recovery room photos?

[momshell7]

Just curious if anyone knows of a website that shows what people look like when they first come out of surgery? I keep hearing that Jeff will look pretty scary when I first see him because of his pale skin tones, wires etc. I am trying to prepare for it but I dont' really know what to expect. I was told that there was a video that the hospital would show us to help prepare for it. Well I saw the video yesturday and it was pretty much worthless. It wasn't an actual patient in the video, just an actor going through the motions (breathing, sleep positions etc). That is great and all but I still dont' really know what to expect as far as how pale he will look. I am easily freaked out so if I can see an actual picture that shows just how pale someone looks I think it will help.
Is there such a place to see something like this or am I just out of luck on this one?

 

[Nancy]

http://www.stevegoldberger.com/bt/BumtickerHomePage1a.html

Click on the pic and you'll get a good close up of steve, giving you the "high sign".

Here is a pic of Steve Goldberger , not right after surgery, but in the ICU with all the machinery.

I read Steve's account of his surgery before my husband had his. It's a good account and written by a talented and funny man.

As you can see from Steve's pic, the surgery hasn't dampened his spirits.

My husband looked gray and felt clammy. Others have come down from recovery with warmer tones and feeling a lot more human.

Things really do get back to normal fairly fast, but don't expect a robust person to emerge from recovery. It will take a couple of days to be fully functional.

 

[Ross]

You will be terrified at how he looks fresh out of surgery, there is no other way to put it but to be frank about it. He will look as though he's passed away, but he's still in there and he'll start looking better in time. Just be prepared for the worst possible thing in your imagination. That'll be as close as it gets. I know of no pictures for you to view, sorry.

 

[Phyllis]

I had prepared myself and my daughter for the worst and it really wasn't that bad. All the tubes and wires were there, but not as scary looking as I expected. Dick's color was good and he held a firm grasp on my hand. I removed it for a minute while talking to the ICU nurse and my daughter nudged me as he was searching for it again. This was the first operation or anesthesia he had ever had (at the age of 70) and thus he was sleepy for a long time- down in ICU around 1 PM and didn't come off the respirator until the middle of the night, but he was sitting up in the chair the next morning. He has remarked often that he remembers me being there and my encouraging words so that is the best advice I can give - be there!

 

[Sherry]

Momshell, I'll be as frank as Ross: my mom started crying when she first saw me (I was 33 and she was 54 at the time), then my mother-in-law followed suit and got a little choked up too. It's just that you will see him hooked up to the respirator and without much color. It's so short-lived, though. He'll be up and kicking in a few days. This may not help much, but at least you'll be prepared. Take care and try not to dwell on this much. He'll be much healthier after the surgery.

 

[Marguerite53]

you'll be fine!!

you'll be fine!!

Hi. The only experience I can relay is being there when my father had his triple by-pass. I'm very freakable, not a good medical person -- I cringe and feel nauseous. My dad was in his late 70's. My daughter waited all day (well, many hours) with me (she was 10 at the time). The cardio reported the success and told me I could go on in. I balked. He sat me down, eye to eye and told me to go in. The connection is the key here. My father needed someone to be there now. I had to leave my daughter alone and that made it awkward. But once I got in there, and he looked so small with all the apparatus, I was so glad I'd gone. My dad had smoked a pipe forever (and it was always in his mouth, lit or not). When the nurses said they were having trouble with him biting down on his breathing tube and fighting with it, I immediately knew that he thought it was his pipe falling out of his mouth. Once the nurses knew that, they could tell him why to stop biting down, and the whole situation improved dramatically.

I know this is a simple story, but I was hoping to relay to you that you are such a needed piece of the puzzle. Once you get in there and realize it, you won't be scared. You have a job to do from the very onset of recovery. You just need to be there. I don't think you'll even notice the way he looks. The connection part takes over. You're just so damned happy to be sitting there with them.

You'll be great. Honest.

Marguerite

 

[tobagotwo]

Recover Room Photos

Recover Room Photos

I have a couple, courtesy of my hardheaded wife. I begged her to get photos from when she first saw me in recovery (obviously, I was not awake yet). The hospital informed her that it was not allowed. She determined that must mean not allowed while they were actively monitoring her. Heh, heh...

