Sore Throat -- Now What?

[BionicBob]

Friends,

My OHS was originally scheduled January 20, but surgeon postponed it because I was still struggling with remnants of the flu. I've been in the second countdown for surgery that's now set for next Wednesday, Feb. 16, but I woke up this morning with a sore throat. It has responded pretty well to honey and green tea but in the past has been the precursor to further nastiness.

I am scheduled for a pre-op at the hospital Monday, during which time (I understand) I will get a physical, among other things. Should I just wait and tell them about the throat and any congestion then? I hate to be the type that calls the surgeon's office about every sniffle. No doubt they get a lot of calls that are just about cold feet. I am not relishing the surgery but I am getting tired of waiting too.

Just wondering if any of you all had been through something like this, or had any thoughts. Thanks. (It is awfully hard to dodge bugs this time of year -- everywhere I go people are sniffling and coughing.)

Bob

 

[Karlynn]

Just tell them then. It may be just a little sinus drainage, or dry air, or a blue moon! Drink lots of fluids.

 

[Bill Hall]

Hi Bob - My wife was sick just before surgery, but I was anxious to get this over with, so I went ahead. Anyway, I woke up from surgery with a sore throat. I was pretty miserable for the hospital stay, but in fact with the stiff muscles and incision pain, it was just another annoyance. Two weeks later, it turned into bronchitis and they finally gave me antibiotics. It turns out that surgeons and cardiologists don't know how to cure a sore throat. Also, your body is weak and susceptable to catching something, and is trying to recover from that surgery. So, I would suggest that you tell them.
Bill

 

[geebee]

You definitely need to tell them. However, you will probably know by then if you are going to get sicker. If you develop any upper respiratory symptoms such as coughing, you certainly don't want to have OHS. Other than the fact that having surgery with an infection is dangerous, sneezing and coughing with a cut sternum is not something you want to experience.
I will say a prayer that you just have a dry throat that will go away in a day or two. I would hate for you to have to postpone again. Keep your chin up and think positive.

 

[Ross]

I'll speak from my last surgical experience. Mine was postponed due to catching something like a cold. I was not even rescheduled until released by my PCP. When I went to see him, I think he rushed things a bit expecting that my surgical date would be rescheduled a few weeks later. Wrong! One week later and when I went in, I still had that darn illness. Now I don't know if it contributed or not, but I was on the vent for a long long time and had a very rough go of the whole thing.

Bottom line--If you feel even slightly off kilter, whine, complain and be heard!!!!

 

[McCln]

Bob

Bob

I'd say that if you could wait till Monday, go for it. But they will reschedule the surgery due to possible fever that they will not operate with. I have a low grade fever twice, the first preceded an infection I detected as a shock. The second, the surgeon felt better about doing surgery with no cause for the fever found that time. But with a soar throat, fever and chance of infection, the surgeon would be smart in not cutting till he/she is certain of no chance in encarditis. Good luck and get the throat checked.

 

[Granbonny]

Gargle with warm, salty water..several times a day..Bonnie

 

[KAJ]

Bob,

I agree with everyone else, tell them about the sore throat. My surgeon has already told me that if I am not over the sinus infection,at least one week before surgery, it gets postphoned until after I am well.

Karl

Friends,

My OHS was originally scheduled January 20, but surgeon postponed it because I was still struggling with remnants of the flu. I've been in the second countdown for surgery that's now set for next Wednesday, Feb. 16, but I woke up this morning with a sore throat. It has responded pretty well to honey and green tea but in the past has been the precursor to further nastiness.

I am scheduled for a pre-op at the hospital Monday, during which time (I understand) I will get a physical, among other things. Should I just wait and tell them about the throat and any congestion then? I hate to be the type that calls the surgeon's office about every sniffle. No doubt they get a lot of calls that are just about cold feet. I am not relishing the surgery but I am getting tired of waiting too.

Just wondering if any of you all had been through something like this, or had any thoughts. Thanks. (It is awfully hard to dodge bugs this time of year -- everywhere I go people are sniffling and coughing.)

Bob

 

[BionicBob]

Thanks

Thanks

... to everybody for the good advice. Strangely, the bad sore throat of Saturday seemed to go away on Sunday. But I certainly will tell them everything. Appreciate your advice, thoughts, and prayers.

Bob

 

[Rain]

Tell them.

Tell them.

I think they probably hear from a lot of people who get sick between the time of scheduling and the operating date. I was sick constantly for the year before my heart surgery. My cardio said it was because my heart was in such bad shape. Believe me, they want to know what?s going on with your body before they start cutting......... not after.

 

[BionicBob]

I Appreciate Everything!

I Appreciate Everything!

Thanks again to all. I had my pre-op today at Inova Fairfax in Northern Virginia and they were very thorough and reassuring. They did take the sore throat issue seriously -- though it has cleared up (maybe it was just effect of dry air from the furnace running so much). Physical showed no signs of infection. But they made plain I should call if I have any recurrence before my surgery this Wednesday morning. The pre-op nurse also knew about the Heart Hugger and said I was welcome to bring it. They gave me some medicine to help me sleep, and went over everything to the nth degree.

Thanks so much for being a sounding board for all of my worries, no matter how trivial, during these tense days of waiting. Looks like everything is a "Go" as of now.

Cheers,

Bob