In response to questions about recovery milestones in your private mail, I thought it best to reply publicly on the forum in case others may also be interested.
There are MANY milestones along the road to recovery from Open Heart Surgery which may take anywhere from a few months to a year or more depending on the individual, age, other factors, etc. Naturally, younger, first time patients tend to heal faster than older patients or repeat patients.
Here are the significant Milestones as I see them:
1 - Surviving Surgery - the surgeon will talk with you afterwards and tell you how he feels it went
2 - ICU / intubation / drain tube removal / pacemaker wire removal. ICU stay can vary from 1 day to 2 or 3 when there are no major complications. Major complications are NOT common for otherwise healthy first time patients. Most 'normal' stays in the hospital vary from 4 to 7 days, depending on how rapidly the patient is recovering (i.e. being able to walk the prescribed distances before release etc.)
3 - The first 2 weeks, most patients feel VERY WEAK and tire easily. It is best to have someone with her most of the time for at least the first week and preferably for 2 weeks if that can be arranged.
4 - Weeks 2 to 6 is when significant strides can be seen for most patients. Some days will be better than others, but as long as there is discernable progress on a weekly basis, that is a good sign. By 6 weeks many are able to drive and even to return to work. At this point, the sternum should be healed to 80% of normal strength. This is a good time to begin Cardiac Rehabilitation if your insurance will cover the cost. Otherwise, get a list of stretches and exercises from the surgeon or Rehab facility and do them at home.
5 - At 12 weeks, the sternum should be fully healed and she should be 'most of the way back' to normal. Some patients continue to note improvement for several more months. A balance of regular exercise (mostly walking and stretches) and rest is the key to a steady recovery. Resist the urge to go too fast or do too much. That only sets you back.
With a FULL sternum cut, many of us had INTENSE muscle pains from being stretched WAY beyond our normal range of motion. MASSAGE is BETTER and FASTER than any pain medication at relieving Muscle Pain.
If you haven't burned out on reading, there is an excellent book entitled "Overcoming Heart Surgery and Bypassing Depression" by J. Jude, M.D. et.al. which includes a chapter on what to expect week by week during recovery.
Fingers crossed for a successful REPAIR!
'AL Capshaw'