Ain't she great?

Here they are. Not terribly inspiring, but as real as they get. They were taken Tuesday, the day of my surgery. Just for good measure, I added a shot of me on Friday (three days later), outside my house, attempting a disco pose that would show off my FrankenZipper (staples holding my incision together). Again, not terribly inspiring, and didn't even show off the staples well...

 

[Shine_on_Syd]

It truly depends on the patient. I had a long talk with a Ross Procedure patient who said his family was in total shock as he was so ash white and looked like he was on his death bed. Like he was in a ghoul costume for Halloween. It cared the heck out of his family.
I did not have the same experience, I had color and I immediately knew that there was a major change in my heart functionality and the blood was flowing with full force without aortic regurgitation.
Be prepared for the worse

 

[Gemma]

Hi,
Bill (raverlaw) has a picture which he will no doubt post again for you. That photo more than any other brought back to me just how Jim looked in ICU. Unlike Bob, Jim didn't have a medical gown on in ICU so we got to see all the tubes, drains etc. Unfortunately none of us had the presence of mind to take a camera that day, and of course the next day he'd had everything except one little canula in his hand removed. We do have a photo of Jim sitting up in a chair about 24 hours after his surgery, and although he still looks a little groggy, it's really amazing how much difference those first 24 hours made. If I can find that picture I'll post it.
When I first saw him in ICU, it was the ventilator that really shook me. And his face particularly was kind of drained of all its usual pinkness so he was almost the same beige as the pillows. He was drifting in and out of consciousness the whole time I was there, and although he doesn't remember much of that time I have no doubt it made a difference me being there.
It's a scary sight but the alternative - sitting in a waiting room somewhere wondering how he is - would be unbearable. Once the initial stomach-lurching passes, you'll be fine .
Gemma.

 

[momshell7]

Pictures

Pictures

Thanks for all the replies. A special thanks to Bob for the pictures. I am really having a hard time preparing myself for how Jeff will look after the surgery. I am really getting scared now. It is a week from tomorrow. I just have to remember that I HAVE to be strong for his sake. I have no other choice. He won't be able to make sure everyone at the hospital is taking care of him so I have to make sure.

Thanks again for all the support each and every one you have given!! It is very much appreciate!!

Michelle

 

[geebee]

Just remember to smile.

Just remember to smile.

All you need to do is look past the tubes and wires and you will see your loved one. My hubby told me I actually had more color after surgery than before because I was so sick prior to surgery. Everyone is different.
The one big thing to remember is, when you see Jeff in the recovey room, that he actually recovered. Hold on to that exciting fact and all will be well.
Best wishes and God bless.
Gina

 

[Raverlaw]

Michelle,

I won't post my picture again, because most people who look at it say I look dead. I just think I look peaceful!

Sandy (my wife) was quite shaken by my appearance: white and very cold to the touch from having my blood temperature lowered to stop the heart so they could work on it.

What was worse, for her, was that I was having episodes of total heart block when they first brought me up from surgery, so monitors were beeping, and I was thrashing around with my eyes rolled back in my head. She literally thought she was going to watch me die in front of her. She decided to get out of the nurses' way and asked them to call her back in when I was stabilized.

I have a dim memory of one of the heart block episodes (I think) because I could feel my heart stop, and was trying to signal a nurse (I was intubated, of course, and couldn't speak). The nurses, of course, were VERY aware of everything, but I was pretty looped from the anaesthetic at the time...

I do remember Sandy being there and it was comforting. When she came back later we held hands. We had previously worked out little hand signals for "I love you" and "I'm OK" (on the very wise advise of someone from VR) so that we could communicate a little while I was still intubated.

When she next saw me, the following afternoon, my drain tubes were out (Thank God!), the breathing tube was out, my color was back and I got out of bed and walked around the ICU with her. She couldn't believe the improvement 24 hours made.

So no matter how bad he looks when you first see him, know that he will look many times better within the first day. By all means take pictures - I wish Sandy had taken more.

 

[tobagotwo]

Michelle, The point of the pictures is that everyone looks awful in recovery after OHS. Bill really explained the reasons well (although I didn't go through heart block like Bill did). It doesn't mean you're doing awful. You've just been through a lot.

