The Mountain is Approaching Fast!!!!

[JetService]

Last post I told you that I had a consult with the surgeon Oct. 7 after a cardiac cath where the doctor said he was amazed that I wasn't already in the hospital. Well, this morning I called my Cardiologist and asked him if he got the results of the cath. I asked told him the other cardio's comments and if Oct 7 was too far away. He said he'd make a call to see if it can be sooner. I told him not to do it on my account, but only if HE was uncomfortable (afterall, he's the pro that knows better). 10 minutes later, I got a call from his office saying the consult was moved to tomorrow afternoon! The original surgeon could not meet any earlier so I'm meeting with another. I looked up his name and it turns out he is a transplant specialist. I hope that means a AVR is a snap for him LOL! Anyway, I have a sneaking feeling this thing is going to happen next week. No time to dwell except for a few days. I'm getting fired up now! Trying to plan my recovery. So I need a few pointers & questions answered if you don't mind...

First, I've read the expected capabilities based on weeks (i.e. walking, driving, lifting, etc). What I want to know is what will my disposition be during week 1, 2, 3 etc. Will I be a crab and not want the kids and dog around? I want to know to warn my family who will try to care for me. hee hee

Second, I talked to my boss today and right now we're just starting doing our operating budget for my office. This goes usually through Oct and sometimes Nov. Of course he told me to do whatever I needed and not worry one bit about my job. But I kind of promised him that I would be out of commission for only two weeks and that I could work on my laptop from bed. Was that a dumb thing to promise?

Finally, describe in detail this truck that will hit me and when LOL! I hear bits and pieces but no sure what to expect.

Any other tips for details on my recovery, mood, abilities, etc is appreciated.

Thanks and will let you know how tomorrow goes!!!

P.S. Vegas offically cancelled. I have one year to use the tickets. No problem!

 

[ccrawford]

Jetservice - At bare minimum, I'd plan to return to work part time at about three to four months after surgery. I'm working on month 6th now (I'm retired) and glad I don't have to consider the prospects of returning to work. I do manage a farm and a small woodworking shop - but that's more a labor of love. If you decide to push it too fast, your body will tell you very quickly that you need to slow down. Good luck, Chris

 

[Granbonny]

Hi Jetservice

Hi Jetservice

what is your real name?.You will do fine..coming home. you need to keep kids and dog off you..All you will need to do is..nap and rest and walk around inside house...then try outside the 2nd week. You have a great boss. but you will still feel foggy-headed..I didn't want to talk on phone, computer for at least 3 weeks. Don't let wife worry about food. just plenty of cold juices..for a few days..Sleep near bathroom..in a recliner..TAKE your pain meds..Tell wife. not many visitors..will tire you out. Maybe a room alone in house. Then, after 6 weeks you will start to feel your old self. Bonnie

 

[Gnusgal]

I think a lot of how you end up feeling will have to do with your own personal body and what it is you are trying to make it do after surgery. For example, Chris says 3-4 months. However, I went back to work (as a teacher) after about 8 weeks after my valve replacement. This was my second heart surgery. I planned it for 8 weeks before school started to give me pleanty of time for recovery. However, my first open heart surgery (not valve replacement) was done in my Christmas break from college. I was back in classes 4 1/2 weeks after my surgery and did fine. Of course, I also took a lot of naps in college, so I'm sure that helped!

Some people are just quick healers. There's no majic number of when you will feel good enough to work (I'm doubting that 2 weeks will be enough, as you will probably spend that first week in the hospital). Just make sure to listen to your body and not tell yourself that at week X you should feel like ___.

As for your attitude, expect mood swings. At least, that's been my experience. Little things got on my nerves sometimes. Like the sound of a TV in the next room. That really got on my nerves if I was trying to sleep. And sometimes I would end up annoyed with my husband because he wasn't doing something just right. Fortunately, he's seen me through 6 surgeries now, and knows not to take me seriously when I snap at him after surgery. He's a great guy!

I hope this at least gives you a little bit of what you need.

