I was able to slowly and gently pull on a sweater with help a week after surgery. So it depends on your patience and insistence. I tend to have favorite comfortable clothes and was eager to get back to them.
I think just being there -- all the time. I think for many people this is not as big a thing as it was for me. We were high school sweet hearts and have been married 39 years and have rarely been apart. Just being there - at the appt's, in the hospital, after surgery, while I slept - made all...
My surgeon said I could go back to work immediately provided that I had a recliner in my office so I could rest and sleep when tired. It worked great I had surgery on Friday and returned work on Thursday. I shut my door and slept and my secretary kept people away. And I didn't go stir crazy but...
I'd ask questions about expected stay & if my wife is welcome in the ICU after surgery. Also does he answer email questions and can you use your blood. How does he feel about valve repair in your case.
I can only tell you my experience but it should be a place to start. I'm sure others have different experiences.
I had surgery on Friday evening. Walked 1/2 mile on Saturday afternoon. Left the hospital on Tuesday (after a very minor glitch - I pass out regularly and have since I was a...
Returned to work (as a professor) 5 days after surgery. But I slept 2-3 hours a day in my office for the first month. Probably I was real full time at about 6 weeks. I did 12 weeks of rehab but just worked around it.
I tried a few days after surgery and found that everything was working but my chest was too painful for the first month to be able to really want to it.