Surgery Next Month!!!!

[Tiger]

We set a date for the middle of December. We are hoping to have more babies so all the doctors are saying I must get the surgery done before another pregnancy! (My pressure gradient is 42 and AVA is 1.0 and eject I think around 75%). I am happy with my surgeon too. I will be getting a bovine valve also! He recommended this one for me! I am ready to get this done and get healed but I am also very nervous! I've never been under anesthesia either. Any advice for me on how to prepare for all this?!

 

[AZ Don]

Take deep breaths, read up on people's experiences on this site and elsewhere, walk if that's ok with your Dr, stock up on books or movies to kill time while you are recovering, make sure that when you come home you have people to help you out and take over the chores that you normally do, including driving which is generally forbidden for at least a month if you are having OHS. Once they start anesthesia you will be out before you know it, and the next thing you know you will be waking up and it will all be over. What you will see on this website repeatedly is that for most people the surgery is not nearly as bad as it sounds. I was almost completely back to normal after only 2 months.

 

[big_L]

Get the house ready, especially some place for you to rest. You may not be comfortable lying flat.

Figure out if you can turn off the passenger air bag in the car someone will be driving you around in. If you can't, you'll be in the backseat for a month.

Get some books, movies, music on the Ipod.

Lay in some foods that you like. For me, I ate lots of oatmeal. Your appetite may be funky. With a five pound lifting restriction, shopping isn't easy. Do it ahead of time.

Prepare the family for your ghoulish appearance the first few days after surgery.

Pay bills etc. ahead of time.

Get your comfortable clothes ready.