Questions from one who is newly on the other side!

[a_dalhouse]

I posted here a few months ago about how to find a surgeon for a minimally invasive mitral valve repair. I got a lot of help and really appreciate all of you. But since then I haven't posted much as I started the busy-ness of getting myself and my family prepared for this giant jump.

And this past tues., August 13, I somehow managed, in all my nervousness, to show up for surgery. And all went pretty well. Dr. Rosengart at St. Luke's Episcopal in Houston did a great job repairing my mitral valve and he seems quite pleased with the outcome. Though I have to say my ICU experience was pretty horrible and I was never so glad to see a real hospital room in all my life, when I finally got to one.

A few things are perplexing me now on my 5th day in the hospital, so I thought I would again come to this wonderfully compassionate and knowledgeable group of valve patients! I read a few pages of the thread in Post-op about what surprised you after surgery and now I have few surprises that I hope someone can clear up for me. The medical staff here just keeps telling me that everything is normal but I think I would believe it more coming from you all.

First of all, what is alarming me most right now is my consistent weight gain. I know some fluid retention is normal. But the day after my surgery I had gained 7 pounds of fluid and now, weighing this morning, the 5th day, i have gained an additional 8, so a total of 15 pounds. If I had gained 15 pounds on the 2nd day and then went down to 7 or 8 the 5th day I would not be so alarmed. But the fact that I just keep gaining is alarming to me. Also they gave me a 20 mg. lasix pill this morning which did absolutely nothing! I weigh th same this evening as I did this morning before the pill. The nurses assure me this can happen but I am somehow not comforted! Has anyone here experienced weight gain like this after surgery?

Also something bothering me is my crazy pounding heart - as much as I was experiencing before surgery. I thought that would all be fixed with the repair. Does it take some time for your heart to adjust to the new architecture?

I have many more issues that were surprises, but maybe I will bring them up another time. These are the most pressing at the moment and as it is 1:19 am, I should be fast asleep!

So glad you all are out there!!!!
Andrea
MV repair, mini-thoracotomy, 8/13/13

 

[Agian]

It's 4.29pm in Adelaide. It's cold and it's raining.

If they're giving you Lasix, they're thinking it's fluid. 20mg is a small dose, so it's not surprising it hasn't done much. They're not going to hit you with a heavier dose to start off with, in case you're overly sensitive to it. It's very unlikely that the 7 pounds you gained the day after surgery is fat, making it more likely that the subsequent gain is fluid. Some of it may not be fluid, given that you're not doing much; but it wouldn't be 15 pounds.

I'm in the waiting room, but from what I've read the pounding heart thing is probably not that uncommon post OHS.

Get some sleep.

 

[pellicle]

I read a few pages of the thread in Post-op about what surprised you after surgery and now I have few surprises that I hope someone can clear up for me. The medical staff here just keeps telling me that everything is normal but I think I would believe it more coming from you all.

You really should trust them ...

First of all, what is alarming me most right now is my consistent weight gain. I know some fluid retention is normal. But the day after my surgery I had gained 7 pounds of fluid and now, weighing this morning, the 5th day, i have gained an additional 8, so a total of 15 pounds.

15 pounds ... what is your body weight?

Less than 10% gain ...

I had it too. My fingers were puffy even.

Also something bothering me is my crazy pounding heart - as much as I was experiencing before surgery. I thought that would all be fixed with the repair. Does it take some time for your heart to adjust to the new architecture?

Mine was pounding and racing for weeks. Didn't get below 120 for weeks.

I have many more issues that were surprises, but maybe I will bring them up another time. These are the most pressing at the moment and as it is 1:19 am, I should be fast asleep!

Hospitals are bad for sleep.

Do try to trust the team. Anyway, how do you know we aren't part of the conspiracy? ;-)

 

[pellicle]

Hi

It's 4.29pm in Adelaide. It's cold and it's raining.

Par for the norm

 

[OldManEmu]

I found my second surgery the best diet I have ever been on 4kg weight loss in the 5 days I was in hospital!! :eek2:

Mine was pounding and racing for weeks......

I found this after both my surgeries; my understanding is this is why most patients are on beta blockers to slow the heart rate while healing and remodelling takes place for the first 3 months post surgery.

 

[a_dalhouse]

While the nursing staff up here and the residents have been great, I am not so thrilled with the cranky doctor (not my surgeon) who's been checking on me daily. He doesn't seem to like questions and answers everything with just "you're fine, you're fine". It's hard for me to trust that and I find it very annoying and very unsupportive of someone who's just had heart surgery.

And the numbers are, me coming in on surgery day at 116 lbs. and then continuing to gain fluid weight. I've barely been able to stomach any food at all so I doubt i've gained any fat. If so, it's very little. And while hy hands were really puffy the first few days, that has gone down and it's been my thighs and my labia (sorry if that's too much info) and my right breat that have blown up these last few days. I guess my expectation was for things to be at their worst right after surgery and then for them to slowly get better. But that's not exactly how it's been. More like apples and oranges on different days.

