DAY 0 WEDNESDAY
I had my surgery on March 5, 2014, at Morgan Heart Hospital/Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater FL. My surgeon was Dr. Joshua Rovin of Cardiac Surgical Associates. I was wheeled into pre-op around 6:00 am where I met the anesthesiologist and signed my final consent. I don't remember anything after that.
According to my hospital records, my heartbeat was slowed to 42 bpm before they put me on the heart/lung machine. I was only on the machine for 40 minutes, from 8:40-9:20am. I first opened my eyes around 12:30, and was vaguely aware of the ventilator tube in my mouth (but could not feel it in my throat). Also, I felt a profound sense of joy and relief that I could open my eyes. My next recollection was about 2:30, and I was sitting up in a chair. I had a surgical bra on, and didn't remove it for 5 days. I don't remember moving from the bed to the chair. There was some to-do about my blood gases, so my dedicated nurse was right next to me encouraging me to take deep breaths. My husband tells me the RN injected a huge syringe of antacid via my central line near my shoulder. Again, I have no recollection of this at all! That first afternoon was weird - I was on pain pills, trying to get rid of the anesthesia, trying to stay awake, being desperately thirsty, and feeling "on display" as my husband and parents sat in the room watching me, not having a lot of conversation. I felt like I was nodding off every 3 or 4 minutes. I don't remember any pain.
NIGHT 1
The first night was the worst. I was uncomfortable in the bed, my upper back and shoulders hurt so much. My pm RN propped my arms up with pillows, and that was a relief. I didn't get much sleep with all the beeps and whirring and clicks and blood tests and medications and BP checks. I was still on oxygen, but at night it was hooked through my cPap machine. I distinctly remember several different nurses and patient care techs fumbling with my headgear throughout my stay. If you must have someone help you put your cPap mask on, tell them to start with the strap at the back of your head. Otherwise your nose gets pushed up to your eyeballs and there's nothing you can do about it! (Unless you need something to laugh at. In that case, let them figure it out for themselves!)
DAY 1 THURSDAY
I tried to eat breakfast the day after surgery, but everything tasted like untreated old cardboard. I struggled to eat some cottage cheese and fruit, because it was cold and had a texture. This ended up being my go-to meal when nothing else was appealing. The physical therapist came in to see me and we did some arm and leg stretches. I know I had tubes coming out of my abdominal area, and refused to look at them or their equipment. Thanks to the pain management, I never felt them. My entire back was incredibly sore this day, no matter the position I was in. I spent most of the day sitting in the recliner, with my first walk about 50' to the nurses station. My amazing patient care tech, Brittany, took such good care of me. She helped me really wash my face and brush my teeth. Ladies, if you are pre-menopausal you should expect to bleed while in the hospital. It sucks. Sorry. The good news is that the staff is trained to deal with it professionally. I was ALWAYS treated with dignity and respect.
NIGHT 2
was a little easier than the first. The cPap helped with my breathing, and it seemed there were a few less interruptions. I think I may have slept a bit more. My appetite came back around 10pm, and my husband brought me some cafeteria food that was pretty delicious, and the RN gave me some chocolate ice cream. <3!
DAY 2 FRIDAY
Friday morning I took my last dose of narcotic pain pill in preparation for the drain tube removal. They took my catheter out then as well. I went for about a 500' walk, and then took a nice long nap. My back didn't hurt nearly as much, and a nurse said it was because the drains were gone. I was pretty hungry, and much more alert than I had been since surgery. I had read that the 3rd day was the worst as far as pain and healing, but this is when I started to actually feel like a person again. I was escorted into my bathroom to clean up. I refused to look at myself in the mirror because I really didn't want to see the incision. I caught a quick glance, then simply took my glasses off. In the blurry mirror, I could see darkness down the middle of my chest, yellow staining from betadine/iodine everywhere, and a glorious tan color on my facial area. i was no longer pale, or gray, or yellow. I actually had a normal color in my face! This was the most improved thing I could tell about myself so far. I still needed help getting in and out of bed and the chair, but I could walk the halls without a walker.
NIGHT 3
I actually got a few hours of sleep! I remember having my finger pricked for blood sugar testing, but I went right back to sleep. I woke up at 5am and turned the TV on for the first time.
