2 weeks out, couple questions

[Jen]

Hi all!!

I know it is early still, I am 2 weeks and 2 days out of surgery. I have been walking around 2 miles per day like I was told to, but stairs are REALLY hard. Is this about normal??? I have been getting lots of rest, lots of water, I walk early in the AM and later in the PM so not too muggy. I am able to get to 2750 on my incentive spirometer, which I think is good.
Question #2 is.. I am so numb and sort of itchy/tingly to about 2 inches out on both sides of my scar. Has anyone else experienced this and does it go away soon??
I also have 1 small stitch that has worked itself out at the top of my incision, would this have been where the pacer wires came out right after surgery?

Other than this and the occasional discomfort around the sternum, every thing is going pretty well, my INR levels are low yet, but we are working on them. My son rides his bike every morning with me while I do a short walk up the small hill in our cul de sac and he thinks it is "cool" to hear my heart. I do too. :thumbup:

 

[nngbwh]

Question # 1- You are superwoman walking 2 miles per day.
Question # 2- All normal- Give it time......................

Sounds like you are doing a good job.. Make sure you are not over doing it.

 

[Freddie]

Make sure you use your legs when doing the stairs, don't pull yourself up with the hand rails, just use the rail as a guide, slow and steady as you go up or down. Slowly work on it and you will see as time go by the stairs will become no problem - but give it time.

Remove the stitch either by yourself or by your doctor and place a band-aid on it. I believe the pacer wires were/are located on the lower left side- someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

In my case I had to do the stairs to use the bathroom and to go to bed, slow and steady is what I was told to do. I also had a upper stitch knot work it's way out which was snagging on my clothing...ouch. Doc pulled it out (I screamed like a sissy lol) and placed a band-aid on it.

Besides being "superwoman" remember time heals and some 'baby steps' still need to be applied, make sure your not over doing it.

Be good to yourself Jen.

 

[bdryer]

Little sister

You are doing great! Weekly you will see exponential, yes exponential gains in your recovery!!!!!!!!!! I did / do enough sports for 3 people. My recovery was like a moon shot.

The surgeons change parts, stitch, glue and wire us back together, your body and God heal you! Keep the faith, record what you do in a journal and you will be truly amazed. That little kid on the bike will soon be panting to keep up. Trust me...........

As for the stitch coming adrift, I experienced the same deal. I thought it may be a strand from a sternal wire as it was only a couple of thou thick. Sternal wires are single strand not multi strand so I thought.....WTHECK and went to the hospital and had it checked out. Sure enough, it was a stitch. Jeeze, I hope the surgeon did a better job implanting my MHV! LOL!

HaHa, love the fact little Johnny/Mary can hear your valve working. Good fun indeed. I very rarely hear my On-X except when in front of an object that does not absorb sound like glass, ceramics or a mirror. If I drive to a location to run and then return home, Ill sit in my car counting my HR by listening. Very convenient as I can have a sip of water at the same time.....HeHe... It's cool you have adapted to having fun with your new valve, very few of us are capable of this.

My INR was low for over two months, the ACT clinic was not panicking hence neither was I. They have been raising my Warfarin dose 5-10% weekly, last week, I tested at 2.0, on target! Yeah! This week I'm eating a truck load of Broccoli just to throw them off.....just kidding! HaHa!

Carry on your on the right track.

 

[Greg a]

ALL OF THE ABOVE TIMES TWO

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[Jen]

PHEW!! I over worry sometimes about something going "wrong". Babysteps.. This is sooo the hard part.
Thanks everyone!!!

 

[epstns]

Jen - One thing you will notice -- there are a few points in time when it seems that you just have a major improvement compared to what you remember. For me these seemed to happen at about 4 weeks and about 8 weeks. It seemed that my recovery took jumps forward at those times. Others have similar phenomenon, just maybe at different time points. I'll bet you will, too.

I have lots of stairs in my house, and was having a rough time climbing them at first. I would actually line up several reasons to go upstairs, so that I would not have to go right back up. What I found was that climbing those stairs actually helped my recovery, as long as I didn't go too fast or use my arms too much. The additional exercise during my (wintertime) recovery helped.

 

[Michelle D]

I had trouble with my stairs for quite a while, 2 miles is a lot, I think two weeks out I was going 0.4 miles and that was it. I was exhausted after that. You'll have weird sensations around your scar for much longer and when the nerves start growing back you might get some pain along with it. You should like you are doing well.

 

[epstns]

Yes - Two weeks out I was still thinking twice about walking to the corner to mail a letter. Of course, a lot of that may have been the result of my many complications, because by 5 weeks I was walking 1.5 to 2.0 miles daily. YMMV, depending on what shape you were in prior to surgery.

 

[Jen]

Thanks everyone. I was pretty active until this year, tri's and running races. I had surgery on Tuesday and was home on Sunday. They put me on a schedule to walk 4-5 miles daily by 6-8 weeks. I am on no meds other than warfarin, so that is cool. I was walking the halls in the hospital on Thursday- thou Friday was a better day for walking. My stairs are just my nemesis!!

 

[ejc61]

Jen you're a maniac. All kidding aside, I realize now how important it is to be in decent shape and how that helps with recovery. I was so excited when I rode 10 miles on by bike at 4 weeks. I was back up to 30 miles at 6 months.
The itch lasts a bit and you'll probably fell a weird numb when it gets cold. It will pass.

 

[a67emmamom]

I had the same worrisome stitch sticking out at the very top of my incision too. It snagged on everything and I was afraid to tug on it. At the four week check up the doctor said it would dissolve on it's own, and around the five week point it simply fell away in the shower. At eight weeks now and my "scar" is still itchy and tingles, numb along the sides also. I was told it is nerve endings regenerating, a normal process. Good luck with your recovery.

 

[Chris M]

I too have irritation around my scar. I'm almost 6 weeks out from my surgery and it's only now that I can say all the skin has finally healed up - in particular a hole at the very top took a very long time to heal over fully (still quite tender, though!). The top 2-3 inches of my sternum is still quite sore and constantly feels "itchy". I also have a sensation of numbness to each side of the "line", especially on (my) left side.

I'm trying not to let these sensations drive me mad, it may well take a few more weeks or even months to calm down. The hot weather here and resultant sweatiness of the skin doesn't help... but I'll get there eventually. The main thing is I got through the surgery and am improving a little every day, a little irritation is quite bearable compared to how rotten I was feeling 5 weeks ago! :rolleyes2:

 

[MaryC]

Jen,
Congratulations on your successful surgery! Stairs have always been a challenge for me - both before and after my surgery. I had a mitral valve repair in 2007 and even though it is easier to go up stairs, I still feel like I shouldn't struggle since I am in a regular bike rider and jogger. I feel so good otherwise I don't really worry about it.

Chris