still exhausted three weeks later?

[Enudely]

Hi everyone
I'm wondering when I can expect to get some energy back. I'm still really tired at 3 weeks. Granted, I have 2 young kids and live in grey Seattle too. My Hematocrit is on the low side of normal. I ordered some iron. Just wondering when other people started to feel a lot better. Would I still be tired from the surgery at 3+ weeks?

 

[Lily]

While I was tired for a few weeks, the only post-op "exhaustion" I suffered with was directly related to some post-op A-fib/A-flutter. No chance you're having some of that is there? If not, give yourself a couple of more weeks and you'll probably be feeling much better. I recall thinking at the fifth post-op week that things were looking up. Best wishes

 

[malibu82]

when i was on metoprolol after surgery i was very tired . the minute i stopped taking them i felt 100 times better....are you taking that medication?

being in dreary seattle could be some of the problem...i purposely scheduled my surgery in may so the weather would be sunny and warm enough to go outside during the day and feel "real"...going for walks or watching my children play....maybe you need some sun!

 

[catwoman]

Hi everyone
I'm wondering when I can expect to get some energy back. I'm still really tired at 3 weeks. Granted, I have 2 young kids and live in grey Seattle too. My Hematocrit is on the low side of normal. I ordered some iron. Just wondering when other people started to feel a lot better. Would I still be tired from the surgery at 3+ weeks?

You bet!
I started to turn the corner a little @ 5-6 weeks -- but I still had periods of tiredness, even utter exhaustion at times, for up to 9 or so months post-op. But I was also burning the candle at both ends and in the middle.
Heart surgery takes a lot out of your whole body -- not just the physical healing, but also the heart works with so many other organs (lungs, kidneys, etc.), that it indeed takes a while to fully feel "normal" again.
Some of the problem is that on days you feel good, you're tempted to overdo it and you'll end up dragging. We've all been there, done that.
You also have 2 young kids, and that's enough to tire anyone out.
I suggest pampering yourself and relying on family members to pick up the slack for several weeks. Just coast on the days you feel great, so you won't be tempted to overdo things.

 

[BlindFaith]

yes, 3 weeks still tired. was still taking afternoon naps 5-6 weeks out. but, still keep walking as much as you can. that helps both in the short term and the long term.

 

[bigsidster]

I agree with most that it is not until 5 to 6 weeks before you tap some energy.

 

[Kathy McCain]

You absolutely would still be feeling tired! Everyone is different, but believe me three weeks is not much time at all! Give youself a few months. Your body just went through a very major surgery. It takes awhile. Hang in there, and try and be patient. You will get there, I can promise you that.

Take care

 

[buncle]

it takes some time. i remember the end of 4 weeks was alot better than 3.hang in there!

 

[Philip B]

Tired?

Tired?

Valve replacement surgery is a major trauma and it's normal to feel tired. Of course that's the reason getting a lot of rest after the surgery is advised. It's also important to make regular, reasonable exercise a part of the recovery process.

-Philip

 

[Duffey]

I was still tired at three weeks. If you hemoglobin is low, getting the iron in your system might really help. Otherwise I think you'll notice an improvment about 6 weeks out.

 

[Bean Counter]

3 weeks out I was still taking 2 naps a day....hang in there.

 

[ks1490]

Give yourself some time. I was back to work after 5-6 weeks, able to do my desk job but would still get winded going up stairs, still had to go to be early, etc. One day you'll realize that you're able to do everything that you were able to do pre-surgery, perhaps even better, it will happen before you know it. While I made note of/celebrated my 3-month post-surgery anniversary, I completely forgot about the 6-month anniversary, it just passed me by because I was so focused back on my life, that's a good recovery milestone.

