Emotional Rollercoaster

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Sharon4495

Good Morning to All of You Wonderful Heart Surgery Survivors!

I have a question. I have read about the emotional issues attached to having OHS during recovery. I am worried about that because I am already on Meds for Depression and Anxiety but...has anyone experienced just sitting around and crying for no reason BEFORE your surgery? I do have a stressful job this year and I am sure that is contributing to the problem but I literally had to tells my friends and family if I started crying in the middle of a sentence or conversation to just keep talking as if I weren't. I avoided the phone because I was afraid of the cry-baby factor there too. My surgery is 9 days away...
 
Sharon4495 said:
Good Morning to All of You Wonderful Heart Surgery Survivors!

I have a question. I have read about the emotional issues attached to having OHS during recovery. I am worried about that because I am already on Meds for Depression and Anxiety but...has anyone experienced just sitting around and crying for no reason BEFORE your surgery? I do have a stressful job this year and I am sure that is contributing to the problem but I literally had to tells my friends and family if I started crying in the middle of a sentence or conversation to just keep talking as if I weren't. I avoided the phone because I was afraid of the cry-baby factor there too. My surgery is 9 days away...
Click to expand...


Everyone handles stress and apprehension differently ... tears are a good release mechanism ... at times I wish my flood gates would open but they won't .... wishing you the best possible surgery and a smooth, bump free recovery .... Godspeed:)
 
Hi Sharon

You're going through alot right now and have a superlot on your mind. Why wouldn't you cry? It sure seems normal to me. I didn't have surgery, my hubby did, and I cried at the drop of a hat prior to his surgery. Tears are a wonderful release, let them out. By the way, you will be FINE!!!! Just give it some time.

Evelyn
 
Hate to tell you, but I think you might be human. :)

Inside your saying to yourself, "Why me, why now" and your spirit is simply letting it go.

Your going to be fine, it's just terrifying and mind boggling right now.
 
Just echoing what's been said. Everyone handles stress differently. There's nothing wrong with a good cry to release your emotions ahead of something as stressful as OHS. In fact, it's probably healthier than trying to hold back and bottling up all those emotions inside. Best wishes and good luck.
 
Panic attacks?

Panic attacks?

I think it's quite normal to be upset while waiting for surgery and experience what you are experiencing now.
Pre-surgery waiting, etc. was far worse than the surgery/recovery. It was embarassing to start crying in front of strangers while watching a film in the hospital and not be able to stop. Floor open up and swallow me time. It was worse not having control over anything.
Just try, I know it's difficult, to project your mind to the day you are going home, surgery over, beginning to heal, a whole new world of experiences and last but not least being able to breathe normally and not be short of breath all the time.
Hang in there, you will get past this--everyone else has and you will too.
 
It is certainly normal to have emotional ups and downs before and after this life-altering event. I find myself more emotional than I used to be -- yes, I cry sometimes, whether "real men" are supposed to or not :rolleyes: -- but it is healthy to release your emotions and move on to face the world. What I am trying to say is that what you are going through is very much normal.

All best wishes....
 
take if from a fellow georgian

take if from a fellow georgian

your deff normal. anyone would be acting the same way facing surgery. i find myself upset alot too and i'm about 2 months post surgery. time is the big factor. it takes time to register what your going through and then try to move past it. please feel free to message me if you need to talk about it. i think the emotional bit of it is much harder than the physical. prayers.
 
Awweee i know lately i have to pinch myself to make
sure this is all happening and make sure im still human
it can be a rollercoaster.....somewhere my 2nd rollercoaster
in the midst.The waiting is definately the hard part and i don't
even have an appt,yet for tests let alone the whole story on
whats wrong....do know i need a mvr within last echo's read
in june and suppose to be done in 6 months time,because of
referral to another Dr...i'm on hold. Wishing you all the best
with good thoughts and prayers to you and yours.

zipper2 (DEB)
 
Sharon4495 said:
Good Morning to All of You Wonderful Heart Surgery Survivors!

I have a question. I have read about the emotional issues attached to having OHS during recovery. I am worried about that because I am already on Meds for Depression and Anxiety but...has anyone experienced just sitting around and crying for no reason BEFORE your surgery? I do have a stressful job this year and I am sure that is contributing to the problem but I literally had to tells my friends and family if I started crying in the middle of a sentence or conversation to just keep talking as if I weren't. I avoided the phone because I was afraid of the cry-baby factor there too. My surgery is 9 days away...
Click to expand...

Sharon,
It sounds perfectly natural to me.
It is a tough road to travel, and tears are a part of the journey.
Post op if you feel like you're having more difficulty, please let your doctor know so they can address the issue. It takes a given amount of time (at least for some of us) before you start to regain your equilibrium after replacement.
 
Sharon....I only had two weeks to think about my surgery, diagnosis to the table was 15 days. But I can tell you on at least 3 different instances I was blubbering away prior to my surgery. When I created my will and power-of-attorney for my wife I was a total mess. Its natural to have those types of anxieties. OHS is a major surgery and I for one had never had more than a few stitches in my life. So don't be bothered if you have an emotional meltdown or two, I think it happens to just about everyone.

