3-20 Update on Carole

[CA Pigg]

Carole continued to improve slowly thoughout the day. She went without one round of pain meds to try to ease the nausea and that seemed to help. The pain during that time was still bearable. The biggest thing that has helped is her brother and I FINALLY got her eating a little something. She is a very picky eater when she is well and she is even worse right now. Anyway--she is progressing well. The doc just stopped by and told her that if she walks 5 times a day she can probably go home on Monday. We are headed out the door to go for a walk now. More Later.
John

 

[Herburban1]

I had nausea on and off for 2 weeks untill they took me off Digioxin..That helped alot...Just eat what you can tolerate...

 

[lilteach3234]

The loss of appetite is normal I think. It is taking everything I have to get anything down. I have wanted nothing but iced water, popsicles, and cold things. My taste buds are really acting up. Everything tastes so sweet I can't tolerate it. I am a heck of a coke drinker, but can't stand the thought of one right now. The nurses got upset with me for not eating, but just couldn't get it down!

I hope she continutes to do well. We miss her. We are both going to heal together. We already made that promise to each other.

 

[Ross]

Food sucks and tastes like metal for most people for quite a while after surgery. Don't ride her to hard about eating. She will eat what does taste good to her, but finding that something is hard. It's usually something that the person normally would not eat, that they like.

 

[tex]

Im really pleased shes doing well, the food thing is normal and as Ross said you do have a funny taste and food tastes awful, and i also think its such an effort to eat you cant really be bothered. She will eat in her own time as long as she drinking try not to worry.Give her my best wishes and i will chat to her soon.
with love Jane

 

[WayneGM]

Glad to hear she is progressing. I love to cook and eat, but for weeks after my OHS, I could do neither as food tasted weird. Eventually, taste returned to normaland enjoyed my food once again. Something Carol can look forward to. Best wishes continue...

 

[Karlynn]

Sounds like everything is going well.

When I had my surgery they gave me morphine in the CICU, but when they moved me to the stepdown unit they wanted to give me Tylenol with codeine. Codeine totally messes me up (and fortunately I knew that prior to my surgery), so I just asked for Extra Strength Tylenol and that seemed to help. I still had pain, but it was bearable. And most importantly - didn't keep me from sleeping.

 

[AgilityDog]

Boy, I remember the loss of appetite! They kept trying to get me to drink Ensure (read "chocolate chalk") shudder!
Only way I'm ever eating that stuff is whomped up in a chocolate shake. It is tollerable that way. You could see if the dietitians will make that for her, if she doesn't have the "sweet is awful" effect.

 

[lilteach3234]

I am just glad to know it's part of the process. Nobody gave the up before surgery. The sweet is just sickening. I love chocolate, but can't even think about it. My stepdaughter sent me a choc. Easter Bunny and I thought I was going to be ill.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Boy, I remember the loss of appetite! They kept trying to get me to drink Ensure (read "chocolate chalk") shudder!
Only way I'm ever eating that stuff is whomped up in a chocolate shake. It is tollerable that way. You could see if the dietitians will make that for her, if she doesn't have the "sweet is awful" effect.

Just remember that Ensure (and other similar drinks) are LOADED with Vitamin K! NOT GOOD if you are on Coumadin and they are trying to get your INR into Theraputic Range before releasing from the hospital.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[palmaceae]

Just remember that Ensure (and other similar drinks) are LOADED with Vitamin K! NOT GOOD if you are on Coumadin and they are trying to get your INR into Theraputic Range before releasing from the hospital.

'AL Capshaw'

That makes sense now. They were having problems regulating my INR, today it was 1.4. But the home nurse said I should drink Ensure to get protein. Makes you mad when a nurse does not know this!

 

[ALCapshaw2]

That makes sense now. They were having problems regulating my INR, today it was 1.4. But the home nurse said I should drink Ensure to get protein. Makes you mad when a nurse does not know this!

Sadly, WE are often our own First Line of Defense,
EVEN while in the Hospital, especially when it comes to anticoagulation issues which are SO misunderstood by so many Medical Professionals.

Mis-Information dies Hard...

 

[Ter]

Hi,
I just got home - from mitral repair and maze procedure - discharged on day 8 and two days in hotel. biggest problem was nausea and loss of appetite. reglan helped a lot. got threatened with a feeding tube (a little extreme) - refused the awful cardiac diet food - and my daughter got me an ice cream soda and a drank some of that - then an avocado - kind of wierd tastes, but the nurses said anything at all was ok (my blood sugar was ok, and of course on lots of potassium and magnesium.) then the dietician came, and had the kitchen steam lots of spinach for me, because that is something i eat at home, and made the coumadin regulation more accurate. Brigham and Womens Heart Hospital is amazing -
my appetite is coming back slowly - so i really empathize with your wife. it is apparently extremely common - don't drive her crazy, it is really hard for some people to eat postop. good luck

 

[ruthienc1]

I can really relate to the temporary loss of appetite (and , believe me, it will return!). We were in a hotel for three days following my release and before being allowed to return home. I'd shuffle down to the hotel restaurant with hubby, where the nicest waiter would tell me that they'd make anything I'd like, if only I'd eat it! Nothing tasted worth eating. I'd take a bite or two, then play with my food , like a four-year-old (without the whining!)

 

[laurad37]

She is still in my thoughts. Keep up the walking and come back home.

 

[Tbone]

Keep up the good work. Hoping to see Carol post her own messages soon. God Bless

 

[bookjp]

Hope Carole is feeling better and tell her to hang in there. I still haven't found a meat that taste the same.Have been drinking a lot of boston coolers that for some reason taste the same.Hope she had an easy time with the vent after surgery.Wishing her good luck.Jim