Question about mobility etc after surgery

[Paleowoman]

I just had my pre-op assessment today. A physiotherapist came to talk to me. Two problems.

1) As I've mentioned in a previous post, I sleep on a futon mattress on the floor, and the physio said I wouldn't be able to get up from that so I should sleep in a bed which I don't have, so I will sleep on the sofa which is downstairs. Has anyone any idea how long it could be before I'll be able to get myself up from the floor so I don't have to occupy the sofa ? The physio suggested it could be several weeks which would not be ideal at all for many reasons.

2) I have urinary frequency - 20 times per 24 hours. We have one loo which is upstairs, so I will be climbing the stairs a lot. The physio said I wouldn't be able to do that so much and that I should hire a commode ! Not ideal. So how long is it usually before people can climb stairs multiple times after OHS ?

I realise these questions are dependant on how quickly I recover etc

 

[maisiejane]

I just had my pre-op assessment today. A physiotherapist came to talk to me. Two problems.

1) As I've mentioned in a previous post, I sleep on a futon mattress on the floor, and the physio said I wouldn't be able to get up from that so I should sleep in a bed which I don't have, so I will sleep on the sofa which is downstairs. Has anyone any idea how long it could be before I'll be able to get myself up from the floor so I don't have to occupy the sofa ? The physio suggested it could be several weeks which would not be ideal at all for many reasons.

2) I have urinary frequency - 20 times per 24 hours. We have one loo which is upstairs, so I will be climbing the stairs a lot. The physio said I wouldn't be able to do that so much and that I should hire a commode ! Not ideal. So how long is it usually before people can climb stairs multiple times after OHS ?

I realise these questions are dependant on how quickly I recover etc

Hi Anne,
Just an idea, and it maybe pretty useless, but have you got, or do you know some one with a recliner chair, if so it could be put upstairs, maybe in your bed room if you have room and it would be easier to get to the loo during the night and you could sleep in it until you are able to master your futon.
Deb

 

[Paleowoman]

Hi Deb - I haven't got a recliner, we did have one some years ago that broke...…don't know anyone with one either. It would have been a good idea though !
Anne
x

 

[maisiejane]

Hi Deb - I haven't got a recliner, we did have one some years ago that broke...…don't know anyone with one either. It would have been a good idea though !
Anne
x

Hi Anne,
Have just checked Google and found quite a few reasonably priced chairs cheaper than hiring a months hire for a rising recliner is £269
Just Google Cheap recliner chairs


Birlea Regency Reclining Chair
Birlea Regency Reclining Chair
£174.99 from Corban Direct
34 seller reviews



Birlea Regency Reclining Chair FREE NEXT DAY DELIVERY Features: Width: 840mm Height: 1010mm Depth: 880mm Dimensions: Overall dimensions: 102cm H x ...

 

[ski girl]

The physio doesn't know you Anne! You've mentioned before that you have practiced getting in and out of the futon without using your arms, you will figure out a way. As long as you can keep your upper body straight getting to a sitting position, then get your legs under you and stand up, all will be good.

You'll also find that stairs aren't a big issue, you may just be a bit slow.

No doubt the physio never had OHS and just sees a 60 year old woman, not someone with a really good level of basic fitness.

 

[Lynlw]

Hi Anne,
Have just checked Google and found quite a few reasonably priced chairs cheaper than hiring a months hire for a rising recliner is £269
Just Google Cheap recliner chairs


Birlea Regency Reclining Chair
Birlea Regency Reclining Chair
£174.99 from Corban Direct
34 seller reviews



Birlea Regency Reclining Chair FREE NEXT DAY DELIVERY Features: Width: 840mm Height: 1010mm Depth: 880mm Dimensions: Overall dimensions: 102cm H x ...

Going up and down the stairs 20 times a day might be tough at first, but unless you have some bigger complications, going up and down a few times a day, shouldnt be a problem.. Along with the idea of borrowing a recliner, or buying one, is there a furniture rental place anywhere near you? that might be an option. My other thought would would it be possible to get a futon frame? Around here they arent very expensive and it probably would make everything much easier the first couple weeks home at least. Especially since your bathroom is upstairs. If you had to buy one, you could probably sell it to someone going off to school in a couple months.

You might have no problems w/ getting off the floor or numerous trips up and down the steps, but it would probably be better to have a chair or frame for he futon and not need it, than get home and find out it is harder than you hoped and have to find a solution then.

 

[Jkm7]

Mass General makes their OHS patients walk a flight of stairs before they are released home. I did so easily both of my surgeries and had no problem on stairs at home. I was walking a full flight from day one home but not 20 times a day. I likely walked up and down about 10 times daily though. I was able to shower and wash my hair independtly. I have short hair and could blow it dry. My DH had to be in his office and we arranged for someone to be home with me but after day one or two, I asked them to not come back as I really was fine on my own both times post op.