DAY 3 SATURDAY
Eat, sleep, breathe, walk, try to poop. Repeat. Surgeon says I can go home as soon as I poop in the potty. I ordered prunes, juice, salad, coffee.
NIGHT 4
Sleep. My insulin levels finally came up to normal. I think I had about 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep (or I just got so used to people doing stuff to me I never woke up).
DAY 4 SUNDAY
My patient care tech and I did a little dance in the bathroom! She helped me get cleaned up and dressed, then took me for a walk around the floor to say my goodbyes. I took a nap, had lunch, and went home. Physically leaving the hospital was scary - what if something happens? But once I was wheeled outside in to the fresh air and had sun on my face, I knew everything was going to be ok. I didn't get a shower in the hospital because of the drain-tube holes. The very first thing I did when I got home was take a shower. It took about an hour, and it was glorious!
FIRST WEEK AT HOME
I split my sleeping time between the recliner and the bed. My awake time was in the recliner and walking around the house. I had a home-health nurse visit and talk about my capabilities, and my warfarin management. Also, the surgeon's nurse called to check on me. I slept a lot, and did a lot of breathing exercises. I had a visit from a physical therapist. He eliminated my back pain by telling me to stand up straight while I was walking. he said the tendency for heart patients to curl forward to avoid pain causes a lot of back stress. Also, I was instructed to "rest my bowling ball" meaning lay down and rest my head, to give my neck a break from holding it up all day. Seriously, this was the best post-op advice I received. My sister stayed with me, and my husband went back to work. The nasty little kids next door threw rocks at my house, and thanks to metoprolol my blood pressure didn't go up as I chased them home and yelled at their mom/babysitter. Also, when my dad & sister locked us out of the house, I just sat on the bench. I couldn't get worked up about anything! By then end of the week, I had perfected my "nest" in bed to the proper elevation and angle. One week after release from the hospital, I went to church.
SECOND WEEK AT HOME
My mother stayed with me this week. We went to the mall. We went to the grocery store. We had a manicure. We went to lunch at the club with an old family friend. I got a haircut. We went to visit my work. I was EXHAUSTED by the time she left. But I ate very well, and my house was cleaned (nearly) professionally! All my traveling was done in the back seat of a Ford Escape with my heart-protecting teddy bear. Not just a regular stuffed animal, he's got something firm inside that helps protect my sternum from the seat-belt in case of a crash. He was also my sneeze4 and cough protector. I named him Hearty Harvey. He was a pretty constant companion the for 15 days or so. Home health released me to regular doctor/labwork, and no more physical therapy visits.
THIRD WEEK AT HOME My husband was on spring break, and my brother was here. I was on a regular schedule of sleep/eat. It was the first time I've spent time with just my brother (no spouses, kids or parents) in at least 12 years. The guys did some honey-do stuff around the house, and I got back in to the swing of managing the kitchen. We'd been eating out of the freezer (fully stocked by mom and step-mom with delicious re-heatable meals). Between the 2 of them I was walking a mile at a time, just around and around and around the block. I was still not sleeping through the night, only about 4 hours at a time, but it was easy to go back to sleep after a lap or 2 around the house in the middle of the night. I had my final appointment with the surgeon this week. He said my sternum was probably healed, and I could get back to doing almost anything I wanted. "If it feels good, do it." he said. Husband was very happy to hear that! We discussed rollercoasters and kayaking, and Dr Rovin said I could do it if I wanted to, and that I would know when the time is right. (7 weeks post op, I'm still not sure about either one, so I haven't done them yet.) He said I could ride in the front seat again, and start driving myself in a week. I had a follow-up with the cardiologist, Dr Michael Barry of Clearwater Cardiovascular & Interventional Consultants. He said I'm doing great, everything looks right on schedule, come see me in September.
THE REST OF THE STORY
I really REALLY enjoyed my fourth week at home. No watcher, no babysitter, and husband back to work. I channel surfed, I cleaned the house, I went for walks, I enjoyed the silence. And paid dearly for it the next day! I totally over-did it, but am amazed by my energy levels. I continue to walk at least a mile a day, and have renewed my annual pass at Busch Gardens. I like to visit the park by myself and just walk and walk and walk. It doesn't seem like exercise while I'm there. I started cardiac rehab in week 6, 3x a week. It's weird being the youngest person there, and the therapists seems to expect more from me than from their older patients. I oblige. But I also let them know if I feel they are pushing me too hard.
