One month post surgery

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Laggard

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 25, 2012
Messages
49
Location
Minneapolis
I'm Brian, I'm 46 and I had my mitral valve fixed on June 22.

Physically I am doing great. I am able to walk for an hour at a time, am driving and am going back to work tomorrow. Mentally though I've been all over the place. Sometimes depressed for no good reason my emotions are really close to the surface. I recently feared up while watching a Hallmark commercial.

If anyone asked how my recovery has gone the first thing I would bring up would be how difficult it was emotionaly. I had no idea it would be this difficult.
 
Hi Brian, and welcome to VR.com.
I believe the emotional component of replacement/repair is difficult for many to comprehend. That's one reason the site exists. Hank, the founder, told us once at a reunion that he originally started the "list", later the site, to find others who had gone through the same experience. He realized that no matter how close he was to family and friends, they couldn't full appreciate what he had undergone and what he was feeling.
Most of us report the same. I hope you'll continue to share your experience; there's strength in numbers!:smile2:
 
Best of luck when you head back to work. Take it easy those first few days, if you can, since I was worn out pretty quickly. If you push yourself too hard your body will let you know the next day! I found that everyone at my office was very understanding, although their concerns that I was fragile grew old after a while. I think the emotional swings for me were mostly on the upside, since I got to watch my daughter head into the joys of her Senior year in high school right after my surgery. It was hard to be depressed for long when all those positive vibes were in the house.
 
Thank you! I'm going to do half days at first. I also plan on having a talk with my supervisor and explain how emotionally fragile I am now. The last thing I need is a lot of stress. I'm also going to explain how there is no guarantee that I will be able to make it to work everyday. If I feel up to it I will come on but I cant push it if I'm feeling week. Luckily they have been so understanding about this whole thing.
 
Emotional swings and depression are very common post OHS.

It should not be dismissed or remain untreated if it continues.
Have you spoken with any of your doctors about it?
You may wish to if you don't see improvement.
You are still relatively early into 'full recovery' so perhaps a little more time might be reasonable but seek help if you think it's gone on too long.

All best wishes.
 
Emotional swings and depression are very common post OHS.

It should not be dismissed or remain untreated if it continues.
Have you spoken with any of your doctors about it?
You may wish to if you don't see improvement.
You are still relatively early into 'full recovery' so perhaps a little more time might be reasonable but seek help if you think it's gone on too long.

All best wishes.


Hi Brian, I'm glad things are going well physically and its good to hear your work is being supportive. It is pretty common to have some tough times emotionally after heart surgery, Beside JKs great suggestion of talking to your doctor If they offer aome prescription, remember there is nothing wrong with needing a little help sometimes it is pretty common to need some medsfor emotions after or even before heart surgery. They have helped alot of people.

My other thought was have you started or plan to start rehab? IF not it might be something to look into. Often, even people who are able to excercise and recover physically on their own, find it helpful, especially talking to other people who are gong thru the same thing.
Good luck with work tomorrow. It sounds like a good plan starting half days andworking your way back to fulltime hours.
 
Hi, Brian,

I had my valve replaced about 17 months ago and I still remember the first couple of months being an emotional rollercoaster. All the way from wild elation at being past the surgery to the unannounced tears for seemingly no reason at all. For many of us, this is just part of the recovery. As some of the others have said, though, if it is bothersome to you or if it doesn't begin to resolve on its own within another month or so, best to discuss with a trusted doctor (cardio preferably - they understand this phenomenon better than a GP or internist). You may need some help, either medically or emotionally, and both are available if needed. The worst thing, I believe, would be to try to power your way through it without help.
 
Brian, although it is not well understood, depression following heart surgery is common. If you would like more information, a good book is: Depression: A Family's Guide to the Medical, Emotional and Practical Issues

http://www.amazon.com/Coping-Heart-Surgery-Bypassing-Depression/dp/1887841075. You might want to check your local library first.

It does get better but while it is with us depression is troublesome and can interfer with ones physical recovery. This is a topic you may also want to discuss with your family doctor. Best Wishes

Larry
 
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Brian,
You are a week and a half ahead of me, but seem to be doing way better on the exercise tolerance. I thought I was in pretty good shape before surgery, but I've only just moved to the two 20 min walks for this week. I have been out to the store a few times, but definitely feel like those days were "over-done" and I am asleep within a few minutes of returning home.

I think I'm ok on the depression thing, but I've got a houseful with 2 kids home from college and just gearing up to go back to new housing in a few weeks, and another in H.S. They are keeping me busy. I'm still quite sore however, and can't imagine going back to work (even part-time) in a week! You must really be a trooper. Good Luck! Keep up the progress, but don't over-do it. Your psyche needs time to heal too.
 
Brian,

All of the above is excellent information in handling the emotional challenges that can arise during such a major operation, or life change for that matter. I imagine the emotions can vary as much as our own life circumstances varied before OHS and after.

I had read a book about preparing for heart surgery that said some patients can get depressed initially post-op and I believe it indicated that being on the heart/lung machine for longer durations can temporarily impact your brain chemistry (not sure how that works, how often it occurs or how accurate it is, but it sounds plausible). And of course, there are a lot of things to assimilate into your life after such a large event, so it’s only natural to have ups and downs.

