dwhist
Well-known member
I have been more of a watcher on the list, but thought I would post my last weeks experience and get more involved. Post op stress test and echo at 7 weeks showed me to be doing great. I was working out an hour each night with no problem. I had started rehab and they saw no issues with the workout.
During the holidays I only had rehab once a week and noticed I was slowing down. In week 9, I noticed the hour workout now became 1/2 hour and I was tired all of the time. At work I have choice between elevator and stairs and for the 2 floors I always take stairs. I started noticing I was out of breath at the top of the stairs. Something that did no happen before the valve replacement. In week eleven I called and got in to see cardiologist. I told him I felt like I was going backwards in recovery. He looked at tests and said everything looked ok and sounded ok. He had me go for blood test and ekg. Weekend came and went and I got a call at work on Tuesday from nurse who put me on with doc. He said he wanted me to leave work and go straight to hospital for ct scan and not to leave till results come in. Got there at noon and they took me right in. Told me to wait in waiting room and not to eat anything. Around 2 another hospital tech came in and said she was there to take me for echo. That was completed and I was told to stay in waiting room and doctors nurse would be over to see me. They were in same building. And I was not to leave the building. I called my wife and parents to let them know something was up. As I was sitting there I suddenly noticed the beds of my finger nails were blue.
The nurse came over and said doctor wanted to admit me. I asked what was up and she said he wanted to keep an eye on me as there was some fluid around the heart. So, she took me to admitting. I was put in a room and 3 nurses came in and 1 started asking questions and the other 2 tried putting inan iv. They tried 7 times without success. My parents showed up first as they live nearby. Another nurse then stuck her head in the door and said to the other nurses surgery had called down and asked why they did not have me up there. Then the surgeon who did valve came in and told me that they had found some fluid around the heart and he was going to go in and take it out and was going to put in a Pericardial Window. I was taken up to surgery and the anesthesiologist was able to get some iv's going. Although it took him 3 tries to get picc line in left wrist.
Surgery went well and I was put in a room and kept in hospital with a drain for 3 nights. Doctor said they took out a litre of fluid and it looked to be mostly old blood. I am wondering how long it has been there and if it was missed in 7 week echo. He explained that the fluid had built up and was squeezing the heart so it was not pumping at full volume. It looks from web search that this happens about 20% of the time after heart surgery, but is usually caught earlier and they can use needle to remove fluid.
I got up this morning and do feel better than I have in last few weeks. They told me I could go back to normal activities and just take it easy for a bit.
I needed to get this off my chest and appreciate any responses from people who may have had this happen and how the recovery went after this procedure. They are telling me it would be very rare for any new occurance.
Thanks
During the holidays I only had rehab once a week and noticed I was slowing down. In week 9, I noticed the hour workout now became 1/2 hour and I was tired all of the time. At work I have choice between elevator and stairs and for the 2 floors I always take stairs. I started noticing I was out of breath at the top of the stairs. Something that did no happen before the valve replacement. In week eleven I called and got in to see cardiologist. I told him I felt like I was going backwards in recovery. He looked at tests and said everything looked ok and sounded ok. He had me go for blood test and ekg. Weekend came and went and I got a call at work on Tuesday from nurse who put me on with doc. He said he wanted me to leave work and go straight to hospital for ct scan and not to leave till results come in. Got there at noon and they took me right in. Told me to wait in waiting room and not to eat anything. Around 2 another hospital tech came in and said she was there to take me for echo. That was completed and I was told to stay in waiting room and doctors nurse would be over to see me. They were in same building. And I was not to leave the building. I called my wife and parents to let them know something was up. As I was sitting there I suddenly noticed the beds of my finger nails were blue.
The nurse came over and said doctor wanted to admit me. I asked what was up and she said he wanted to keep an eye on me as there was some fluid around the heart. So, she took me to admitting. I was put in a room and 3 nurses came in and 1 started asking questions and the other 2 tried putting inan iv. They tried 7 times without success. My parents showed up first as they live nearby. Another nurse then stuck her head in the door and said to the other nurses surgery had called down and asked why they did not have me up there. Then the surgeon who did valve came in and told me that they had found some fluid around the heart and he was going to go in and take it out and was going to put in a Pericardial Window. I was taken up to surgery and the anesthesiologist was able to get some iv's going. Although it took him 3 tries to get picc line in left wrist.
Surgery went well and I was put in a room and kept in hospital with a drain for 3 nights. Doctor said they took out a litre of fluid and it looked to be mostly old blood. I am wondering how long it has been there and if it was missed in 7 week echo. He explained that the fluid had built up and was squeezing the heart so it was not pumping at full volume. It looks from web search that this happens about 20% of the time after heart surgery, but is usually caught earlier and they can use needle to remove fluid.
I got up this morning and do feel better than I have in last few weeks. They told me I could go back to normal activities and just take it easy for a bit.
I needed to get this off my chest and appreciate any responses from people who may have had this happen and how the recovery went after this procedure. They are telling me it would be very rare for any new occurance.
Thanks
