CThrock
Well-known member
Peggy so glad you are feeling better. I'm sure your really glad your home....
May you feel better each day and have a speedy recovery.
May you feel better each day and have a speedy recovery.
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
I hope all is still going well for you, Peggy. Rest, relax, breath DEEP, and walk. If in doubt about something (I well understand that fog!) don't debate very long before picking up the phone and calling your surgeon. Doctors are not at all surprised by calls, especially so early in recovery. Recovery.....now that is a word with a nice ring to it!
K
Kandice
Glad to hear your back!!
Glad to hear your back!!
Peggy
So glad to hear you are home, I sure know what that fog is like. I felt like my memory was really impaired the first 2 weeks. Thank God it is better at least I think so HA!
I still need pain medication especially late afternoon and sometimes at bedtime, but I've really cut down when I think about how much I needed the first 2 weeks. I had my surgery October 9th.
Let us know how you are, rest
kandice
Glad to hear your back!!
Peggy
So glad to hear you are home, I sure know what that fog is like. I felt like my memory was really impaired the first 2 weeks. Thank God it is better at least I think so HA!
I still need pain medication especially late afternoon and sometimes at bedtime, but I've really cut down when I think about how much I needed the first 2 weeks. I had my surgery October 9th.
Let us know how you are, rest
kandice
G
Guest
PEGGY!
WELCOME HOME! Glad you are back and posting again!
Thoughts/prayers coming your way for a continued SUCCESSFUL recovery
.
Cort:34swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker
WRMNshowcase.lego.HO.model.MCs.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Wake me up inside" ... Evanescence ... 'Bring Me To Life'
WELCOME HOME! Glad you are back and posting again!
Thoughts/prayers coming your way for a continued SUCCESSFUL recovery
.Cort:34swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker
WRMNshowcase.lego.HO.model.MCs.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Wake me up inside" ... Evanescence ... 'Bring Me To Life'
Peggy:
It's great to see you home and happy. The best is yet to come.
Blanche
It's great to see you home and happy. The best is yet to come.
Blanche
PeggyM said:
From all your past experiences you've posted here and on your blog those words are fantastic. I hope your healing will continue to get better and better. Waiting for the "Rest of the Story". Guess you didn't drive them nurses to STRIKE AGAIN!!!!
May God Bless,
Danny
We're all very happy to have you back, too, Peggy. Hope all goes smoothly from here on...
P
PeggyM
Thanks so much everyone!!! I've had so much company and been sleeping off and on and went for a 4 mile walk the other day and overdid it and people keep bringing me food and I'm gonna get fat!!! Hahahaha!
The fog has mostly lifted. But the smell. Oh my goodness. I guess I can take a shower.
From what I remember, we got there and they were going to send us home for 5 days on antibiotics because of bacteria in my urine that grew in a culture over that weekend. You can imagine how ballistic I went. I threatened to get a gun, the surgeon had a phone meeting with other surgeons, I peed again, they tested it and it was less bacteria so it was a go. What kind of freaking idiot would grow that culture over the weekend and not see that I had heart surgery scheduled for that Wed and NOT say anything??? I tell you, when I find out I am going to make that person's life miserable.
The surgery went well but the rest of it didn't at first. I had a real hard time breathing and they talked about intubating me again, putting me to sleep and back in the ICU. After a ct scan of the lungs they said they found "old" asbestos like damage and "old" clots. Apparently this particular surgery aggravated all this and it was hell to breath. On top of that, there were a couple of days when some of the nurses neglected me. I don't remember as I was out of it but my family told me. They just sort of ignored me and when that happend I went downhill. I honestly think I was dying and according to one doc was getting too much PH in my system? Which causes your body to shut down. It's like poison. Something like that. The surgeon came in, bla, bla, bla. Anyway, my sister layed on my bed, I cried, we cried and the next day I got off my ass and walked and made everyone walk me and here we are. I got better in two days and stayed on a venti-mask almost the entire time.
One day the doctor came in to tell me that she was recommending I be transferred to a rehab place because of my breathing problems and I freaked out. But so did she when she stopped in mid-sentence and looked at me and said, "Where's your mask?" I had taken it off because it irritated me and it was laying on the bed. She had me walk to her. She walked me up and down the halls and I talked the whole time and she put her hands on her head and said, "There's hope!" LOL. From then on, I got better. I wasn't about to go anywhere but home!
I guess it's a new thing since my other surgeries but they test your blood sugar levels daily after and I was getting insulin for awhile. Not anymore.
The only pain I have is slight breast pain and pain in the groin from the pump.I have this medium size clot there that I named Freddie. I pat him and it's kind of comforting. The incisions aren't bad and I honestly feel better that I did before the surgery. Everyone says my color is better and was even better in ICU than before the surgery. Now I am bored. I should be walking but it's boring alone. But I've got to do something.
Anyway, that's the scoop. Port Access surgery is the best! I don't even feel like I had heart surgery. Didn't meet any cute techs or docs and I don't think I yelled at anybody this time so that was good.
I am so very grateful and hope to be back at work Monday.
Peggy
The fog has mostly lifted. But the smell. Oh my goodness. I guess I can take a shower.
From what I remember, we got there and they were going to send us home for 5 days on antibiotics because of bacteria in my urine that grew in a culture over that weekend. You can imagine how ballistic I went. I threatened to get a gun, the surgeon had a phone meeting with other surgeons, I peed again, they tested it and it was less bacteria so it was a go. What kind of freaking idiot would grow that culture over the weekend and not see that I had heart surgery scheduled for that Wed and NOT say anything??? I tell you, when I find out I am going to make that person's life miserable.