My gal kept reminding me that I was some kind of great “heart survivor”, she even gave me a medal, though at times I didn’t feel so great when dealing with a few bumps during my recovery. But for me my first two months home weren’t too emotionally harsh as I felt invigorated (well almost) about all of the improvements I was making week to week. It was kind of exciting to see how steadily one could improve after such a big operation. From doing many daily slow-motion walks in our house (we had a nasty winter that year so couldn’t get out much at first), to running laps in the hallway, to taking long walks around the neighborhood, I felt challenged. Even putting away a stack of dishes was a great milestone showing I could reach up high with my arms. Those milestones kept me buoyed up.

But my gal had to go back to work after the first 10 days home and after being alone at home for a long stretch I started to battle some emotional let downs (some took a while to shake off). Over time things really improved, I was back to playing regular golf at the 3 month mark and doing work projects around the house and really felt my physical strength and heart making steady improvements even all the way up to the 15th month mark. I seemed to be helping people at a temporary work project I was working on (at least that’s my story) and doing some occasional volunteer charity work, so I was gradually getting back into the swing of daily life. I imagine the activities and interactions one has can usually help stave off most down-times, but it sounds like many here have felt it, even if your dance card is full it still takes a little time. For some, it’s just another part of the recovery process, but it should always be watched and given serious attention where needed.

Keep the long run in sight, you’ll get better each week, and although not everyone will understand your new post surgery perspective and what you went through or still go through, you’ll find that some people will, you’ll get stronger both on the outside and the inside, and of course those on the forum will always understand. I think I’ve learned more in the last few years about myself and what others go through, that although it doesn’t totally make up for having my chest cracked open, it does go a long way. You’ll get over the bumps, and like others said, don’t hesitate to ask for help and do the activities and friendships that you find most supportive.
 
Thanks for all the responses!

This whole thing came about pretty quickly. All May I felt like I was having the longest asthma attack of my life. I saw a nurse practioner who thought that maybe I had pneumonia. Xrays were taken but nothing was definitive. I was given some anti-biotics and sent home. Two weeks later when I didn't feel any better I saw her again. Baffled she sent me home with a dose of steiroids. Two weeks after that I figured it was time to see an actual doctor. He listened to my heart and decided that I needed a echocardiogram. Had the echocardiogram two days later and they then discovered that my Mitral valve damaged. That was on a Friday. The following Tuesday I has a meeting with a cardioligist who told me I needed surgery. I met with a surgeon two days after that who said he could do the surgery the next morning or in three weeks. Not wanting to wait and worry for three weeks I had it done the next morning.

So, I went from having an echocardiogram done to having surgery in about 1.5 weeks. In a way that I can't explain I think this may have been part of how I've felt the last two weeks. I never really got a chance to process any of this. I wonder if I did the right thing. Perhaps I should have gotten a second opinion? Or maybe waited longer before having surgery?
 
Don't beat yourself up for making a fast decision, my experience was the opposite: wait and see, until I waited too long and almost
croaked. You have your whole life ahead of you now and once you get over this "hump", the future will look brighter :)
 
Hi Laggard,
Welcome to the club! I can remember not being able to watch crime shows or news for about a month after surgery because of how I responded to watching bad things. And other times I would tear-up at the drop of a hat. I think our hormones are all messed up for a while from either the trauma or from the chemical insult of anesthetics, etc of the surgery.

Keep up the exercise, it will help you with the daily emotional roller coaster and help with your physical and emotional healing. Rehab as suggested by others is a great place to learn about and share your recovery lessons with others.

Best
John
 
Feeling a bit more winded today than I have been. I'm terrified that my valve repair may have come "undone." Does that ever happen or am I simply dealing with a minor setback?

Thanks.
 
Feeling a bit more winded today than I have been. I'm terrified that my valve repair may have come "undone." Does that ever happen or am I simply dealing with a minor setback?

Thanks.

At 2 months post op my cardio did an echo to see how everything was working, and all was fine. I was convinced that the valve was
trying to bust loose, but it has been almost 7 years now and I try to "go with the flow". ;)
It is still early, rest often and enjoy some hobbies to keep occupied.
 
I don't think they come undone. It's more likely that you've done more and you're tired as a result. Another thought, does it hurt when you take a deep breath? I'd see how you feel in a day or two, and if you're still concerned, call the cardiologist.
 
Am now at seven weeks. I rarely experience any chest pain and am able to walk at a decent pace for over an hour. Ive been working part time for two weeks and am going to full time starting tomorrow. I am going to have to quit cardiac rehab as my work hours and the fact that I have no more vacation time left. I plan on continuing at the Y though.

Some odd heart palpatation today. First since my surgery. Chalk it up to anxiety.
 
Hey Brian,
Hang in there. Hope you don't get a cold since if you are living in all that heat and humidity it sure won't be fun. Drink lots of fluids and take it easy for a few days to see if it passes. Don't be discouraged. You will get back on track soon. :D
 
Thank you. Since some of these symptons are similar to how I felt pre-surgery, I'm terrified that the surgery did not fix the problems I had before OHS.
 
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