I think I look pretty yellowy-beigey in those. You can't really see the tube in my throat, because it was clipped to the right side of my mouth, and hidden by that big connector-thingy (medical term) in front of my face. Now that Gemma mentions the gown and the chest tubes, I feel gypped. If I'd have known ahead of time, I'd have asked Pat to move it aside for the pictures. I wasn't aware yet to get involved with the process, though. I guess she didn't really have time. I'm glad she got what she did. What the heck - that was the only way I was ever going to get to see it at all.

In the last picture, you can see the line of the incision, with a fair amount of bruising to the left side of the bottom four inches of it. The bandaid is over the wound from the chest drain. Go figure - almost 11" of chest incision they leave uncovered. A 3/4" chest drain cut they put a huge bandaid on.

I included the last picture (which I am horrified to admit is me) to show you how fast it goes from horrible to much, much better. I asked my son to take the pictures (there are *gasp!* a series of these disco pix, suitable for blackmailing) to send to my mom, so she'd know I was all right. I was so horrified by the results that I just called her instead. There are limits...

Anyway, you can see how quickly I improved, able to make a complete ass of myself in only a few days. I hope the same for Jeff. Uh, I mean the feeling better part...

By the way, the shirt: from my summer Poor Taste Collection. However, it is a silk shirt. If your husband has any, they are great for not irritating your incision.

Be calm, be reassured. I like what Bill said about the hand signals. It beats the heck out of meaningfull glances. Bring a pen and pad, too, though. When I did wake up (still intubated), I could write, if someone held the pad.

Don't get worked up, as there's not much you can do in the process, except watch out for hubby's needs when he can't communicate. When you see him, don't think about how awful he looks. Think about, "I got him back. He's going to make it."

Best wishes,

 

[Nancy]

Just keep remembering that Jeff is the person you're looking at, even though he isn't looking his spiffy best right at that moment. He is doing the best he can do at the time. Keep repeating that he is out of surgery, and he's in the hospital and you are there and everything will be OK, and that you love him.

He's still your buddy, no matter what.

 

[momshell7]

Thank you all!!

Thank you all!!

Thank you all!! I guess now that is getting really close I am really starting to panic!! I am trying to picture Jeff very pale but I just can't. Maybe I should get some white halloween face paint and have him put it on so I can sort of get the idea. He may not like that idea though.

On a different note, does anyone know if you can have facial hair when you have the surgery? He as a gotee and isn't sure if he will have to shave it off or not. If he does, he wants to do it a couple of days before he goes in so the kids can get used to the new look.

Thanks again for all the support!!
Michelle

 

[Ross]

They never said anything to me about facial hair, but his chest and groin hair are going to get cut. Personally, I'd shave it off just to lessen the chances of dragging some nasty bacteria into the OR.

 

[Mary]

Thank you all!! I guess now that is getting really close I am really starting to panic!! I am trying to picture Jeff very pale but I just can't. Maybe I should get some white halloween face paint and have him put it on so I can sort of get the idea. He may not like that idea though.

Michelle,
I hope you are soon able to calm yourself about Jeff's looks as he comes out of surgery. He's going to be too sedated to see how you're holding up. If you flip out, so what? The big thing is he will be alive.
Maybe you can't bring yourself to be with him in the SICU; if so, maybe his mom can be. The time in the SICU/CCU is usually of short duration (except in a few instances, insert the name Ross here ) so why don't you concentrate instead on the recovery time afterwards?

If Jeff survived seeing you through the childbirth process ; surely you will be able to do the same for him.
Mary

 

[tobagotwo]

I got to keep my groin hair, Ross. The nurse must have liked you...

The photos clearly show my facial hair, so I got to keep that, too.

The chest hair all goes, though. And they will be shaving little bald patches in what grows back for months to come.

Best wishes,

 

[Ross]

They buzzed my groin because of possibly having to have access for the bypass machine in the femoral artery. I don't know if it was because of it being the 2nd surgery or not, but be ready anyway.

 

[JimL]

This is four days after surgery, with facial hair remaining.