Do you cry at the drop of a hat?

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R

ruth

I know we've had similar discussions before but I'm curious to hear some perspectives on life after OHS. In respect to full disclosure, I live with chronic depressive disorder and am under the treatment of a psychiatrist. I had my first major depression at age 16 and a few more since then, I understand what that is and feels like and my battle with depression has been under control for several years now. I'm not addressing that with this post, however.

I find now that after OHS as my life returns to 'normal': ie. working, caring for family, life in general, that when I read in the paper or hear on the radio a tragic story I burst into tears almost uncontrollably. I'm not depressed, mind you, but moved by what I've heard. Listening to NPR, the author of "Prisoner of Tehran" describe her story and I cry, I look at the Washington Post today, the crash on the Chesapeake Bay bridge, and I cry. I reflect on the Holocaust on Yom Ha-Shoah (a recent Jewish holiday in remembrance of the Holocaust) and cry. The reality of the fragility of life is very palpable to me these days. It reminds me of my brother who was 19 when drafted to be a platoon leader for the 82'nd airborne in Vietnam and returned 2 years later and cried when the evening news described a random act of violence. He was a big, strong, very tough and stoic guy before he left.

To cut to the chase, do any of you feel a similar change or outlook on life?

Thank you in advance for any replies or reflections.

Wishing you peace and health,
Ruth
 
I do find I am more "emotional" since my OHS.....whether I'm watching the news or watching a movie. As what you said, I'm "moved" by the story more than I would have before. I can't say I burst out and cry uncontrollably, but I occasionally need to do the "there's something in my eye" routine ;) .....it's a guy thing :rolleyes:
 
Yes, I definitely cry more often. It's gotten a little better over time since the surgery, but I'm still more sensitive. I don't feel depressed, I'm just more moved by stories. While in the hospital I couldn't even watch tv or read a book or magazine without crying so I avoided all of it. I still can't watch the news without crying. My therapist says that the surgery opened my heart literally and figuratively. It seems silly but intuitively it makes sense.
 
Hi Ruth

I cry at the drop of a hat, or a wedding, funeral, poignant moment, funny joke, you pick it......and I haven't even had ohs.......and no depression. Not so sure it's all related, just think it's the individual person .....who knows!!! But don't yell at me or I'll start "crying!!"----just joking.

Happy thoughts,
Evelyn
 
I've said it before, the heart is the gateway to the soul. When they mess with it, they mess with our inner being. I've become more emotional since surgeries. Certain things trigger it.
 
crying

crying

I think I cried every day while I was in the hospital....when someone called, someone came to visit. It has gotten better since my surgery, I don't cry as often....I blame it on the anesthetic!
 
When I was in the hospital I didn't cry; I was kind of in a fog.

However, when I got home I had several crying episodes. Some were because I was frustrated, other times I just felt helpless and vulnerable.

I had too much time to sit and think.....about my other old dog dying a few months before....about my old horse dying the year before that....and about my Mom dying 2 years earlier. I honestly thought that it was my turn to die.

I realize that some things are out of our hands, and if my time comes to pass away, then so be it. I'm not dwelling on it anymore. Life goes on.....:)
 
When VR was just a baby, one of our members brought up the subject of 'do you feel more appreciation of life now, more tender'. That was our first discussion of a subject such as this one. I believe it was Robthatsme who brought it up. Many of us agreed that we are more tender since surgery. We thought maybe it was our experience of such an overwhelming surgery taking us to the brink with the heart/lung machine. No matter what it was, we felt as you do. I am not speaking of depression here - just more soft and tender feelings and appreciation of our lives.

As a matter of note, heart disease often is joined by depression. Don't know why.
 
Yes,

Yes,

I am definitely a crying type person. I have suffered from anxiety/panic disorder along with depression on and off for many many years. Since my early 20's.
After my OHS I was very weepy for quite awhile. I find that I still continue to cry very easily about things but not quite how I did right after my OHS.
I think when you have been through something like OHS or another traumatic experience it makes you look at life differently.

Gail
 
Yes. And I do go through short periods (usually about a day) of feeling "depressed" and overwelmed. The reality that I will never be totally and completely healthy just recently hit me. I am much more sensitive to criticism now.
 
Yes I do cry more often. I say to myself why am I crying and try to shake it off. However, I have found that I take control of my life a lot more and do not let others run it for me. I really stand up for what I believe in, before OHS I would let people take advantage of me, not any more.
 
I'm getting tears in my eyes reading the posts about crying and i'm still in the waiting room. Does this mean i'll get worse after my op? god help my family if i do .....mary
 
I think Wayne summarized my reactions well. Maybe it is a male vs. female hormone thing, but I do not cry very often (almost never). However, since OHS, I tend to react more emotionally than I did prior to surgery.

For example, I am a graduate of Virginia Tech, and the massacre at my alma mater, back in mid-April, affected me greatly. I don?t know what it was, as I graduated more than 40 years ago and did not know any of the students, faculty, or staff involved in the tragedy. I suppose it shattered many of the wonderful memories of that beautiful, peaceful, idyllic campus. I had a lot of trouble watching the events unfolding on television. Even today, as the media broadcast portions of the graduation, I was somewhat upset. I don?t think I would have been so affected 4 months ago, before OHS.

Based on the previous comments on this thread from those whose surgeries were several years ago, it seems like this may be a new facet of my personality that I will need to learn to live with.
 
Oh my goodness, I cry at the drop of a hat! I cry so easy. I even cry at Hallmark commericals. Do I cry more since I had my AVR three years ago? Probably not. I've had so many health issues the last five years that I just give thanks to God everyday for still being here. Although to be truthful, I do take depression medicine. I've tried to wean myself off of them and I notice I get emotional easier. I feel it's alright to cry. It's a cleansing of the soul.
 
Chris is definitely more emotional since his Ross procedure... he does the "there's something in my eye" (as someone else since aptly said) routine from time to time...but after such a life changing, huge experience as OHS, how could it not change a person?

(The running joke with some of our friends is that they believe Chris' homograft is from a female so he every time he's a bit anxious/narky/teary etc, they blame it on the female valve! LOL!)

Yolanda
 
Ruth,
I don't find myself being more emotional since surgery but I did have one of those 'moments' this week. We were at my 13 yr old son's 8th grade celebrations/graduation and he was standing with a group of friends, most of them he has known since elementary school. I found myself looking at this group of kids thinking how they had grown up out of the blue and they were about to be in high school! And then I had this thought about this surgery I had just gone through and how blessed I was to be at my son's event! I felt myself wanting to just start crying and had to push my mind somewhere else!
 
Thanks all, I agree it is a tender view of life, more so than before. It happened again yesterday, as JimP mentioned, when I heard of the VA Tech victims receiving their degrees posthumosly. It's as though I've lost that tough outer surface that it takes to watch the news unemotionally these days.

Thanks for the reflections all.

Ruth
 
Oh yeah - I cry very easily but I have always done so. Perhaps it is a bit more since surgery but my first OHS was so long ago it is hard to measure.

I cry at a beautiful sunset, the VA Tech stories, the fire on Catalina, when my cat lies in my lap and stares up at me with unconditional love, etc., etc., etc. Don't even get me started about movies. I was watching "Finding Nemo" last night and was crying when Nemo got caught by the diver and Dorie (sp?) got stung by the jellyfish. How dumb is that?

I am also more emotional due to my hormonal stage in life so I just buy Puff's by the case.;) :D ;)

Ms. Basket Case here.:rolleyes:
 
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