WEEK 7
I can walk several miles at a time without shortness of breath or fatigue. I still have difficulty actually going to sleep (always have). My cPap numbers are disappointing - I was sleeping better before the surgery. Now I'm taking my mask off in the middle of the night and not putting it back on. I can drink a full cup of coffee without getting jittery. I'm frustrated that I'm exercising 6 days a week and not losing any weight (RN said it's because of the beta-blocker, and I shouldn't expect to lose weight for some time. Grr!) If I do too much housework or rehab, my sternum has the ability to hurt as much as it did in the hospital, and I have to make a conscious effort to stand up straight and breathe deeply. Stretching helps eliminate the pain. With the exception of lifting heavy items over my head, I am back to normal. Showering doesn't take an hour, I can blow-dry my hair. Driving is normal (except fast cornering - that hurts.) According to DOT regulations, I have about 5 more weeks before I can return to work (school bus driver/teacher aid).
WHAT YOU SHOULD LEARN FROM MY STORY
1. Recovery probably won't be as bad as you think it will.
2. Stand up straight, like you're the President/King/Queen - your posture has a direct effect on back pain!
3. Breath deeply and often. I feel my recovery could have been improved by more frequent breathing exercises. I resisted them (I don't know why). Use that stupid spirometer!
4. Let people help you. If you must go out by yourself, do not be embarrassed to ask for help ie "I'm a recovering heart patient, can you please help me?"
5. My weight-lifting, steroid-using, heavily tattooed hairdresser is squeamish of incisions. I made him turn green with my draintube holes. It was awesome.
I am so thankful to be alive, to have the science and technology available to keep me among the living for hopefully another 42 years. This episode has changed my outlook on life - I'm more grateful, more "in the moment", more likely to laugh and forgive than ever before.
STAND UP STRAIGHT!
I had my surgery on March 5, 2014, at Morgan Heart Hospital/Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater FL. My surgeon was Dr. Joshua Rovin of Cardiac Surgical Associates. I was wheeled into pre-op around 6:00 am where I met the anesthesiologist and signed my final consent. I don't remember anything after that.
According to my hospital records, my heartbeat was slowed to 42 bpm before they put me on the heart/lung machine. I was only on the machine for 40 minutes, from 8:40-9:20am. I first opened my eyes around 12:30, and was vaguely aware of the ventilator tube in my mouth (but could not feel it in my throat). Also, I felt a profound sense of joy and relief that I could open my eyes. My next recollection was about 2:30, and I was sitting up in a chair. I had a surgical bra on, and didn't remove it for 5 days. I don't remember moving from the bed to the chair. There was some to-do about my blood gases, so my dedicated nurse was right next to me encouraging me to take deep breaths. My husband tells me the RN injected a huge syringe of antacid via my central line near my shoulder. Again, I have no recollection of this at all! That first afternoon was weird - I was on pain pills, trying to get rid of the anesthesia, trying to stay awake, being desperately thirsty, and feeling "on display" as my husband and parents sat in the room watching me, not having a lot of conversation. I felt like I was nodding off every 3 or 4 minutes. I don't remember any pain.
NIGHT 1
The first night was the worst. I was uncomfortable in the bed, my upper back and shoulders hurt so much. My pm RN propped my arms up with pillows, and that was a relief. I didn't get much sleep with all the beeps and whirring and clicks and blood tests and medications and BP checks. I was still on oxygen, but at night it was hooked through my cPap machine. I distinctly remember several different nurses and patient care techs fumbling with my headgear throughout my stay. If you must have someone help you put your cPap mask on, tell them to start with the strap at the back of your head. Otherwise your nose gets pushed up to your eyeballs and there's nothing you can do about it! (Unless you need something to laugh at. In that case, let them figure it out for themselves!)
