Short of Breath...in my head?

[Janie]

Hi everyone. I'm about a month out from my mitral valve repair (I had it done on August 5th). I am doing well and really feel like I'm pretty much back to normal.

When I went for my followup with my primary care and he told me that eventually my shortness of breath will go away. I just wonder if this is all in my head? Its not bad at all but I know how powerful the mind is and I am wondering if I'm thinking too much about it.

I am completely off any medication. No beta blockers or anything. I do go back to my cardiologist on Thursday, for my post op follow up.

Can anyone share if they too felt short of breath after surgery? I will say my palpitations are almost non existent now but I do feel an occasional heart thump but no more flip flops that I had for years.

Thanks!!!

 

[jax]

oh janie i just read your signature and i also had dr. mihaljevic. unfortunately i was not as fortunate as you were and he could not use the robot on me. he felt that my valve was too badly damaged and thought that a mini-sternotomy was best. all i can say is after going into heart block the next day and waiting to have a pace-maker put in, my shortness of breath went away as soon as they put my pace-maker in. every once in a while if i am laying down i will have some shallow breathing that is kind of like the shortness of breath but i think it is all in my head also as i am 3 months out and am back to normal except having some twinges in the muscles at work and being fatigued more when i get home from work. but i suppose it is a process and hopefully in 3 more months or before the fatigue will start to let up a little.

 

[Marguerite53]

I suspect you can trust your doctor! I'm sure you will relax and get accustomed to your newly mended heart and the breathing issue will disappear. I have found that if I consume too much salt I honestly find that I re-experience some of those feelings. I had a physical therapist explain it all to me once, why that was true, but I'm afraid I don't remember. Perhaps you could have a look at your salt intake and lower it some.

This surgery stuff puts a lot of junk in our heads!!! It's tough on us all! It would be best to try to put it out of your mind. But be gentle with yourself. You are still "in recovery" and you are being naturally protective.

Be well.

Marguerite

 

[ctyguy]

I think everybody goes through what your going through in some form or fashion. I questioned every thing I was feeling for a good while but now chalk it up to my body just adjusting to the change in the plumbing.

 

[DarrinDNelson]

Hi everyone. I'm about a month out from my mitral valve repair (I had it done on August 5th). I am doing well and really feel like I'm pretty much back to normal.

When I went for my followup with my primary care and he told me that eventually my shortness of breath will go away. I just wonder if this is all in my head? Its not bad at all but I know how powerful the mind is and I am wondering if I'm thinking too much about it.

I am completely off any medication. No beta blockers or anything. I do go back to my cardiologist on Thursday, for my post op follow up.

Can anyone share if they too felt short of breath after surgery? I will say my palpitations are almost non existent now but I do feel an occasional heart thump but no more flip flops that I had for years.

Thanks!!!

De ja vu - I am 3 weeks post op...and hadn't noticed any shortness of breath...until I went to see my Cardio on Friday. He asked if I was feeling any shortness of breath. I said no.

Sure enough over the past couple of days, I occassionally felt like I was a little short of breath. I was asking myself, is this psycho-somatic, or is it real...I am scheduled to have my follow up echocardiogram a week from Friday, and am anxious to see those results hoping it is not showing a failing repair to put this rest (ie if the repair appears to be in tact then I can just relax and evenutally these symptoms will subside...whether they be physically justified or just my mind working over time).

On your recent follow up, did you have an Echocardiogram done, and what were the results?

 

[Ross]

This soon out of the gate, your going to be short of breath for a few months yet. It'll iron out eventually.

 

[Eva]

This soon out of the gate, your going to be short of breath for a few months yet. It'll iron out eventually.

It is normal to be a bit short of breath...as long as they are not severe, you do not need to worry. I had SOBs for quite a while and I was aware and worried about everything I felt after surgery. You shall be fine!