Recent content by AndyChas

Hi Anna My scars from the robot are 6cm for the chest/underarm incision and 4.5cm for the bypass incision in the groin. People do tend to stare at me at little at the pool, but I think they mainly are trying to work out why my right breast looks different to the left (it’s still a bit swollen...

Justin, I wonder whether the sharks will be able to hear it when you get back on your plank?:D

Hi Lou I didn't have any incisions or tubes on my left side, and I don't feel any pain now at rest or while exercising (just a tiny bit of general discomfort, probably due to the right breast being still quite numb and slightly swollen). The only pain I've had on my left side was pericarditis...

Hi Bruno Thanks for telling me more about your TEE. The only problem I had with it was that the spray was administered while I was lying down, and some of it seemed to find its way into the nasal cavities (which made me cough uncontrollably for about a minute; it stung as well and I ended up...

Hi Bruno I had a very similar experience after my TEE, but I'm still not sure what caused my fever. I've also got no idea what type of anaesthetic I was given for the TEE, but it was the horrible tasting spray down the throat that seems well documented on this forum! Conscious throughout the...

Hi Anna You're right: it's only early days, and it's also clear that the heart has quite a bit of this 'remodelling' to do over the next six months. By the way, has it rained yet? Andy

Me Dundee? Hoges and I did go to the same school, but he was about 30 years ahead of me!

Hi David Back to work already? I'm still finding excuses to put it off! Andy

Bob, Al and Deanne, thanks for the wise advice and reassurance. I'm not really worried about it, more surprised by the extent of the change; just another small bump or hiccup, and one that doesn't seem to manifest itself in the way I feel. I'm not on any medication apart from Coumadin, and...

I had an appointment with my local cardiologist today and an echo test. The mitral valve repair (undertaken 28/1/09) seems to be holding up (just 'trivial residual regurgitation'), but my left ventricle ejection fraction has plummeted from .60 the day after the operation (measured by echo) to...

Hello Rich Your circumstances seem similar to mine: I'm a bit older than you but had a minimally invasive mitral valve repair 5 weeks ago today. I don't think I would have liked to leave hospital after one or two days (I took five, despite the horrible food!), but I hope that the A-Fib sorts...

I'm still trying to get my head around the concept of Woodbutcher the Waxhead.:D

Book Like a lot of people I was worried about the breathing tube but when I woke up with it still in it wasn't a problem at all. To be honest, I can't even remember it feeling obtrusive, and it wasn't uncomfortable when it was removed in a flash about ten minutes later (at least I think it was...

Hi Anna It's wonderful to hear that you are recovering so well; I'm also going along very nicely. I recall you saying somewhere that you found rehab helpful, and I have as well. In my case it's aerobics at the local hospital, and the ages of the class vary from me (the youngest at 42!) to a...

Anna: Sounds like your sternum is going to get a bit of a workout soon. Or are you supervising works?:D