3.5 months post op and a bunch of questions

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A

AmyR

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
173
Location
India
Hello,

I am 3.5 months post op and the good part is the surgery has been a faded memory. Coming to the after effects,

1. how long before you felt totally back to normal?
2. how long before the scar looked like it was almost gone?
3. i still feel a little lightheaded and breathless (just a little) post workout (light) and stress, is it normal? if yes till when?

Thanks,

Ameen
 
Re - lightheaded feeling - What meds are you on? Beta blockers could keep your heart rate from elevating too much. During/post workouts this could lead to the lightheadedness.
 
AmyR,

I thought I was back to normal after about 6 months. Then more time went by and I realized that I felt even better. What happens, I think, is that you improve rapidly by leaps and bounds during the first 6 months or so, then you continue to improve at a lesser pace for another year or more. I'm now 2 1/2 years post-op and feel better than I did at 1 or 1 1/2 years.

As far as scars go, we are all different. If you have any other scars, how did they age? Again, I'm 2 1/2 years out, and if it were not for the bulge of my pacemaker, you would not know I had surgery when looking at me from across the room.

Lightheadedness, as mentioned before, can be caused by physical factors or medications. If you are taking a beta-blocker or other meds to reduce your blood pressure, these may cause short bouts of lightheadedness when rising rapidly from the sitting or prone positions. This may continue as long as you are taking the meds. I occasionally have a few seconds of mild lightheadedness after exercise, but as long as it subsides within seconds, I don't worry.
 
Hi Ameen

1. how long before you felt totally back to normal?
Normal? LOL - I felt "normal" about 6 months later....."totally normal" at about 14 to 15 months later

2. how long before the scar looked like it was almost gone?
My scar did pretty well - I was VERY strict about keeping it out of the sun for a FULL year - it's still visable but I can cover it (if I want) with this great tinted sunscreen I have - can't see it much at all then.

3. i still feel a little lightheaded and breathless (just a little) post workout (light) and stress, is it normal? if yes till when?
I was a little breathless also at about 3 months...and very stressed....that didn't go away until I had some distance from surgery and gained a little more confidence - about 6 months - I wasn't lightheaded - but I wasn't on any medication either...

Take your time getting back to "normal" you'll get there!
 
thanks for the replies

Big_L- not betablockers but i am on meds that keep my BP and heart rate low.

jmstallard- people say it becomes barely noticeable after a while. I am not sure though. Hoping it lightens.

epstns- thanks for always replying. the lightheadeness does go in a little while. and ya i am on meds for bp and HR. :)

rachel- thanks for the positive vibes, i am may be in a hurry to get back to my active life without hurdles. :p
 
Amyr - Just keep in mind that you may not feel "100%" but nobody else knows. You can do enough to make them feel that you're back to full speed, even if you know otherwise. Then you can enjoy the feeling when you get even better.

No official claims about this, but it worked for me.
 
epstns said:
Amyr - Just keep in mind that you may not feel "100%" but nobody else knows. You can do enough to make them feel that you're back to full speed, even if you know otherwise. Then you can enjoy the feeling when you get even better.

No official claims about this, but it worked for me.
Click to expand...

That works for me too Steve - I call it "fake it 'til you make it" - LOL - good advice!

and yes AmyR - when you start to really feel better....it's oh so sweet!!! You'll get there!
 
AmyR said:
thanks for the replies

Big_L- not betablockers but i am on meds that keep my BP and heart rate low.

jmstallard- people say it becomes barely noticeable after a while. I am not sure though. Hoping it lightens.

epstns- thanks for always replying. the lightheadeness does go in a little while. and ya i am on meds for bp and HR. :)

rachel- thanks for the positive vibes, i am may be in a hurry to get back to my active life without hurdles. :p
Click to expand...




I had two OHS in four years with the same surgeon. He re-opened by original surgery scar when doing the second full sternotomy. It is now five years since that surgery and there are parts of my scar that have just about completely disappeared. Someone really has to look closely to find more than tiny sections where any scar is visible.

We all heal differently but it is very good advice to be diligent keeping it from being exposed to the sun.
 
epstns and rachel- i know what you guys exactly talking about. people ask if i really had a OHS. :p

jkm7- thanks. i hope my scar also becomes less visible
 
Oh, yeah - I forgot to mention that when I'm in the locker room at the gym, if I spot anyone staring at my scars, I just glare at them and scare them away.

Seriously, at 2 1/2 years post-op, all of the scars (sternotomy, pacemaker, 3 drains and a hernia) have just about disappeared. Only visible reminder is the bump of the pacemaker on my left pec.
 
I sometimes kind of wish that my scar was more visible. At Target the other day, I noticed the "zipper" on my cashier and asked her about it (I'm like that). Turns out that even though she's not a valver, she did have an ASD repair like mine at about the same age. It's nice having something personal like that in common with a random stranger, brings us all closer together.
 
epstns- i think i should do the same. Carry my scar with pride.

clay- haha seriously. i must be the best feeling to find some1 who has also been thrugh it. :)
 
There are probably ways to improve scar appearance: laser treatment, scar revisions, keloid injections.

Finding this forum has kept me sane, Amy. I wallow in my misery, but when I come here I feel better.
 
Last edited:
Hi All
It has been 2 years 2 months since my Aorta valve was replaced. I do a lot of running bare-chested, and
must admit I never think about my scar! I know it is different for a 'male', to us, it is more like a 'battle wound', to
show off our bravery. (ha ha)
Good luck in your healing.
Brian
 
Agian - Misery? Think of it this way -- we're still ALIVE, and without the surgery I know I would not have been alive by now.

Brian - I'm with you. I am not bashful or modest about running about without my shirt. If they don't like what they see, they shouldn't look. I feel the same way in the locker room at the gym. If seeing an older gym rat with a bunch of scars bothers you, look away - I'm most certainly not going to hide what I've been through and how far I've come back. I advise all the guys to give that a try - nobody bothers me, and a lot of the younger guys seem to respect it.
 
Again- Trust me all the misery agony fear anxiety etc etc is in the mind while the heart is perfect. Sort your mind, your heart will sort itself. :)
hagger and epstns- RESPECT. :) thanks for all those suggestions. :)
 
haggis basher said:
........to us, it is more like a 'battle wound'........

Brian
Click to expand...

This phrase made me chuckle and brought back some memories. In the '60s, there weren't many "zippers" around and I was embarrassed to show my scar. Sometimes I did tell people it was from a war wound during the Vietnam war......very plausible at the time. My embarrassment has never completely gone away......but then, I don't have a pretty little scar like ya'll....mine is like a foot long "Y" drawn by a first grader.
 
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