 

[pat45750]

I am older at 66 and it took almost 6 weeks to start getting energy back. I did a lot of napping. I am 5 months post op and still usually take a nap after being really active. PT does that to me. Many in PT say they take naps after. A lot depends on each person - everyone heals at their own rate. Open Heart Surgery is really tough to me. I expected a much quicker recovery based on my hip replacement, but that did not happen. You can only go along with what your body demands - if you are tired, take it easy. You will find more days with more energy in the future. Pat

 

[Orangebrittainy]

I found that four weeks was a magic number for me. I felt horrible at three, and the day week four hit, I had amazing energy. 4 weeks and 1 day it continued. at five weeks, I thought to myself, wow I have been feeling good for a while now. Hang in there

 

[BAVD John]

I spent 9 days in the hospital after my surgery. I didn't do very much those first few weeks after I got home from the hospital. My wife and I took walks outside the house increasing the amout I walked every couple of days or so. Before surgery I took a lot of naps and found my self getting ready for bed at 8:30 in the evening. That changed, I didn't take very many naps at home after surgery. Hang in there, you mention that you have a couple of young children. I'm sure they seek your attention and you are probably using more energy than you think to take care of their needs. Hang in there, I want to believe you will feel better as time goes on.

 

[Marguerite53]

As you can see, this is normal. I had family home with me the first 5 days home, then friends popping in during the day for the second week. By the third week I was fine alone, but I napped most of the time. For me, it wasn't so much that I was tired, it was that I had absolutely no resilience. So, I could kind of get started doing things, but then find myself to be completely drained in a pretty short time. I'm sure that having little ones around who are so completely inexhaustible and energetic is bound to be difficult.

Maybe you can find some very sedentary activities to do with your children -- puzzles, movies, board games? Then, it may seem like you are active, but you can actually be doing something somewhat restful.

Do check on your meds. Beta blockers can be tiring. If your BP is low, that can tire you. And certainly you can feel drained from low iron.

Be patient! Be good to yourself. Stand up for yourself. If your instincts tell you something's not right, do not hesitate to call your doctors.

Marguerite

Oh, and living in the Northwest during the dark winter months can be unsettling and confusing to your body. I mean, it still gets dark at 5pm here!! Your body might be thinking it's sleepy time! But we're past the winter solstice so that means the days are getting longer each day!! yay!!! Before we know it, everyone else will be in the dark by 8 and our sun will still be shining at 9:30 at night!! Hang in there!!

 

[neil]

yep 3 weeks still tired,took me about 6 month to get to where i wanted to

 

[LL_beanie]

Glad that your surgery went well! I was really tired too after 3 wks out from my 2nd OHS last year. Two quick tips that helped me a whole lot:

1.) Listen to your body - if you feel tired, rest. There's no single timetable for anyone (like others have mentioned)
2.) Bc it's been such a radical change in your body bw the surgery, the anesthesia, and fatigue, it is a bit tough to chart progress. I know some days I'd wake up with lots of energy (relatively) and others I could barely make it around the house. Look at how much has changed week to week. It is an easier way to note progress.

Although I'm near New Orleans, Louisiana now, I lived in Seattle for 5 years a while back. I completely understand the grey weather blaghs. When you are further out from your surgery and having more energy, you might want to check out one of the Olympus spas in Tacoma or Lynnwood. The heated pools and rooms are amazing. Also, you might notice that your chest hurts from the cold and it's a great place to have warmth to loosen up the muscles. http://www.olympusspa.net/

The greenhouse at Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill is another great place. The warmth works wonders! Best of luck!

 

[Michelle D]

I became anemic temporarily from my surgery and so it took me longer to get my energy back. I had to go the the hospital a few weeks after my surgery for other problems and they gave me some blood transfusions and I feel a million times better for a couples days afterwards so I'd call your doctor and get iron supplements sooner than later so that you'll get your energy back faster. I think for me it was at the 8 week point that I started feeling more energetic. For the first three weeks I was exhausted especially since they were trying different meds on me all which cause drowsiness and I was not sleeping well at night at all. Right now your job is to heal so sleep as much as you need to, my cardiologist always told me that. But at 6 weeks is when she starting pushing me to be more active.