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Johnny_H

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Joined
Apr 24, 2024
Messages
8
Location
Ontario, Canada

The end of the beginning...​

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Johnny_H​

Member​

Yesterday at 1:31 AM
My surgery has been booked for May 8th at the Munk Centre in Toronto.

Concerned now primarily with recovery. Will I need home care? Occupational therapy? Physical therapy? In home labs?? Will I be able to feed myself? Go to the bathroom on my own? Or does it depend on how my surgery goes? Etc.

Are there tools or devices that people have found to be essential to have post-surgery? A shower seat? A grabbing tool? A cane? A hospital bed at home? Etc.

If you have any contributions or suggestions, please feel free to make them. I'm terrified of going under, not just of not pulling though, but alternatively of waking up in a new world where I'm suddenly in great pain and am entirely dependent upon others...
 
Welcome Johnny H. I believe, and hope, you have a typical normal recovery. Most people only need the usual post-op care and help. Your age and current health will determine how much and how long you will need some assistance.

FWIW, I was 31 and in otherwise good health when I had the surgery a long time ago and was back at work full time a month after discharge from the hospital.
 
I found a pubmed article I think might be useful for you and other folks on the recovery journey

Patient experiences of recovery after heart valve replacement

“The study presents the main themes of network, body, recovery and reflection for ten patients after heart valve replacement. These main themes can overall be summarized as suffering weakness and struggling to resume normality. Patients felt weak with a changed body, but after a long recovery process regained vitality and returned to their daily life.“
 
Johnny_H said:

The end of the beginning...​

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J

Johnny_H​

Member​

Yesterday at 1:31 AM
My surgery has been booked for May 8th at the Munk Centre in Toronto.

Concerned now primarily with recovery. Will I need home care? Occupational therapy? Physical therapy? In home labs?? Will I be able to feed myself? Go to the bathroom on my own? Or does it depend on how my surgery goes? Etc.

Are there tools or devices that people have found to be essential to have post-surgery? A shower seat? A grabbing tool? A cane? A hospital bed at home? Etc.

If you have any contributions or suggestions, please feel free to make them. I'm terrified of going under, not just of not pulling though, but alternatively of waking up in a new world where I'm suddenly in great pain and am entirely dependent upon others...
Click to expand...

My post-op recovery was uneventful. I was offered cardiac rehab and did about 10 weeks worth about 2 times a week. That was very helpful. You saw a nurse each time and had the opportunity to ask questions about anything from INR to wound healing. I did the exercises for ~10 years until I learned a new set that's more attuned to my current physical problems.

Per your questions:

  • Will I need home care? No. You will need help only to the extent you will have a restriction on how much weight you can lift. But you will be weak, so having someone cook and clean is a blessing.
  • Occupational therapy? No. OHS does not leave you in anyway crippled. Before you leave the hospital they will help you find the best way to get out of a chair and bed.
  • Physical therapy? Yes, see above discussion.
  • In home labs?? If you have a mechanical valve, you will need to take warfarin and have your INR measured regularly. This will mean a weekly blood draw until things settle down, then every 2-weeks. In the US they generally won't set you up with home INR testing until your INR is stabilized for ~ 2 monts.
  • Will I be able to feed myself? Yes.
  • Go to the bathroom on my own? Yes
  • Or does it depend on how my surgery goes? Etc. That is true of all surgery. In the US, when they send you home, you should be in good shape to eat, sleep, watch Law & Order, walk for therapy, and start cardiac rehab. Most people who work a job not requiring lifting and heavy physical activity go back too work in 6 months.
  • Are there tools or devices that people have found to be essential to have post-surgery? A shower seat? A grabbing tool? A cane? A hospital bed at home? Etc. No. I was given a heart shaped pillow, made by a hospital volunteer group, to help me get up out of bed/chair. You press it against your abdomen as you stand up.
You didn't ask about driving. When to start driving depends upon your doctor, your hospital, their lawyers and you. :) My team was more liberal than some. They said I could start driving when I stopped taking the narcotic pain pills. For me that was about the third week after surgery. Others have been told to wait up to 6 weeks in case you get in an accident.

Good luck, all should go well.
 
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Johnny_H said:
Concerned now primarily with recovery. Will I need home care? Occupational therapy?
Click to expand...
It depends on your conditions. Generally unlikely, but it also depends on your current fitness level. If you can walk a mile now, then I'd say very unlikely. The hospital should do an assessment of your needs before the discharge.

Johnny_H said:
Physical therapy? In home labs??
Click to expand...
Unlikely, but the hospital should have PT sessions with you during your recovery time there.

Will need in-home labs. The number seems to vary, but they'll want to see your bloodwork during at-home recovery.

Johnny_H said:
Will I be able to feed myself? Go to the bathroom on my own? Or does it depend on how my surgery goes? Etc.
Click to expand...
I'd think so. However, it could be quite helpful if somebody else cooks for you. Just "standing around" in the process could feel rather strenuous, and you might have to conserve the stamina for walking.

Johnny_H said:
Are there tools or devices that people have found to be essential to have post-surgery?
Click to expand...
I needed sunhats and walking shoes that could be put on easily. (Leaning over is not recommended.)

Johnny_H said:
A shower seat? A grabbing tool? A cane?
Click to expand...
I found the shower seat to be absolutely essential. It's probably not a universal experience. Depends on the stamina you'll have post-surgery, which is hard to predict. But a shower, even a lukewarm temperature, can feel like a strong exercise if the stamina is low. Couldn't find a medical shower seat with a proper height, and didn't want to swat too low in the (slippery) bathroom. So just used a narrow chair instead.

