Just don't feel right

[mjd414]

I would greatly appreciate some comments on the following.....I am 8 weeks post op from my AVR and I feel like crap......I live in south Florida and to avoid the chances of not having a/c during hurricane Frances, me and my wife took a trip to Atlanta to be with a relative. Unfortunately, the car ride took 27 hours going and 17 hours coming back home. Last week I called the cardiologist and told him I feel discomfort in my chest and I also feel like I have flu symptoms, although I don't have any fever. He took an EKG, a chest xray, and listened to my heart. ALL WAS OK. He then sent me to the hospital to get an VQ scan to check my lung function and blood flow. I assume the tests went well because they sent me home after a doctor looked at the results.

My question is whether it is common, or at least not uncommon, to feel fluish after AVR without having true flu symptoms. My cardiologist said that for up to 6 months post op it is not uncommon to feel different degrees of crapiness (that's medical term), so I should not be concerned and not get overly worried with these feelings.

Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Phyllis]

Mark,
You did the right thing in having the doctor check it out. It sounds like you overdid for 8 weeks out. Dick and I flew to FL at 8 weeks, but that was not a 27 hour or 17 hour car ride and we flew instead of taking the car as we normally do. What did you do to secure the house for the hurricane, never mind the whole stress of the hurricane? At eight weeks, he was still into napping daily and did not really start to have his full energy back until about 3 months. I'm sure others will chime in with more ideas but if you check the threads you will see that many get into trouble by simply over-doing in the first few months.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Mark,

You are only few months out. Give it some time. It will get better. Though it may seem like an eternity.....I really did not get up to full speed until month 11.

Hang in there.

 

[tobagotwo]

There are still vestiges of crappiness for quite a ways out, I'm afraid. And there's a distinction issue which is blurred for all of us valvers, which is knowing whther we are suffering heart-specific or just general crappiness at any given time.

I seem to recall some occasional crappiness before all this heart stuff began. I also imagine that being in a car for 27 hours can bring out quite a bit of crappiness in most of us.

We should develop a working definition of crappiness as a medical term.

Crappiness, n. [from L. crapula; Gr. kraipalē, a drunken sickness, intoxication] 1. a general feeling of malaise that affects both the muscular and mood functions of the body. 2. lack of vigor and productive impulse; lassitude. 3. an unfocused grumpiness, sometimes accompanied by a low, grinding near-headache, semi-nauseous stomach, mild muscle aches or similar minor, nonspecific symptoms. 4. the personification of the essence of manure within a human gestalt. [Slang.]


Best wishes,

 

[RayinSF]

Hey Mark,

I am 9 weeks post-op and still have days where I feel like crap. I was feeling so good the last couple of weeks that I went back to work last week, and have felt like crap since. I guess what everybody says it true, dont over do it. It's hard because I want so much to have my normal life back, but I have a feeling its going to take alot of time. Hang in there!

~Ray

 

[HarryG]

@ 7 Weeks Out

@ 7 Weeks Out

All I can tell you is Ray your right, at 5 weeks and 3 days I went back to work, part time 7:30 - Noon, now at week 7 and 3 days I am going to try Monday and Tuesday til mid afternoon and try on Wed. to make it a full day.
There are days I feel lousy at noon, but all and all ok. I can't say I am not tired though, pretty drained, but I feel I need to push, no no it's not the money (that's a nice benefit though)......So Mark, I think the answer to your question is that yes you will feel lousy at times, but it will get better.....You and the Dr. did the right thing by checking everything out and yes I am sure if something was up, you would have heard by now.....Good Luck and keep us posted.....

 

[mjd414]

As always, thanks to everyone that took the time to respond to my thread. I am going to take it easy from this point forward and if Ivan thinks he is going to make me run away again he's nuts. I have a recliner that I purchased for my operation and I think I am going to sit in the chair and see where the hurricane takes me!

thanks again for the comments!

 

[tobagotwo]

Excellent choice of remediation techniques...

