Questions regarding recovery

[Taysgrama]

Hi all - sorry I have not been on much lately, but I have not actually been feeling the greatest in the world. When I went in for my 4 week checkup, I was starting to feel better, breathing better and no weird heartbeats or anything like that. I was also walking about 1 1/2 miles every day and starting to do some light stuff around the house.

My surgeon said that I should be able to go back to work, at least part time, on July 22, 2008. For the past 2-3 weeks, I have been back to shortness of breath, heart palpatations (more like too many heartbeats or too fast) and so totally tired all the time. I continue to get dressed every day, walk the dog, do laundry, dishes and cook almost every day, but I am exhausted. I called my cardiac doctor and he said that it was normal to still be tired and to be short of breath, but I do not understand how I went from getting better to feeling like I JUST had OHS 2 weeks ago instead of 8 weeks ago. My DH thinks that I should just try going back to work part time (2-3 days a week for 6 hours a day) for awhile but my doctor says I should go back full time and just deal with it, that I will get used to it.

I work in a very high stress job and I am on the computer for at least 6 hours every day. I work in the title industry and anyone who works in real estate knows the stress the title company in under from the realtors, lenders, buyers, sellers, etc. to get everything done so not being stressed is really not an option for me. I can not sit at my home computer for longer than 15-20 minutes at a time, so I am not sure I can 6 hours everyday.

My chest is still really sore and I get sharp pains alot. Also, I have a muscle in my back shoulder that has been giving me problems since before my OHS and it is not getting better even though I am on meds and doing therapy. Please let me know what you all think. We are really starting to hurt for money since I do not get paid while I am off (been off work since May 16th) so that is not making the situation any better.

Diana
OHS - May 16, 2008, St. Jude Valve (Aortic) and Tricuspid Ring
Dayton Heart Hospital (Dayton, Ohio) (Last OHS before the name change)
Dr. John Miller (Surgeon) best in the world as far as I am concerned!!!!

 

[Ross]

I'll tell you what you don't want to hear, get another opinion from another cardiologist. For your job, you should not be experiencing these symptoms and I think it warrants further investigation.

 

[Duff Man]

Diana, I know what it's like to chase docs I haven't had OHS yet, but I would definitely second what Ross said: Get one more opinion from a different cardiologist. Maybe even a cardiologist outside of the office from the current (for a more objective opinion). At least this way you can have some peace of mind when you go back to work and face the LO's again. The members here are pretty aggressive about seeking additional opinions when they feel unsure.

 

[WayneGM]

Ditto what Ross said. If in doubt get a second opinion.

I went back to work at 12 weeks. My typical day consisted of 25% sitting in meetings or 75% sitting at my desk working on my computer. I also had a 1.5 hour commute each way to work. I still had a lot of back, neck and shoulder pain at that time.

The first week I worked Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and I coped with that pretty good. The next week I planned to work the entire week, but after doing Monday and Tuesday, I couldn't make it in on Wednesday and went back Thursday but not Friday. It was another 2 weeks before I could do a complete 5 day week. It was a year before my stamina each day was back to "normal".

Best wishes and good luck.

 

[Bina]

At 8 wks post op I was a wreck and very weak.....but I went into surgery totally trashed.
Take your time, some weeks will be better, but don't over do it every single day of every week or you will suffer.
best wishes

 

[MaryC]

Diana,
Have you seen your cardiologist since you started having the weird heartbeats and tiredness. After my mitral valve repair I was feeling good until around 3 weeks when I started feeling weird beats and tired and just generally not so hot. When I went to the cardiologist I found out I was in a-flutter. I would get it checked out if you haven't already.

 

[ruth]

Hmmmm, I'm no doctor but you sound like I felt when I went into Afib. Personally, I think you need to see the Cardio, get an EKG and/or maybe wear an overnight holter. You said what I did, a version of it. I'd was 3 weeks post op and when the afib hit I said I felt like I was just a few DAYs postop not WEEKs.

Calling is good but I think you should visit the Dr. Consider if you can at all, going back 3 days/week for awhile until you get your strength back. Don't let the doc tell you some version of "it's all in your head".

I hope you get to the bottom of this. Yes, your hear is remodeling and yes, you did just have surgery and will have some up & down days but when the downs start to outnumber the up you gotta go see the old Cardio.

Peace,
Ruth

 

[tcopel]

I guess the part that bothers me the most is that you called you doctor and he gave recommendations without seeing you apparently. Given that your situation has worsened after an uneventful recovery, I would think that you need to be evaluated by an eye-to-eye meeting with your doc. In other words, I'd need some reassurance that you havent developed a pericardial effusion (fluid around the heart), or have developed significant anemia or having some undefined heart rhythm irregularity (atrial fib) or whatever. This isnt to scare you because all these things are recoverable but who knows what is going on until you go in and have tests.
And if everything looks ok, then thats great..just a tincture of time. I do know, however, that if you push yourself like I did, it just makes things worse in the long run. You body needs rest.

 

[Lynlw]

I'll tell you what you don't want to hear, get another opinion from another cardiologist. For your job, you should not be experiencing these symptoms and I think it warrants further investigation.

I agree, I would also call the surgeon. How long ago was your check up?

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I second ALL of the above. Something's just not quite right and you need to find out what / why.

Do you have a stethoscope?
If not, I highly recommend getting one so that you can listen to your heart. After you identify 'your' sound for PAC's and PVC's (they sound the same) and 'your' sound for A-Fib, you can usually tell just by listening. It'll drive your Cardio nuts

Don't let ANY DOC dismiss your symptoms as 'all in your head' without doing some diagnostic tests such as listening to your heart and an EKG at the very minimum. A chest X-Ray may also be called for after his preliminary examination.

If your Cardio won't do the above, find another cardio (at least for a second opinion).

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Taysgrama]

Thank you all for your input. The A-fib is exactly what I think is going on. I am back to not sleeping well, awake more than asleep at night and when I do finally fall asleep at night its more like 3 or 4 in the morning and then I wake up in pain about 7 or so.

I have put a call in to my surgeon since he tends to listen more. I will get his opinion and then call my cardio. My cardio is a fairly good one, but he tends to listen to his partner more than his patients sometimes. I was not impressed with his partner at all, the one time I saw him (he did my angiogram) and will not ever see him again. I will change cardio's before I do that.

I talked to my DH last night and he thinks that maybe just trying to go back to work for whatever amount of time I can handle will be just fine. He is more worried about me than my job so that is a very good thing. I also forgot to tell all of you that 6 weeks post-op, I was at the drag strip with my DH when he blew the motor in his race car - because there was a ton of stuff on the trailer and I knew that there would be a bunch of folks coming over to help him get it back on the trailer when they towed him to the pits, I started cleaning the trailer off.....I was ok with it since none of it weighed more than a few pounds UNTIL I reached his tool box - yeppers, I forgot my lifting weight limit and lifted all 80 pounds of tool box off the trailer and placed it on the ground (about 1 foot is all I moved it). Well, needless to say, I certainly remembered it when I went to bend over and set it down. Not sure if that has alot to do with it, but it seems to me that it was about that time all this started. Could I have possibly done some damage to my sternum again? Thanks all, again. I do not know what most of us would do without all your valuable input and knowledge!!! You are all amazing and thank each and every one of you!!!

Diana (Ohio)
AVR and Tricuspid Ring 5/16/2008
Dayton Heart Hospital
Dr. John Miller, Surgeon