Johnny_H said:
A hospital bed at home? Etc.
Click to expand...
Quite a number of people found a reclining chair to be useful. But might not be absolutely necessary.

Johnny_H said:
If you have any contributions or suggestions, please feel free to make them.
Click to expand...
Some more pointers about what worked for me (and what didn't) are HERE.

Johnny_H said:
I'm terrified of going under, not just of not pulling though, but alternatively of waking up in a new world where I'm suddenly in great pain and am entirely dependent upon others...
Click to expand...
FWIW, I definitely felt "limited" a bit at first. However, it didn't feel like a "problem". I knew the reason perfectly well :) And was re-gaining range and stamina every day. (Well, that's how it started. Eventually the rate of progress slows down, of course.)

Don't sweat it too much. It's a bit of a specialty club :) But the number of people who get OHS is not small, about half a million per year in the US. The process is quite well practiced and exercised. The cardiac doctors and nurses really know what they are doing, you just need to follow their directions.
 
tom in MO said:
cardiac rehab and did about 10 weeks worth about 2 times a week. That was very helpful.
Click to expand...
I second this, even though I'd exercised daily for 50 years prior to my surgery. The cardiac rehab nurses specialize in cardiac rehab, so they had ideas and classes that I learned from. Also, they put me on a 6 lead monitor for every class, so they could watch for issues with my heart when under stress.
 
Zoltania said:
I found the shower seat to be essential as well. Standing took much more energy than walking, for some reason. I've been told that the warm water of a shower can cause your blood pressure to drop, so that's all the more reason to be careful.
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On day 3 of my hospital stay they took me into a large shower area so I could have my first shower with the aid of a nurse. She sat me down on a stool and pulled the dressing off my chest. She then started putting warm water on my head. That is last I remember. Woke up in bed about a half hour later. Doc said my blood pressure had dropped causing me to pass out. He had a name for it, but I forget what he said. So, yes be careful.

I bought a cheap wood bar stool type to put in shower I could throw out when not needed again.
 
Zoltania said:
I found the shower seat to be essential as well. Standing took much more energy than walking, for some reason. I've been told that the warm water of a shower can cause your blood pressure to drop, so that's all the more reason to be careful.
Click to expand...
I'm looking at two on Amazon; one much like a bar stool with no back rest, and the other more like a chair with back support. Is one preferred over the other?
 
Hi @Johnny_H and here's my contribution. I also agree with everything @tom in MO has said.

Even though I had a complication (needed a pacemaker, which was inserted 7 days later) and ended up in hospital for a total of 18 days after "the main event", I would say my recovery was uneventful. But I was lucky: my employer was very supportive, and there was no pressure. When they operated, they decided to do a bypass "seeing as we've got you open" as one artery was a little restricted and would need it in the future. In my case they were able to use another artery in the chest, but in the case of other people they take from the leg. This obviously can impact on recovery.

Will I need home care?
I live alone. They wouldn't let me be discharged until they were confident I would have support at home for the initial recovery. A friend came and stayed for about 3 or 4 days, making sure that I didn't have to reach up for things in the kitchen, and there was food available etc. I was able to wash and shower without assistance.

Occupational therapy?
No.

Physical therapy?
After 2 or 3 months of self-recovery I was offered cardiac rehab, which was fun and helpful.

In home labs??
No. Whilst I purchased a CoaguChek XS as soon as I could, this was several weeks after discharge.

Will I be able to feed myself?
Yes, but don't be surprised if you have little appetite and it doesn't taste right for a while!

Go to the bathroom on my own? Or does it depend on how my surgery goes? Etc.
I was fine on my own.

Are there tools or devices that people have found to be essential to have post-surgery?
  1. A shower seat? I didn't have one
  2. A grabbing tool? I didn't have one, but a good idea I think
  3. A cane? I didn't need one
  4. A hospital bed at home? No. I mostly slept in an electric recliner for the first few weeks. Electric is preferable to mechanical, as you want to avoid stressing the chest whilst it is healing with sideways pressure operating a lever. Also, you can do small adjustments to hit the sweet spot! I found sleeping quite difficult for several weeks, and napped a lot every day. (I am a side-sleeper, and hated having to sleep on my back during recovery).
If you have any contributions or suggestions, please feel free to make them. I'm terrified of going under, not just of not pulling though, but alternatively of waking up in a new world where I'm suddenly in great pain and am entirely dependent upon others...

If it's any reassurance, I found the whole process remarkably low in pain. When I awoke from the operation, in another room (possibly Intensive care?) I was peaceful and lying in sunlight, and I distinctly remember thinking "This is a nice hotel ...."! It was only when I moved my head slightly that I became aware of being intubated, and remembered this was not The Hilton after all. But there was no discomfort, and taking out the intubation tube was weird but not painful. The worst thing in hospital for me is the lack of respect for sleep! There is banging and crashing from dawn, with cleaners, nurses taking bloods and vitals, and other activity in the ward. Take ear plugs and a sleep mask!
 
PS!

When you are back in your own home, will you be able to get food delivered? If you will be walking to a store, consider getting a shopping trolley, to avoid carrying weight.

Also, if you have any appliances or lamps where the switch is in an awkward place (eg down low, behind a sofa etc), consider getting Alexa or Google Home controls to make life easier.

Please also see my comments on this thread about infection precautions once out of hospital.
 
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I found a bidet to be helpful. Installs in a few minutes.

GenieBidet Slow-Close STEALTH ELONGATED Bidet. Dual Nozzles Self Cleaning. Adj. Water Pressure. No Wiring. If you can install a toilet seat you can install this. T adapter & Bottle Bidet included. https://a.co/d/3Gz1vbJ

Wishing you a smooth recovery, Johnny_H!
 
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