The Big day is now Set!!!

[twoboysdad]

Yes! The breathing tube is what I remember most from my first surgery back in 1983. I remember waking up and having the worst cotton mouth you could imagine. Then the slid that thing out and I can only remember going right back to sleep. It was very unpleasant but that is really the only memory I have of ICU. I don?t recall anything else except for how incredibly uncomfortable I felt in my hospital room. No position seemed good. Every time you moved it felt as if your insides were sloshing to one side. God forbid you have to sneeze or someone makes you laugh!

Anyhow, I will be so glad when it is over!
Thanks So Much
Jeff

 

[Ross]

The way the technician explained it to me about the tube removal was, "you won't be fully awake, but I will jostle you to see if you respond to commands and if you do, out it comes, you probably will never remember it."

 

[twoboysdad]

Yes, that?s how I remember it. I was woken up, out came the tube, then right back asleep I went. Very Short but very unpleasant

 

[tobagotwo]

The only things that realy bothered me about the tube were the lip clip (I now understand I should petition for tape instead), and the fact that the breathing tube was very long - or seemed like it. It gave me the sense of a magician pulling an endless line of colorful kerchiefs out of my throat. Add a touch of leftover anesthesia chemicals, and you have a film segment for "Fantasia"...

However, I remember that I didn't feel like I was choking (which I expected I would), or like I was desperate to get it out to take another breath. I never felt short on oxygen.

I do recommend the patient-controlled Fentanyl in place of morphine, if your surgeon is agreeable, as I think there are fewer side effects and less grogginess.

Also, when I had extreme pain the second night (I think they should have taken out the chest drain tube, and decided not to), they gave me a shot of Toradol. That worked remarkably well, and brought everything to manageable level in just seconds.

Best wishes,

 

[Bryan B]

For some reason I remember pretty much everything from the time I woke up. To tell the truth, the fact that I WOKE UP seemed to trump any unpleasantness I experienced afterwards. The nurse kept asking if I wanted to see my family, and I kept shaking my head no...I didn't want them to see me with the vent tube still in. Little did I know that they had already visited when I was still sleeping after surgery. Personally I found the vent to be no big deal (although I too was scared about it before surgery). I was still groggy enough that if I found myself fighting it I would just drift back off. I was coached here to breath with the machine, but my vent was so quiet I couldn't hear it to do that. When it was time to come out they said 1, 2, 3 and I just gave one "heave" and it was out. I found that anything they "removed" that might be unpleasant while they removed it was worth that moment of unpleasantness once it was removed.

My only problem in ICU was that I was on Fentanyl, but not a pump, and I had an inattentive nurse overnight. Fentanyl worked well but is very short acting...I would only agree to use it in the future if *I* had control of when I got the next dose. The morphine made me nauseous so they put me on the Fentanyl, and I agree with Bob that I was less groggy, which probably explains why I remember more of my ICU experience. Like I have said previously, my ENTIRE experience from the time I walked though the doors until the time I walked out was MUCH less painful than I envisioned it would be before the surgery. Having said that...there is nothing anyone could have told me that would have convinced me of that, but this great site did take the edge off. When all of these people who have been through it told me it would be ok I had to believe I could do it too.

We're pulling for you Jeff...it sounds like you are right where you should be. Once you get a date it's hard to focus on little else. I found focusing on other things like watching sports, playing a video game, playing with the dog, etc. helped keep my mind off of it somewhat. I can't say it too often...the waiting IS the hardest part.

 

[RCB]

Almost day and night

Almost day and night

Jeff,
I had my third surgery in '82 at St Vincent in Cleveland and the intubation
device they used then were very harsh. It was like SCUBA diving and almost running out of air. Last June the device was so passive and the tube diameter much smaller that it didn't bother me at all. Today, barring complication surgery is much less an ordeal that it was years ago. I think you'll be pleasantly surprized compared to your last surgery- I was and I had
more procedures done this time then in '82. Try to focus on what your going
to do after the surgery.

 

[Paul_R]

Breathing Vent

Breathing Vent

I had my surgery two weeks ago and for me the worst part of my surgery was the breathing vent. I felt like I was drowning. Everytime they went to suction the fluid out of my lungs it would cause terrible coughing fits. My wife argued with the respitory therapist for 3 hours for him to take me off the vent. The guy kept threatening to throw my wife out of ICU. I remember the argument clearly. Finally someone from the surgeons office came up to the ICU and ordered the vent to be removed. Thank god for small miracles. This experience for me was enough for me to wish never to have to go through this again.

I also had trouble with the nausea caused by the morphine. Everything else since then has been smooth sailing.

 

[tobagotwo]

Wow, Paul. You had an evil respiratory therapist. What a creep!

At least you know your wife was in your corner all the way. One of the techs tried to usher Pat out when they were trying to get me ready to have the tube taken out. She walked around him. Then he suggested nicely that she wait outside the area. She nicely ignored him. Then he said, "You should probably leave now." She looked him directly in the eye, and in a low, even voice, said, "I'm not going anywhere." He blanched, and went back to the task at hand. Ya gotta love that...

Best wishes,

 

[Ross]

I gave my wife Power of Attorney and made sure the hospital had a copy at the nurses station. They tried to hide records from her and she grabbed the clip board off of the wall and started reading. They got bent out of shape, but she was doing exactly what I needed her to be doing. The attornery was on standby if things got ugly. If she hadn't been there all the times they told her to leave and get out, I would not be here today. I'm certain of that!

 

[Shine_on_Syd]

Jeff,
I just had a chance to read the thread. I am very happy about your MRI results and that you have chosen a date. I am really delighted that you have found so much help and support in the VR forum. It's great isn't it.
I think you will be very happy with the stentless porcine. Mine has performed wonderfully in the past year and I half. I have four boys and being a healthy dad for them was an important part of my decision on AVR surgery.
We are all wishing you the best and look forward to hearing about your surgery and recovery.

 

[twoboysdad]

Thanks James for your reply. My two VERY active boys was the exact reason for choosing this valve. I coach baseball for my sons. Last year it was Coach Pitch, which means I had to pitch the ball to our players. I can count many times where i was hit in the body and face with the ball coming at me. Taking the blood thinners was just not an option.

Hey everyone, I like the Significant other talk on this thread. Sounds like my wife 100%. Iam sure she will be there for me and be bossing them around if they need it! I recall my oldest being in the ER when he was really sick once. Michelle (my wife), is normally very shy and soft spoken, Got very pissed about the lack of medical care and the fact we had not seen the doctor. In an act that was not like her at all, she started shouting. "Were the ^*$#@ is the docter!?" "My son needs the @$%^& doctor NOW! and so on and so forth. Its a pretty cool transformation that can come over the sigificant other when they are put to task. (I still wont let her live it down and I LOVE her so much for it and many other things. I am in GREAT hands)
Jeff

 

[Ross]

Jeff be sure to give her legal control over your care while your out of it. They will abuse if given the chance. In my case, I developed a Staph infection and the hospital didn't want to expose the fact that it came from one of their IV lines. They were so worried about getting sued that they tried to hide the facts. Just stuff like this is what I'm talking about. Be sure she has Power of Attorney and that you have your will and livingwill and whatever else in order too. Just in case.