DAY 1 THURSDAY
I tried to eat breakfast the day after surgery, but everything tasted like untreated old cardboard. I struggled to eat some cottage cheese and fruit, because it was cold and had a texture. This ended up being my go-to meal when nothing else was appealing. The physical therapist came in to see me and we did some arm and leg stretches. I know I had tubes coming out of my abdominal area, and refused to look at them or their equipment. Thanks to the pain management, I never felt them. My entire back was incredibly sore this day, no matter the position I was in. I spent most of the day sitting in the recliner, with my first walk about 50' to the nurses station. My amazing patient care tech, Brittany, took such good care of me. She helped me really wash my face and brush my teeth. Ladies, if you are pre-menopausal you should expect to bleed while in the hospital. It sucks. Sorry. The good news is that the staff is trained to deal with it professionally. I was ALWAYS treated with dignity and respect.
NIGHT 2
was a little easier than the first. The cPap helped with my breathing, and it seemed there were a few less interruptions. I think I may have slept a bit more. My appetite came back around 10pm, and my husband brought me some cafeteria food that was pretty delicious, and the RN gave me some chocolate ice cream. <3!
DAY 2 FRIDAY
Friday morning I took my last dose of narcotic pain pill in preparation for the drain tube removal. They took my catheter out then as well. I went for about a 500' walk, and then took a nice long nap. My back didn't hurt nearly as much, and a nurse said it was because the drains were gone. I was pretty hungry, and much more alert than I had been since surgery. I had read that the 3rd day was the worst as far as pain and healing, but this is when I started to actually feel like a person again. I was escorted into my bathroom to clean up. I refused to look at myself in the mirror because I really didn't want to see the incision. I caught a quick glance, then simply took my glasses off. In the blurry mirror, I could see darkness down the middle of my chest, yellow staining from betadine/iodine everywhere, and a glorious tan color on my facial area. i was no longer pale, or gray, or yellow. I actually had a normal color in my face! This was the most improved thing I could tell about myself so far. I still needed help getting in and out of bed and the chair, but I could walk the halls without a walker.
NIGHT 3
I actually got a few hours of sleep! I remember having my finger pricked for blood sugar testing, but I went right back to sleep. I woke up at 5am and turned the TV on for the first time.
DAY 3 SATURDAY
Eat, sleep, breathe, walk, try to poop. Repeat. Surgeon says I can go home as soon as I poop in the potty. I ordered prunes, juice, salad, coffee.
NIGHT 4
Sleep. My insulin levels finally came up to normal. I think I had about 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep (or I just got so used to people doing stuff to me I never woke up).
DAY 4 SUNDAY
My patient care tech and I did a little dance in the bathroom! She helped me get cleaned up and dressed, then took me for a walk around the floor to say my goodbyes. I took a nap, had lunch, and went home. Physically leaving the hospital was scary - what if something happens? But once I was wheeled outside in to the fresh air and had sun on my face, I knew everything was going to be ok. I didn't get a shower in the hospital because of the drain-tube holes. The very first thing I did when I got home was take a shower. It took about an hour, and it was glorious!
FIRST WEEK AT HOME
I split my sleeping time between the recliner and the bed. My awake time was in the recliner and walking around the house. I had a home-health nurse visit and talk about my capabilities, and my warfarin management. Also, the surgeon's nurse called to check on me. I slept a lot, and did a lot of breathing exercises. I had a visit from a physical therapist. He eliminated my back pain by telling me to stand up straight while I was walking. he said the tendency for heart patients to curl forward to avoid pain causes a lot of back stress. Also, I was instructed to "rest my bowling ball" meaning lay down and rest my head, to give my neck a break from holding it up all day. Seriously, this was the best post-op advice I received. My sister stayed with me, and my husband went back to work. The nasty little kids next door threw rocks at my house, and thanks to metoprolol my blood pressure didn't go up as I chased them home and yelled at their mom/babysitter. Also, when my dad & sister locked us out of the house, I just sat on the bench. I couldn't get worked up about anything! By then end of the week, I had perfected my "nest" in bed to the proper elevation and angle. One week after release from the hospital, I went to church.