We all are different and there is no predicting exactly what condition you will be in but it is highly likely you will be more independent than the physio led you to believe. The futon is a problem though. I could not have gotton onto or off of one for weeks post op. I would not recommend you count on being able to sleep on it. The idea of renting a recliner but be something to consider.

Wishing you all the best.

 

[Agian]

Why don't you buy a cheap single bed for upstairs? It will cost a lot less than a recliner.

 

[aviator67]

I spent about 2 weeks in a recliner, I'd really recommend it. I slept in it at night too because after trying one night in our waterbed, it was just too hard to get out of it by myself.

 

[AZ Don]

I think I could have gotten in or out of a futon after surgery without placing too much weight on my arms which is probably the biggest concern. Sometimes the twisting motion of getting up can hurt but I think you will be able to get in or out of the futon much sooner than several weeks. I was not comfortable sleeping flat so I slept in a recliner for about a month. I have read others sometimes use lots of pillows. I could walk up or down stairs but I didn't have to do it often.

 

[Paleowoman]

Thanks everyone for your input. I think I will go with the physio doesn't know me and sees a 60 year old woman (though even the surgeon double checked my age as I don't look 60 - I can see the lines though !).

I can't believe the stairs will be a problem since it is my chest where the surgery is done. After I had an emergency caesrean, years ago when I wasn't as fit as now, stairs were more difficult that I thought but that was abdominal surgery so understandable. I also had knee surgery and managed the stairs, though with great difficulty. So I may get very tired, I can appreciate that. Everywhere it says in the booklets given me that the wires keep the sternum together and that coughing, which we need to do, and whatever won't hurt the chest or heart - so……

I would like to say it's easy to get a recliner or a single bed, but you know our house is small, there's no room for either A futon base is an option but the ones we've seen are only 6 inches or so from the ground so not much different than from the floor…hence why we've never bought one !

Last night, every time I got up to go to the loo (I slept very badly last night worrying about this) I did it without using my arms, I crossed my arms around me so that I would not use them - I didn't have a problem so I'm hoping that, at least after a couple of weeks at home I can sleep in my bed. Our sofa is very, very comfortable to sleep on….I still can't believe I can't do the stiars as many times as I need to - my endo said I could do hill walking in a few weeks which is much more arduous than stair climbing.

I shall just have to see how it goes. Apparently the Red Cross hire out commodes so, although it would have to be in the living room with me and not at all private - hey I've got an 24 year old son who has Autistic Spectrum Disorder who can't go to anyone else while I'm recuperating - the commode would be a temporary acceptable option.

 

[pellicle]

Why don't you buy a cheap single bed for upstairs? It will cost a lot less than a recliner.

Looks for the like button, fails to find it

*LIKE*

 

[pellicle]

- I can see the lines though !).
.

2 ideas:
Apply vasaline to appropriate parts of the mirror and stop looking ;-)

Happy New Year

 

[tom in MO]

No offence, but you can always pee in a jar, or in one of those "jugs" used in the hospital.

 

[Lynlw]

I would like to say it's easy to get a recliner or a single bed, but you know our house is small, there's no room for either A futon base is an option but the ones we've seen are only 6 inches or so from the ground so not much different than from the floor…hence why we've never bought one !

Yes that wouldn't be much help at all. But I was thinking of the frames that are more like a sofa that you also can open flat to sleep on -I didnt look for good prices or in the UK , this is just an example http://www.amazon.com/Black-Metal-Futon-Frame-only/dp/B001UW8FQI I dont know if your mattress would work, but we have one like that and when it is open it doesnt take much more space than the mattress would, maybe about 6 more inches. Ours is folded up so i cant give you better measurements. I believe IF space is really tight, they make them w/ out arms too. but it is probably about the height of a regular sofa so much easier to get in and out of. Sorry if this is too personal, but do you have to get up a few times during the night for the bathroom too? if so I would really try to find a way to sleep on the same floor as it.
As you said hopefully in a couple weeks you shouldn't have a problem sleeping like you normally do.

Its good you've been working on getting up from the floor w/ out your arms, that can only help, even w/ just getting out of a chair or sofa. Luckily I've never had Heart surgery, but my Mom had OHS and surgery for an AAA and Justin had quite a few heart surgeries, so I don know what it feels like or why people have trouble getting in and out of beds or chairs or doing alot of stairs, but from years on boards it is pretty common. I think alot of the stair issues is when you get tired after OHS it hits pretty fast like hitting a wall. so getting a commode in the beginning sounds like a pretty good idea, if you dont need it fine, but at least you have it, Especially since you already need to go to the bathroom so often and Justin's didnt go home w/ lasix or any other diuretic after his surgeries when he wasnt a baby, but it isn't uncommon to retain some fluid right after surgery so need lasix a couple of weeks post op, which as hard as it is to imagine, if you need them you might need to go even more often.

