just checked, and it is listed as an adverse reaction on the prescribing info sheet, but it doesn't list whether or not it's a common reaction.

All I know is that it's frustrating when I'm standing in the kitchen trying to remember what I came in there for.

 

[ccrawford]

Bryan - Thanks for the update/clarification. I had read the data sheet, but had not noticed this side effect. At least now you have a good excuse to not do the things you hate doing. Oh darn, honey, I was going to take out the garbage, but I just forgot - you know these beta blockers ! Chris

 

[Susan BAV]

Hello all -

I have NEVER had a good memory and learned early in life to make notes and lists (and lists of notes, and notes as to where my lists were, and on and on). Since this latest surgery, however, I've noticed that during conversations, if I don't say what I'm thinking when I'm thinking it, my thought is almost immediately lost. I hope that resolves soon because I've developed a bad habit of interrupting my husband, sons, friends, etc. Also, right after the surgery I had a lot of trouble concentrating on reading materials; but that has, fortunately, subsided. I'm off all the heart medications now, got off the sotalol and coumadin two weeks ago, and hope my memory will improve.

Best wishes, ~Susan