 

[JetService]

Thanks for the input so far folks. I didn't mean to imply I was planning to return to the office, but rather work via the Internet from bed. I was hoping I could do that in two weeks. But the foggy-brain makes sense. I guess I'll have to play it by ear. BTW, my real name is Darren (sorry). Thanks again!!

 

[Ross]

Darren tell them you cannot promise at 2 weeks. You'll be so scatter brained and unable to concentrate clearly, that it will be next to impossible to get anything done much less done right.

You'll most likely go through an emotional rollercoaster, so you'll want to prepare you family for those days that you may just sit and cry for no real reason. The other thing I would do is get your cooking utensils in a spot where you can reach and use them, along with anything else you use all the time. Get things arranged so that you don't trip and fall. Make sure that you will be comfortable ie recliner or whatever.

THE TRUCK--Get it's license plate number! We've all tried but it nailed us and got away. Translated--You'll be wiped out for awhile and feeling a bit beat up. Nothing you can't handle, but you won't be your normal self for some time to come afterwards.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Darren-

You are going to be quite out of it for quite a while after surgery, at least a couple of weeks. You won't be able to do much in the line of sustained thinking for several weeks. Crunching numbers and stuff like that will be almost impossible to do. Your body (and that includes your brain) will have gone through major trauma, you will be in some pain and will be on pain medications, unless you are very lucky, as some have been.

Your emotions will be very fragile for a while, and you might be crabby, weepy, depressed and there might also be times when you won't be making much sense. This is from a combination of recovering from the anesthesia which stays in your system for a while, being on different medications, and just the trauma of the surgery itself.

You will be extremely weak and tired, and at the same time, you will not be able to sleep for long periods of time. You probably will be more comfortable sitting up to sleep, either in a recliner or on the sofa, as my husband did for a couple of months after all of his thoracic surgeries.

You will need someone to help you 24/7 for at least the first week, and possibly the second. That might even include helping with bathing/showering and help to get up and sit down.

You will not like the taste of food for a while. Many people find they appreciate popsicles and juices, but everything else tastes like cardboard.

It would be better to not promise anything business-wise until you see how you feel after you get home.

This kind of surgery is a lot different than other surgeries. It is more traumatic to the body.

You will not be able to lift anything until your surgeon gives the OK, and you will not be able to drive until you get the OK.

You won't want anyone like the dog to be jumping on you, or causing you to move suddenly or fast.

You will have to baby yourself quite a bit.

Wishing you all the best,

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Darren,

The book _Coping with Heart Surgery and Bypassing Depression_ by J. Jude, M.D., et. al. has a chapter describing what to expect week by week for the first 6 weeks.

You will be surprised at how little chest pain you feel, more a matter of 'discomfort' than outright pain. MANY patients are able to get by on only Tylenol after the first week or so.

Muscle pain is often more severe than chest pain because they really stretch those shoulder, upper chest, and back muscles, depending on how wide they open you up. The hospital should give you a booklet showing arm and shoulder exercises and stretches to help relieve those aches and pains. Sometimes a massage works better than pain meds!

Be sure to do your breathing exercises religously and vigorously. That is the key to pushing out the fluids from your chest and lungs and NOT developing pneumonia. FWIW, Lung issues slowed my recovery BOTH times.

I'm told I was 'grouchy' after my first surgery. The second time around, I knew better what to expect and had more support which helped on all fronts.

Two weeks is WAY too early to promise anything more than that you will walk when you feel good and nap when you are tired. At 4 weeks you 'may' get permission to drive very carefully for short distances (like follow up visits to your doctor) but it is better and safer to have someone else drive you until at least 6 weeks. Put a pillow over your chest wherever you sit. Sitting in the back seat may be best at first to prevent being hit by an airbag or steering column if you are involved in an accident.

Do NOT lift more than 5 lbs for several weeks (doc will say when)
and limit yourself to light (20 lbs?) for several more. You want your sternum to heal properly and fully (approximately 12 weeks) before you engage in any heavy lifting.

When it's all over, hopefully you will be saying, "Gee, that wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be".

Best wishes,

'AL'

 

[MelissaM]

Darren -

Recovery is such a personal thing - everyone is so different.