The surgery went well but the rest of it didn't at first. I had a real hard time breathing and they talked about intubating me again, putting me to sleep and back in the ICU. After a ct scan of the lungs they said they found "old" asbestos like damage and "old" clots. Apparently this particular surgery aggravated all this and it was hell to breath. On top of that, there were a couple of days when some of the nurses neglected me. I don't remember as I was out of it but my family told me. They just sort of ignored me and when that happend I went downhill. I honestly think I was dying and according to one doc was getting too much PH in my system? Which causes your body to shut down. It's like poison. Something like that. The surgeon came in, bla, bla, bla. Anyway, my sister layed on my bed, I cried, we cried and the next day I got off my ass and walked and made everyone walk me and here we are.
I got better in two days and stayed on a venti-mask almost the entire time. One day the doctor came in to tell me that she was recommending I be transferred to a rehab place because of my breathing problems and I freaked out. But so did she when she stopped in mid-sentence and looked at me and said, "Where's your mask?" I had taken it off because it irritated me and it was laying on the bed. She had me walk to her. She walked me up and down the halls and I talked the whole time and she put her hands on her head and said, "There's hope!" LOL. From then on, I got better. I wasn't about to go anywhere but home!
I guess it's a new thing since my other surgeries but they test your blood sugar levels daily after and I was getting insulin for awhile. Not anymore.
The only pain I have is slight breast pain and pain in the groin from the pump.I have this medium size clot there that I named Freddie. I pat him and it's kind of comforting.
The incisions aren't bad and I honestly feel better that I did before the surgery. Everyone says my color is better and was even better in ICU than before the surgery. Now I am bored. I should be walking but it's boring alone. But I've got to do something.Anyway, that's the scoop. Port Access surgery is the best! I don't even feel like I had heart surgery. Didn't meet any cute techs or docs and I don't think I yelled at anybody this time so that was good.
I am so very grateful and hope to be back at work Monday.
Peggy
P
PeggyM
Ross said:
Would I have to take a shower?
P
Phyllis
Wow, Peggy- you've been through the mill, but it sounds like with determination you have conquered all. Just don't rush the recovery- back to work on Monday?- that's a record!
Ross
Well-known member
Lord woman, you had a very similiar experience to what I've gone through. Lung damage and the vent do not get along, yet we need that damn thing so badly. The hospital had called my wife and family and told them to come back, that I wasn't going to make it. Well, I made it, no fun getting here, but I made it. Welcome to the survivers club.
Ross
Well-known member
No, I'll bathe you.PeggyM said:Would I have to take a shower?
K
Karlynn
Not to interrupt your and Ross' little love fest, but I just heard that you've been awarded the coveted Nancy Award, because as our longtime member Nancy's motto says "You never gave in and you never gave up."
Take good care of yourself!!!!!
Take good care of yourself!!!!!
WayneGM
Well-known member
Back to work Monday??? Wow that's quick! Be careful and pace yourself. Best wishes and good luck.
Wow that's quick! Be careful and pace yourself. Best wishes and good luck.
P
PeggyM
I'm sort of mad tonight. I got clearance from my PCP to start work Monday, 4-5 hours a day, with lifting restrictions, etc. I was so excited I went to work to give my boss and HR the form and they said no. They said because I can't come back full time and do my regular job all day, which is teaching exercise classes to seniors, that I can't come back there and half to go to one of our other facilities, where the classes are limited and less intense. I told them my doc is going to re-evaluate me in a week or two and when I am cleared to be full time again I expect my old job back. They didn't guarantee me that.
I started that program, the residents love me and want me back and I feel my employer is going to try and screw me. Legally, they have to give me my job back or an equivalent, because I'm coming back the day my FMLA protection expires. It really bums me out because I've done all this for my job. I've pushed myself and worked so hard to recover quickly so I could go back to my job.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe when I'm ready to go full time and my stamina is up again it will be alright. But I don't trust them or anyone. It makes me sad.
On another note, only here will I post these pics! Haha! The ulitmate post surgery look. LOL. I know they're horrible but I think it's funny now.
This first one is titled, "What? You want me to sit up???"
I started that program, the residents love me and want me back and I feel my employer is going to try and screw me. Legally, they have to give me my job back or an equivalent, because I'm coming back the day my FMLA protection expires. It really bums me out because I've done all this for my job. I've pushed myself and worked so hard to recover quickly so I could go back to my job.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe when I'm ready to go full time and my stamina is up again it will be alright. But I don't trust them or anyone. It makes me sad.
On another note, only here will I post these pics! Haha! The ulitmate post surgery look. LOL. I know they're horrible but I think it's funny now.
This first one is titled, "What? You want me to sit up???"
P
PeggyM
My brother and I. That's an ice pack on my head. LOL.
Ross, do I still have a chance?
Ross, do I still have a chance?
P
PeggyM
My beloved sister holding me up.
WayneGM
Well-known member
Sorry to hear about the hassles with your job. That said, when I look at these pics (which remind me of my own challenges post-op), and then think about you going back to work so soon, I do worry that you are pushing your self too hard which may hinder your recovery in the long run. I know you must be in great shape physically given your occupation and interests (especially compared to me...I'm a coach potato ), but please be careful. Your longer term health and well being should be your first priority. Wishing you the best. I hope it all works out for you.
), but please be careful. Your longer term health and well being should be your first priority. Wishing you the best. I hope it all works out for you.
Jiddo
Well-known member
Hi Peggy.
It sounds like you are well on the road to recovery! Thanks for sharing your story.....and humor. I'm glad you are on the other side of the mountain!
Jennie
It sounds like you are well on the road to recovery! Thanks for sharing your story.....and humor. I'm glad you are on the other side of the mountain!
Jennie