Good to hear that the pounding heart is a normal thing. That makes sense to me, but the whole "what to expect" process was not really explained to me. My surgeon said he would be around after surgery to explain anything I had questions about, but he's out of town now and the times I did see him I was pretty sedated. And now I have this cranky pulmonologist checking on me daily, who seems like he just wants me to shut up and get out of the hospital.

Again, most of the staff here has been great! I really love my nurses who I see so much of the time. I'm just really surprised at the lack of doctor care other than giving orders to nurses over the phone.

I guess one reason I'm really confused too is that my surgeon said I'd be able to manage going to dinner and a movie the day I left the hospital. And while they say I can probably be discharged today, I can't see me going anywhere except to the nearest bed! I feel like I'm failing recovery class!

Thanks for your help.
Andrea

 

[a_dalhouse]

Well, that cranky doctor, came in this morning with a very different demeanor and spent some time explaining what was going on with me. It was just what I needed and now I feel much better. I just needed to know what was going on with my body.

 

[gerrychuck]

I gained 25 lbs of fluid with my surgery; I had legs that felt and looked like they had been misplaced by an elephant; could hardly bend my knees! Lots of Lasix (enough that I actually didn't want them to take out the catheter lol) and eventually my feet looked like feet again instead of stuffed sausages. Glad you got some explanation that helped you understand what is going on, and good luck with your recovery

 

[Greg a]

I gained 25 lbs of fluid with my surgery; I had legs that felt and looked like they had been misplaced by an elephant; could hardly bend my knees! Lots of Lasix (enough that I actually didn't want them to take out the catheter lol) and eventually my feet looked like feet again instead of stuffed sausages. Glad you got some explanation that helped you understand what is going on, and good luck with your recovery

Heck I needed IV Lasix post op for weeks before oral.......continues today

 

[marc_kowal]

While I was in the hospital, I went from 190 to about 208 in just a few days and it was all fluid retention. My thighs looked huge, but then once the ol' kidneys started working normally again, the weight went off just as fast as it came on. I do recall it being funny that I was peeing blue for awhile from the meds they gave me to clear my system.

 

[epstns]

I didn't get the technicolor treats, but for the first few weeks after AVR, I was like an Oompa-Loompa - puffy and bloated arms, hands, legs, and probably other places that weren't so obvious due to swelling from the incision. With lasix (and potassium) for a while, it eventually drifted away (down the drain, I suppose). After the first month or so, it was not an issue. Mighty unsettling at first, though, as I'm not a large person either.

 

[Rachel]

I remember the same thing happening to me too - that's why they tell you to take off your wedding ring before surgery!!!! My hands didn't look like they belonged to me and I didn't recognize my stomach or feet either....but after the Lasix.....well I think I lost like 25 lbs in two days - couldn't stop peeing!!!

Hard heart beat was also an understatement - mine felt like it was shaking me at times.

Glad to hear that you're feeling better about these symptoms - sorry you had to talk to a cranky doctor for a while!!!!

 

[kimcdougc]

Didn't have any weight gain. I did lose about 12 pounds because the hospital food sucked! I am 12 weeks post op and my heart still beats loudly and hard. I figure if I hear it I am alive. Hope you are recovery goes well. I am way better now than I was before my surgery. I hope the same for you.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

AVR May 23, 2013. On-x 21 mm. In the waiting room 10 years. Swedish Medical Center, Cherry Hill location, Seattle, WA. Dr. Glenn Barnhart.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

After hearing all the stories about weight gain following OHS, I brought larger than usual gym shorts to wear on the drive home. Shoecked the heck out of me that I lost 7 pounds in the hospital. I was glad to be taken off Lasix on Day 4 as the liquid potasium supplements required were horrible: bad tasting and nauseating.

Andrea: Sleep is often elusive following surgery. I hope you get some rest and you contineu to feel better.

-- Suzanne

 

[a_dalhouse]

Thanks again everyone! So comforting to hear from my comrades out there!
The doc and I agreed to take me off of lasix (only had it one day really) and just let the swelling go down on it's. I think we both were trying wean me off of so many drugs. And I was starting to move around pretty well, so he thought it would go down on it's own if I just kept moving. It has some - especially my legs and nether regions -
But my middle is still puffy and I'm at a loss for clothing options. It reminds me of my post birthing body, though hopefully these pounds will be easier to get off!

We got home from Houston today, and it feels good to be back. And surreal. Did I really just come home from heart surgery?! I'm actually feeling relatively good. Still having trouble getting enough air in when I breathe. But I assume that is yet another normal thing for heart patients?

Thanks again for the support. I feel like we all should get a bumper sticker when we leave the hospital. "Heart Surgery is not for Wimps!"

Andrea
MV repair, mini-thoracotomy, St. Luke's Episcopal in Houston, 8/13/13