Status of Kathy M.

[Kathy McCain]

This is Kathy's husband reporting in.
Kathy is very despondent at this moment.

Here is where we are at.
2-11 Aortic Valve Replacement with a Porcine Valve - Mosaic Medtronic
Performed by Dr. David Ott.

Things went well and Kathy's recovery was well on its way.
We were discharged on 2-16-08. Got home about 2 PM.
By the time we got home Kathy was complaining nausea and could hardly make it in the house.

By 4:30 AM on 2-17-08 she was going from hot (cold sweats to freezing)
Called the Cardiologist and he recommended immediately taking her to
Emergency Room

7 hours later we made it back to St. Lukes in Houston.
Cause - Combination of dehydration and low blood pressure, and high heart rate.

Tuesday 2-18-08 Echocardiogram performed - revealed moderate percardial effusion. Cardiologist (George Younis) explained that some effusion is normal and the extra could have been exacerbated by Coumadin.
Coumadin therapy stopped.

Wednesday 2-19-08 - Percardial Window surgery performed to remove extra fluid around heart.

Heart Rate - Resting still at 90 to 100 bpm.
This is what is really bothering Kathy - She walks 50 feet and her heart is pounding like she ran 100 yard dash.

Your comments and support needed at this time.

Thanks Rod and Kathy

 

[Cooker]

Rod…..I am sorry Kathy had these bumps but they are not uncommon…. As far as the pounding heart beat mine was that was for several weeks….Her body has been through MAJOR trauma and will take time to heal. Please assure her that she is in good hands and that she is in our prayers and it WILL get better………………….Tom

 

[Karlynn]

Please tell her that some of us seem to have a more difficult time in the first part of post surgery, but that this does not mean she will not be able to recovery fully. If you both were to see just exactly what a valve replacement entails you would understand why her heart is behaving like it's really mad for what it just had to go through.

I had a high heart rate after surgery and because the heart is felt so much more keenly after surgery it's very disturbing. It's been 16 years and I still remember what it felt like, so she has my sympathy. I was put on metoprolol for the heart rate, and remain on it today (not unusual for mitral valves in particular).

I hope she continues to feel better. Please tell her that she is not on any recovery time line but her own.

 

[Superbob]

Rod,

Certainly adding my best thoughts and prayers for Kathy as well. I didn't have the same kind of post-op bumps but I know from reading many posts on here that these kinds of temporary difficulties are common. Tell her that her friends here are thinking of her and hoping for a smoother road to recovery from here on...

 

[cp172]

Rod,

Kathy is in my prayers. I am sure things will improve shortly. Please keep us posted.

 

[Phyllis]

As you can read here, what she is expeiencing is not uncommon. Please tell her we are all thinking of her and praying that she starts to feel better soon. Never be afraid to run any concerns by her cardio or surgeon. Sometimes, hearing from them that all is normal will relieve a lot of anxiety.

 

[marie]

You are both in my thoughts and in my prayers. Keep us posted and hopefully everything will go much better from here on out.
Earline

 

[njean]

Kathy's in my prayers! I pray that she will start feeling better soon! And you are in my prayers too. These things can be so hard & stressful on the family as well. Take care!

 

[Susan BAV]

Hi Rod and Kathy -

First of all, I'm sorry for this very frustrating situation you find yourself in. A lot of us can relate to some feelings of despondency.

About a week after my surgery, I would go in and out of A-fib/A-flutter, undiagnosed at first until they caught it on an EKG--and from what you are describing, it sounds very much like what I was feeling with that issue. I wonder if that isn't part of the problem?

Another thing, did they give Kathy a spirometer and breathing instructions with it? If so, that strange little plastic gadget is your best friend for a few minutes, every hour on the hour, for the first few weeks. It can help a person to avoid some very serious post-op issues.

I hope you will be feeling much better very soon, Kathy. Some early speed bumps in the recovery road are not uncommon, difficult as they may be at the time. Take care and please post again. Please don't hesitate to ask questions. Someone here has likely experienced whatever you ask about and is eager to offer you some encouragement. It will get better. Hopefully very soon.

 

[Praline]

I am so sorry , Kathy, that you are having these problems. But not everyone has a smooth recovery with no bumps.
My first bump was 3 days after surgery when they were talking about sending me home. The doctor was standing right there by my bed and I said, " I feel dizzy", and that 's all she wrote. I passed out. Then I felt someone putting a Gantz cath in my neck. Big ouch! The next thing I remember is being in back ICU. I found out afterwards that I had a ventricular standstill..one of my ventricles had stopped beating for a few beats. I spent the next few days in ICU with the doctors debating whether I needed a permanent pacemaker or not. My heart finally went in sinus rythm.
Then after I was home I had a few episodes of AFlutter. My heart rate was up to about 150.
I am telling you all this because I am now just fine. I am 66 years old and back to teaching first grade. It has been 2 years since my surgery. On my anniversary date I e-mailed my surgeon and he e-mailed me back to say that he has a five year old at home and that I must be doing fine because the thought of spending all day with a classroom full of "them"...
So just take heart. It just takes a while sometimes. The wonderful uneventful recovery that people post here are great, BUT just because you hit a few bumps does not mean that you will not fully recover.
Relax, breath, have people wait on you, rest, eat your favorite foods, ... and keep us updated on your progress.
I will keep you in my prayers.