I agree that the physio probably doesnt realize what good shape you are in, not just compared to most 60 year old woman, but even people much younger, but my guess would be even if you were in your 30s or 40s they would have the same concerns as far as the first week or so home. I've spent many many hours walking laps around heart floors w/ Justin watching other young people walking around too and pretty much everyone looks not in pain, but sore and achy and tired or slow a least the first week.
Yes the wires do a very good job holding the sternum together until it can heal and even tho coughing and sneezing will hurt, there wont be damage but you do have to follow all the weight and lifting restrictions because thankfully it is rare, but it is possible to to have problems w/ the sternum healing and that can really set back the whole recovery.

Will you have someone with you and your son the first week home?

 

[Paleowoman]

Thanks again for the replies and ideas ! We have now decided on a large bucket for the night time wees That way, sleeping downstairs on the sofa will be easier than going upstairs, and easier than having a commode in the living room ! But I will ring the Red Cross on Thursday just to find out how quickly I can hire one if necessary, ie if the bucket idea doesn't work - being explicit, I'm used to hanging over public loos as I don't like sitting on them, so if I can hang over the bucket that will be fine.

A futon base like that one from Amazon looks wonderful Lyn - I will definitley look at the UK Amazon and pop into the futon shop this week to see what they have too. I love sleeping on our futon, it's much firmer than a regular bed and I never get backache on it, whereas when we stay in hotels or at friends who have beds I seem to kind of sink a bit and get aches.

My dh and I continue to think the physio was being unduly negative. I'm sure the first week will be difficult, but then I'll be in a hospital bed as I have a planned stay of about eight nights which gets me over the worse. Then if I can have the sofa…. I personally think that walking the stairs around 20 times in a 24 hour period will be the most excellent exercise for me and my heart. It's not as if I'm doing 20 flights of stairs all at once ! There will be at least an hour's break (fingers crossed) between each climb.

 

[Guyswell]

I think you'll be able to do stairs. It's not bad for you. You just need to go slower than usual and keep a light touch on the handrail (and for goodness sake, don't fall on the stairs). If in doubt, have the bucket or commode as a backup. The main reason stairs will be a challenge is that you will probably feel quite worn out for the first few weeks. Your energy level will probably be very low while your body is focused on recovery. You may find that after numerous trips up and down the stairs, you'll switch to the bucket or commode until you feel more energy that day. Please stop worrying so much. You'll be surprised at how well you do with this.

 

[Rebecca]

I was fifty four when I had my valve replace. I also was and still am in good physical shape for my age. Just minutes before I was wheel down to be discharged someone from Mended Hearts stop by. I ask him if he would sign my heart pillow. As I handed him the pen it drop to the floor and I immediate squat down to pick up the pen. Something that I could have done so easily before surgery was now something that was what I should have not done. I could not just pop back up. I had the guy from Mended Hearts hold his hand out so I could hold it and pull myself back up.

After eight nights in the hospital on the evening of my first night home I slept on the guest bed because it is on the main floor of our house. I had all these pillows propped up to keep my head elevated. It took me twenty minutes to remove all the pillows that night because I was uncomfortable. Now I am lying flat on the bed and I could not move. I used my cell phone to call my husband to come down stair to help me sit up. I spent the first few nights sleeping on the sofa. When I did start sleeping in the bed I put a wood chair next to the bed to keep my dog from jumping up onto the bed. I found the chair very useful in helping me get up from lying in bed.
My first walk in our neighborhood I could only make it to one and half houses. Our drive way is a hill and the street is a hill in both directions.
I didn’t think I would need a bench for the shower and that was the first thing I sent my daughter out to buy when I got home. Life is good sitting on the bench for a long warn shower.

On the eleventh day home after having open heart surgery I returned to my one fitness class. At the time I was still trying to get my health insurance to pay for my husband cardio rehab from two years earlier. Everyone was surprise. I did not use any weights or bands and sat in a chair when everyone went to the floor.

I still could do stairs when I got home just much more slowly.

One of the best gifts that I got was a musical snow globe. It was a reminder that I would be feeling much better by Christmas.

Anne may you be blessed with a speedy recovery.

 

[Paleowoman]

Anne may you be blessed with a speedy recovery.

Thank you Rebecca !

I shall certainly remember your anecdote and not to squat down to pick anything up

 

[Debbrn]

I had no problem moving in bed, getting out of bed or getting things off the floor 3-4 days after surgery. I also wore warm-up paints and log sleeve pull-overs without any problem. I changed to my clothes within 3 days after surgery. My doc was amazed how well I did after surgery. Stairs were a problem for a while, but they always are. I have decreased exercise tolerance due to my defect. I have a different one than yours.