After the first couple of days home, I could help out a bit with meals, climb the stairs on a limited basis and such. By the end of the first week, I was walking a mile or so, able to stay awake the whole day, and starting to attack email on a limited basis. My brain power was returning, but on a pretty limited basis. See the trend here. . .things start to come back, just on a "limited basis" =)

The next couple of weeks I started tinkering around with work, but again, not really able to concentrate enough to do anything beyond emailing a bit back and forth. Anything that required substantial concentration (like document creation) was beyond me. This period of time I also felt well enough to take short trips out of the house to restaurants or stores - as long as the drive and time spent away from the house wasn't more than a couple of hours.

Weeks five and six, I felt incrementally better. My walks got a bit longer. I started to do my own laundry and fix some of my own meals. I could get in and out of the bathtub by myself. And I coul d start to consider doing short bursts of "real" work. Sleep continued to improve as my sternum healed.

Coming home, I was surprised at what I could do - I half expected to be bedridden and completely dependent, which wasn't the case. Recovery comes the same as your decline - a day at a time.

You will be in our thoughts and prayers as you go climb the mountain.

Melissa

 

[Georgia]

Two weeks, huh?

Two weeks, huh?

Yo, Darren! I'm thinking that any help you provide 2 weeks after ohs may not be totally appreciated!

As previously stated, recovery is certainly highly idiosyncratic. Much probably depends on length of surgery, pre-surgical condition, and age.

I returned to work 3 months after surgery and still had some concentration problems and 8 hours was still too long. By 4 1/2 to 5 months I was really much better at analysis and straight thinking (as well as understanding what people were telling me).

I think you'd do well to abandon concerns about returning to work very early and concentrate on physical recovery. You'll want to get into cardiac rehab as soon as possible after surgery. Our mantra, you'll find in all of our threads, is breathe walk nap. Notice, thinking is notably absent. Not important at this time.

I didn't have problems emotionally after surgery; but I don't have much stress at home - kids are gone, and dogs didn't jump on me. But depression is VERY common after any heart surgery. Don't be shy about getting help.

Best of luck, and continue to join us.

 

[hensylee]

Hi Daren - you might be rarin to go before you even get out of the hospital. Some are lucky. But I doubt it. Your body will tell you exactly what you can/can't do, so just listen to it. It's all pretty much up in the air at this point and your doctor/surgeon will have a few words on the subject. Listen to her/him and follow orders. Full recuperation is slow for most and it will always not be what you expect it to be. So just go with the flow, make no primises and just do what you feel like you want and can do after surgery. God bless

 

[JimL]

Since I have a home office, I returned to work the day I came home from the hospital, for an hour or so anyway. But the others are right: you can make no promises about what you'll be able to do after surgery.

I was warned not to climb stairs much. I was hesitant to do so, but found it no trouble at all. I think that might be a warning they give to CABG patients, because of the leg incision, and thus a warning that doesn't really apply to us, but I might think wrong.

When you come home from the hospital, don't neglect to take a nap, any time of the day or night. Sleep is such a delight. I found that my stress level was very low, in other words, I had difficulty coping with any stressful situation. Naps help.

 

[bvdr]

Hi Darin,

I had a mitral valve replacement Aug 25th and my physician used a "heart port" approach laterally through my right ribs which shortens recovery time.

The first week at home I used my pain medications quite often and took naps. I was up and about and needed very little assistance physically. I did feel mentally foggy and was content to watch a little TV, make a few phone calls, spend some time on the computer, and doing the things I was instructed to do to help my recovery such as walking and deep breathing. My husband says I was not grouchy.

The next week I started to do more and I think over-did it. It seemed like every other day I really needed to rest. Because I had a heart port approach my surgeon permitted me to drive at two weeks post-op. I drove myself to a cardiology appt. that was 5 minutes from our house and really felt independent. I also started doing a few errands. Mentally I was less foggy and no longer took regular naps but my concentration was still off. My husband brought home a video script for me revise and edit and it did concern me that I was finding it so difficult. I would not have trusted myself with making long-term budget decisions at that time.