But the good news is your only 9 days away ! I say good news because what your dealing with now emotionally I think is much harder than the recovery from OHS. As you will probably find out in your recovery, Percocet is a beautiful thing :)
 
Sharon,

I have surgery scheduled for later this month. I am not sure who is more worried, me or my spouse. She cries easily, I do not. I wish I could cry more easily. There are times, many times in fact, that I feel like dropping onto the floor and sobbing. Why me, what have i done, havn't I already been through enough? The answer is that it is not fair, and crying helps let out emotion. I have been on an emotional carnival ride ever since finding out about my need for a new valve. It is perfectly natural. Concern, fear, aprehension are all natural emotions at this time. It is only natural to feel the way you do.

Victor
 
Hi Sharon ~

It is normal to be nervous and cry. I've been waiting since November to get my aortic valve taken care of. A day doesn't go by that i don't cry, and i usually feel better afterwards as it releases tension (until the next day). My best wishes and prayers are with you. Take care, Dawn-Marie
 
Phew...

Phew...

I am feeling way more normal now...no I haven't stopped the crying but at least now I feel like it is normal! Yesterday I had the heart Cath...once again I was given Versed and Fentanyl and is still doesn't work on me....just like it didn't during the TEE. At least the heart cath was pretty simple and painless. Today I had preop at the hospital ...boy...that was an all day thing! I felt pretty much in control until the respiratory therapist starting talking about that tube down your throat....memories of the TEE....is there any way to control that whole gagging thing? Will I be pretty much doped up so I don't really "care" about the tube down my throat?

Thank you everyone for the support and words of encouragement, experience and comfort. I knew this day would come years ago but didn't really realize just how stressed and anxious I would feel.
 
I have depression, am on meds for it for life. I had my meds increased about 6 months before surgery (MIL died, and I found out the day before her funeral that "NOW" had come). I also had something to help me sleep in the 2 or 3 or 4 weeks prior to the surgery - one of the things I do is lie in bed and regurgitate and make mountains out of things even smaller than molehills.

I swear they had "KNOCK HER OUT BEFORE DOING ANYTHING" written in big red letters on the front of my case file. I was wheeled into OR, I remember seeing the heart/lung machine and before I could turn my head and see anything else, someone said "just going to give you something to help you relax". Next thing I know, I am waking up in ICU, and first thing I ask is "what day is it?" well, it was 2 days later than when I fell asleep. So no, I remember next to nothing of breathing tubes, chest tubes, drainage tubes and all the rest of it.

If you tell your "team" that you are nervous and stressed, they will do everything they can to make it easy on you - makes it easy on them, too!

If you want to e-mail me of PM me, feel free - info is under my profile.
 
Much like others here have said, the waiting game is the hardest part of open heart surgery. I had surgery on 8/6/08 in Athens, Ga, It was about 1 month from the time that decision was made until my actual surgery. I created every bad scenario possible in my head and played it over and over again.

I was terrified. It wasn't until afterwards that I realized the surgery is not nearly as bad as what we can create in our head. Don't get me wrong, its not a cake walk, but it can be overcome with effort and good attitude.

Good luck from one Georgian to another. My thoughts and prayers will be with you. By the way, where is your surgery going to take place?

Eric
 
Hi there Sharon, don't you worry or stress about the breathing tube. You'll be fast asleep when they put it in. But I have read that some members do remember the tube being removed. In my case, I kinda woke up, saw my SO and heard the nurse say "I bet she wishes to get that tube out of mouth" I just nodded my head and fell back to sleep. When I woke again the tube was gone. Heck I didn't even know there was even going to be a breathing tube, but then again I wasn't really told or showed in the in's and out's of OR.
Take Care
 
Hi Sharon. I know just how you feel. I am waiting to have my second AVR. My first one way four years ago. I think I am more emotional this time around. I guess because I know what to expect. Hugs and prayers are coming your way.
 
Hi Sharon,
Yes, we've all been there done that kind of thing when it comes to emotions before OHS. There will be up's and down's even after wards for awhile. But everything works out in the end. Praying all go's well and we will be looking forward to hearing your recovery is going smoothly.
God Bless,
Crystal :)
 
My Surgery is taking place a Wellstar Kennestone...they have a new state of the art Cardiac Unit AND it is closer to home than Crawford Long. My Surgeon is Dr. William Cooper he is an Emory Surgeon and Chief Cardiac Surgeon at the new Unit. Emory had offices everywhere here! I am very comfortable with the choice. I will be having a Porcine Valve. My Bro. works at Cryolife (they send arteries, valves, cartilage, etc that have been removed from cadavers and shipped) and he is the "valve guru" after dissecting so many - of all kinds and he says that is the choice he would have made.

Yesterday was an experience! I'm so glad all of ya'll (georgian, remember) had the tube but don't really remember the tube...cause my gag reflex REALLY WORKS.

After reading some of the posts I started laughing because I think there is probably a big red sign over my head that flashes saying "Give HER something!" Two years ago when I had my kidney removed (kidney cancer and a very lucky accidental find) they couldn't find a vein (Emory) and after many tries with no luck I finally said...."Give me something, take me to the OR and stick me to your hearts content, just knock me out!" That is exactly what they did and I came out of surgery with the IV coming out of my Carotoid Artery in my neck! I did tell everyone yesterday about the finding veins issue - only happens after I have fasted - and they said don't worry - you'll have plenty of tubes and things hooked up for meds!
 
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