Best wishes,

 

[Glenda]

Mark, I agree with everyone else. My surgery was June 2 and there are still some days that I just don't feel good, of course it's probably all fault because I over did the day before. Sometimes I feel so good that I forget I just had major heart surgery three months ago! Well, I pay for it. I also have leukemia so I blame a lot of my aches and pains on this disease. From what these great people on this forum says "it will get better!" I do think it was wise of you to have it checked out. Hang in there! !

 

[Gemma]

Bob, Jim liked your definition of crappiness!
He was feeling pretty rough last week - mainly because :
A) he caught a cold from me (hazard of working with colleagues who have small children and the general public!)
B) he worked through his lunch hour eating as he worked, then didn't eat or drink anything for 7 or 8 hours
C) he works in a hot, stinky, coolant-filled environment.
Result - one crappy feeling Jim .
Of course, he panicked there was something up with his heart, went to the doctor the next day and reeled off the whole list of stuff that's been bothering him for the past few months, including the ectopic beats at night and the fact he could hardly move after we climbed 2/3 of Snowdon the week before (tallest mountain in England and Wales - 8 miles round trip - I was just as stiff as him ).
Doc had a listen and said everything sounded fine, he had a virus (see A above!), what did he expect after climbing a mountain (think he was quite impressed by it actually), etc, but has done a whole barrage of blood tests to rule out anything sinister. Waiting on the results. But, the good news is after seeing his doctor he seems to be miraculously getting better . And also taking it easy (by which I mean sitting down for more than 5 minutes a day ).
So, Mark - no it isn't unusual to feel crappy! Give yourself a break and enjoy the spin in your recliner .
Gemma.

 

[Georgia]

Mark, at 8 weeks out I was a recliner pilot. I'm glad the tests came out well; now relax (but keep walking). Looks like Ivan is passing you by, so you won't need seat belts for that Lazyboy!

 

[Tom F.]

Mark - whenever y ou really feel bad get it checked, one never knows. But for me, there were days I felt like crap 6 mos post op. Your body is so badly insulted by this surgery it takes time to heal. I also recall that for several mos. post op I simply did not react correctly to room temps. I was always cold, but when summer hit when I was 6 mos out I sometimes had difficulty with the heat. I jsut could not win ! You likely pushed it too hard, and paid the price. Now take a break, you will feel better.

 

[Rain]

Get copies of your records.

Get copies of your records.

Mark,

The pain meds even added to my feelings of ?crappiness?. And I?m sorry to say that even four years later I have days of feeling completely ?crappy?.

My eleven year old daughter will be interested to know that this is a medical term.... since she started middle school a few weeks ago.... she reprimands me every time I use the word ?crap?. lol

You should get copies of your medical records!! I?ve learned a lot reading them. It?s amazing what those wacky drs don?t tell us. And... they DO lose records. That?s actually what started me keeping copies, when my PCP lost one of my echos and had to get another from the hospital. Since then, I've been hooked... I get copies of EVERYTHIHNG. Sometimes I've had to fight for them... but I've always won.

 

[Granbonny]

Mark..I took my first long car ride at 6 weeks. over to see my Dad in Alabama...and it was only 6 hours . So, I'm sure that long 26 hour car ride did you in and the trip back. Did yall stay in a motel or sit in car for 26 hours? It took me a full year to feel normal again..3 good days. 1 bad day..ect. I saw a poster today..advertising a local Fall Festival..I remember going to it 6 months post-op and all I could do was walk, rest, ect...No place to sit down..Was so tired when I got back home...I am 2 years post op..Mainly great days..bur stress can make me feel poorly. Like with Ivan coming. My age 90 year old Dad lives alone in Alabama..Does not see well, left the phone off hook after a phone call from my sister yesterday. Phone has a busy signal. Had to find a neighbor to go over and tell him to put phone back on hook. when things like that happen, I start to think bad things and my heart starts to beat loudly...also know that my daughter is flying into Atlanta airport Friday..About the same time Ivan will be hitting the area.. So, I have felt CRAPPY all day. LOL..Before my valve replacement, I would have laughed about little things..but now, the stress really hits me hard. Thank goodness for a very calm hubby.. He calms me down. Bonnie