Week 3 I had a few set setbacks because I think I pushed myself too much in week 2. Nothing major but just things that reminded me that valve replacement is major surgery.

Week 4 I finished the video script and felt confident in the results.
It still was taking me longer than usual to finish reading a fairly light weight book. In fact I have only read 2 books post-op and that is very unlike me.

Now, a little over a month since surgery, I am in my second week of cardiac rehab. Yesterday I exercised at rehab for about an hour, went shopping, then spent the next several hours with my son, Daughter-in law, and grandson at the NC zoo. Last night I was tired but I had done alot of lifting(grandson is 39lbs) and walking over very hilly terrain. At this point I would feel comfortable working on more complex problems and am no longer on any medications that would hinder me.

Just be careful. Everyone is different in their recovery. You most likely will need some time after surgery to just absorb what has transpired and you will need time to physically mend. Try to work on giving yourself a bigger window for recovery and I think you might thank yourself later.

Take care and my prayers go with you for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.

 

[tlhudson]

Hi Darren:

Don't know how much more I can add to the other post.

#1 You will be wiped out for the first few weeks. This is major surgery. I thought differently too.

#2 Walk & Nap, Walk & Nap, do this many times. If your wife or significant other can help, Go to Glenbrook and do "the gray hair walk". It opens early six or seven. This was great as here in Indiana you never know what the weather will do. Look at this week and you know what I mean.

#3 Be prepared for the emotions. This is a wonderful thing as you have a whole new perspective on things on the other side of the mountain. Little things are sooooo much more important.

#4 Schedule Rehab. This was very helpful in recover. I did 13 weeks four times a week. But check with your insurance carrier to see what Phases of Rehab they will cover. They are all different.

Let us know your date. You'll do fine.

 

[JetService]

Thanks all. I'm definately saving this thread to disk in a few days to use as a guideline. I am very curious how quick the recovery will be. I'm sure I'll get a lot of pampering and some lectures from the family if I start to overdo it. My 7 year old daughter is still insisting she hold my hand to help my up the stairs just after the cath.

thudson, I like the Glenbrook idea, but I get lost in that place already! I can imagine walking that on narcotics LOL. I do have a questions for you that maybe you can answer. So far, my TEE and the Cath was done at Lutheran, but I noticed the Indiana/Ohio Heart offices are on Carew, right next door to Parkview. My wife was hoping to have the surgery done there more for proximity to our house (Leo/Cedarville area) and her dad lives down the street on State & Anthony; nice and easy to drop the kids off when necessary. Do you know if they (IOH) would do this at Parkview or Lutheran. Parkview North or Dupont would be even closer to home, but I'd feel more confortable at a place that been around awhile.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Darren,

You can check out your hospitals (or ANY hospitals) by location and procedure at www.healthgrades.com

Bottom Line: The more heart surgeries they perform, the better they are. You want a support crew and nurses that do this thing day in and day out.

Second, while a Transplant Surgeon really knows his stuff, remember, when a heart becomes available, the transplant surgery has PRIORITY #1. My transplant surgeon did TWO transplants in the 36 hours preceeding my surgery which got bumped from 7AM to 4 PM. If I were in your place, I would ask him to postpone your surgery to the next *morning* if he has a transplant come in.

'AL'

 

[tlhudson]

Darren:
Is the Indiana/Ohio Heart Center where your cardiologist is? All I know is that your Cardiologist can tell you if you can go to Parkview. I know for me it was a great facility and I received excellent care. Dupont is out thats a fact...too major for the facility. I'd be suprised otherwise.

Let me know when and where you choose, might just have to stop up and say hello.

PS Glenbrook was great under the influence LOL. It was funny watching the old ladies pass me while walking.

 

[Granbonny]

Darren

Darren

Bet those old ladies had already..showered, fixed their hair, had makeup on...We don't go anywhere without makeup..even to walk the halls..Never know, what good-looking doctor might be standing at Nurses's station And Yes we do pass you old hooters Bonnie ( 6 years older than you) Bonnie

 

[hensylee]

Daren, please let your 7 yr old daughter 'help' you with the stairs. This is very important for This is very important for HER recovery.