 

[netmiff]

Sorry to hear you are having to go through this, but (excuse the pun) take heart ! This must be pretty scary for both of you, but you are in the right place to get appropriate help.

I am not a medical professional, but here's what happened with me. I had aortic valve replaced almost 6 months ago. My surgeon explained at the pre-surgery consult that I may be on beta-blockers and BP pills after. What happens is the heart muscle builds up to force as much blood as it can through the stenotic valve. When they go in and suddenly open that hole up, the heart still beats with the same force. Then they have to control it with meds - I am on a beta blocker and 2 blood pressure pills for the moment. The heart eventually learns the new rules, and the meds can be stopped. I think generally this takes about 6 months to 2 years, depending on individual reactions.

I can remember my first night on the step-down floor, trying to hold my heart into my chest, I thought it was going to come jumping out, and even with the BP meds I was on, my BP was up to 190 at one point.

 

[WayneGM]

Sorry to hear about the bump in the raod. The good news it was caught early and dealt with. I had percardial fluid issues three weeks post-op resulting and ended up in surgery. As other said, this is not uncommon. Best wishes for a speedy resolution and a smooth recovery going forward.

 

[South Sound Sailor]

Kathy & Rod - First, my thoughts and prayers are with you.


My AVR was 2/5, just 18 days ago. I was released on 2/8 feeling like I was moving in the right direction. On 2/12 I crashed. Violent dry heaves, body temp dropping to 95.5, BP dropping to 70/60 (not sure about my heart rate). Extreme SOB. After 4 hours of these symptoms I FINALLY went to e/r (I know... stubborn AND stupid). I was immediately diagnosed with pericardial effusion. By the time they wheeled me into the O/R to do the drain, I was ready to stick the syringe in and do it myself (couldn't catch my breath and started having a panic attack).

After a rough 3 day stay in hospital (looking back, I think it was more depression than anything else), I was released on 2/15. First couple of days at home were miserable. Then on 2/18 I woke up feeling like a new person. Since then I've been experiencing the sense of having a very rapid and positive recovery experience. I still tire out easily but I also bounce back quickly. Biggest challenge right now is not overdoing it. That's my story. Hope the 2 of you experience an even quicker "bounce-back!!"

Steve C.

 

[zipper2]

Rod and Kathy

Rod and Kathy

So sorry about your situation and prayers out to comfort you both




zipper2

 

[Curtsmum]

Hope things get better for Kathy real soon, You are both in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[tobagotwo]

Your heart has undergone a great stress. It's also - as NetMiff pointed out - still a giant pump, from when it needed to be enlarged to keep you alive.

Beta blockers are the most common response to this, and the heart, as it goes back to normal size, will eventually calm down on its own, both in terms of heart rate and force.

Of course it's disappointing (and painful) to have to undergo treatment for effusion, but it doesn't bode any evil for your recovery. A pecentage of people have this problem, and they still recover as well as anyone.

Be less concerned. The worst of this really is behind you.

Best wishes,

 

[Lisa in Katy]

My heart rate was over 100 for quite a while after surgery and I remember the pounding as well. That's probably part of why the ticking seemed so loud in the beginning. I experienced effusion almost 8 weeks out, which lasted quite a while and still recurs occasionally, although that is abnormal. I had forgotten about the chills and sweats that went along with the worst part of the pain. It also makes you SOB, although just the surgery can do that. Think about when you get a cut on your foot and it hurts to walk on it, so you tend to stay off of it and when you have to walk, you limp. Heart surgery is a cut on a vital part of your body that must keep working even if it would rather not, so it "limps along" for a while until it heals. It will get better and before you know it, you will be feeling good. Keep the faith!

 

[KAJ]

Rod,

I will definitely keep Kathy in my prayers. I think my heart did the same thing. The slighest exertion was often painful. Most of my body wa is in pain after OHS. I felt like I was hit by a large truck . She will gradually start to feel better has her body heals.


Karl

 

[Marguerite53]

Lots of wonderful replies. I would like to add a few things. I had a textbook surgery and recovery except for the loud and fast beating heart. One day I just said, this can't be right and went into the cardio. It was deemed benign (after much to do with echoes and monitors) and so I just decided that my heart needed time to adjust to its new rhythm. So I started to "converse" with my new heart, if that makes any sense. I started to just think, okay, it's been through quite alot here....handled, sliced up, patched, jostled around. It's confused. It is searching. I CANNOT add to the stress of its finding itself by worrying. So I just let the whole thing go and got busy with my life and the rest of the healing. Acceptance was a key thing for me.

Also, many many many people experience depression after these events. It may be the event, it may be the anesthesia, it may be the change in body and hormonal rhythms...who knows. Please keep an eye on things. Everyone responds to these powerful drugs in different ways. It could even be the pain killers if she is still on them. Report her despondency to a doctor if you feel she is not moving past things.

That said...my goodness!! she has been through a lot!!! It is tough enough to ride the emotional roller coaster with these surgeries, but then to have so much happen post surgery. I'm sure you have been inordinately supportive and caring. Just try to keep that going and I'm almost certain that Time will be the great healer and she will be heading back to normal soon.

Best wishes.

Please continue to update us and ask for anything you need.

Marguerite