SECOND WEEK AT HOME
My mother stayed with me this week. We went to the mall. We went to the grocery store. We had a manicure. We went to lunch at the club with an old family friend. I got a haircut. We went to visit my work. I was EXHAUSTED by the time she left. But I ate very well, and my house was cleaned (nearly) professionally! All my traveling was done in the back seat of a Ford Escape with my heart-protecting teddy bear. Not just a regular stuffed animal, he's got something firm inside that helps protect my sternum from the seat-belt in case of a crash. He was also my sneeze4 and cough protector. I named him Hearty Harvey. He was a pretty constant companion the for 15 days or so. Home health released me to regular doctor/labwork, and no more physical therapy visits.
THIRD WEEK AT HOME My husband was on spring break, and my brother was here. I was on a regular schedule of sleep/eat. It was the first time I've spent time with just my brother (no spouses, kids or parents) in at least 12 years. The guys did some honey-do stuff around the house, and I got back in to the swing of managing the kitchen. We'd been eating out of the freezer (fully stocked by mom and step-mom with delicious re-heatable meals). Between the 2 of them I was walking a mile at a time, just around and around and around the block. I was still not sleeping through the night, only about 4 hours at a time, but it was easy to go back to sleep after a lap or 2 around the house in the middle of the night. I had my final appointment with the surgeon this week. He said my sternum was probably healed, and I could get back to doing almost anything I wanted. "If it feels good, do it." he said. Husband was very happy to hear that! We discussed rollercoasters and kayaking, and Dr Rovin said I could do it if I wanted to, and that I would know when the time is right. (7 weeks post op, I'm still not sure about either one, so I haven't done them yet.) He said I could ride in the front seat again, and start driving myself in a week. I had a follow-up with the cardiologist, Dr Michael Barry of Clearwater Cardiovascular & Interventional Consultants. He said I'm doing great, everything looks right on schedule, come see me in September.
THE REST OF THE STORY
I really REALLY enjoyed my fourth week at home. No watcher, no babysitter, and husband back to work. I channel surfed, I cleaned the house, I went for walks, I enjoyed the silence. And paid dearly for it the next day! I totally over-did it, but am amazed by my energy levels. I continue to walk at least a mile a day, and have renewed my annual pass at Busch Gardens. I like to visit the park by myself and just walk and walk and walk. It doesn't seem like exercise while I'm there. I started cardiac rehab in week 6, 3x a week. It's weird being the youngest person there, and the therapists seems to expect more from me than from their older patients. I oblige. But I also let them know if I feel they are pushing me too hard.
WEEK 7
I can walk several miles at a time without shortness of breath or fatigue. I still have difficulty actually going to sleep (always have). My cPap numbers are disappointing - I was sleeping better before the surgery. Now I'm taking my mask off in the middle of the night and not putting it back on. I can drink a full cup of coffee without getting jittery. I'm frustrated that I'm exercising 6 days a week and not losing any weight (RN said it's because of the beta-blocker, and I shouldn't expect to lose weight for some time. Grr!) If I do too much housework or rehab, my sternum has the ability to hurt as much as it did in the hospital, and I have to make a conscious effort to stand up straight and breathe deeply. Stretching helps eliminate the pain. With the exception of lifting heavy items over my head, I am back to normal. Showering doesn't take an hour, I can blow-dry my hair. Driving is normal (except fast cornering - that hurts.) According to DOT regulations, I have about 5 more weeks before I can return to work (school bus driver/teacher aid).
WHAT YOU SHOULD LEARN FROM MY STORY
1. Recovery probably won't be as bad as you think it will.
2. Stand up straight, like you're the President/King/Queen - your posture has a direct effect on back pain!
3. Breath deeply and often. I feel my recovery could have been improved by more frequent breathing exercises. I resisted them (I don't know why). Use that stupid spirometer!
4. Let people help you. If you must go out by yourself, do not be embarrassed to ask for help ie "I'm a recovering heart patient, can you please help me?"
5. My weight-lifting, steroid-using, heavily tattooed hairdresser is squeamish of incisions. I made him turn green with my draintube holes. It was awesome.
I am so thankful to be alive, to have the science and technology available to keep me among the living for hopefully another 42 years. This episode has changed my outlook on life - I'm more grateful, more "in the moment", more likely to laugh and forgive than ever before.
STAND UP STRAIGHT!
