We had a friend come over today who is a retired cardiologist and she had so many useful things to tell me about OHS. She happens to have had it herself (CABG) some years ago so she knows from the perspective of first hand experience as well as by being a doctor.
She explained to me that the brain registers all that happens to the body during surgery, just as the brain registers physical things, discomforts, noises, lights etc during sleep. Even though the patient will not be consciously aware of what is happening and none of us will ever recall it (except sometimes with intraoperative awareness, which is rare), but it will be there in our brains at a lower level. That is one of the reasons for the extreme tiredness post operatively, and one of the reasons for emotional fragilty. I didn't find that disturbing, but reassuring, because I think nothing is worse for a person to undergo some kind of trauma and for them to be told "it didn't happen", that is a double whammy, and with surgery, because we're unconscious that does, in a sense, happen, but since I now know that part of me will know exactly what is happening I know that whatever trauma my body will feel is validated at a certain level of experience.
She also told me that when I am given the anaesthetic that it is very good if the anaesthetist or someone holds my hand, she said that human contact at that point gives a very good feeling.
When I asked about the stitches that are used to 'sew' in the valve and to sew up the aorta afterwards, she explained that as soon as the needle leaves the hole where it has been put, the body starts to heal up the 'hole'/join and that it does this very quickly. The stitches aren't what's keeping things together, they're just kind of guidance while the body does it's work quickly.
She also explained that when the operation is finished, the anaesthetic team will make all sorts of checks which I won't remember, for example, they will ask me if I can hear them and for me to raise a hand or something if I can, they check so many things before they take me into the recovery room because if there is a problem it is better that it is discovered while still in theatre.
She let me feel her sternum ! It was 13 years ago that she had her OHS and I could feel the place where the two sides of her sternum were joined !
She explained to me that the brain registers all that happens to the body during surgery, just as the brain registers physical things, discomforts, noises, lights etc during sleep. Even though the patient will not be consciously aware of what is happening and none of us will ever recall it (except sometimes with intraoperative awareness, which is rare), but it will be there in our brains at a lower level. That is one of the reasons for the extreme tiredness post operatively, and one of the reasons for emotional fragilty. I didn't find that disturbing, but reassuring, because I think nothing is worse for a person to undergo some kind of trauma and for them to be told "it didn't happen", that is a double whammy, and with surgery, because we're unconscious that does, in a sense, happen, but since I now know that part of me will know exactly what is happening I know that whatever trauma my body will feel is validated at a certain level of experience.
She also told me that when I am given the anaesthetic that it is very good if the anaesthetist or someone holds my hand, she said that human contact at that point gives a very good feeling.
When I asked about the stitches that are used to 'sew' in the valve and to sew up the aorta afterwards, she explained that as soon as the needle leaves the hole where it has been put, the body starts to heal up the 'hole'/join and that it does this very quickly. The stitches aren't what's keeping things together, they're just kind of guidance while the body does it's work quickly.
She also explained that when the operation is finished, the anaesthetic team will make all sorts of checks which I won't remember, for example, they will ask me if I can hear them and for me to raise a hand or something if I can, they check so many things before they take me into the recovery room because if there is a problem it is better that it is discovered while still in theatre.
She let me feel her sternum ! It was 13 years ago that she had her OHS and I could feel the place where the two sides of her sternum were joined !
But not brain dead !
