3 weeks post op

[scotttnz]

Well I'm a little over 3 weeks post op (23 days) and I'm feeling good. I've been slack and not given an update for a while (sorry) so it might be a bit long:

I'm sleeping much better, but still taking 1 sleeping pill at night (I was taking 1 at bed time, and another when I woke up at around 2am every morning) I now sleep through to around 5am, and am able to lie on my side in bed cudling a pillow rather than moving to the couch like I was and seem to be able to get back to sleep that way. I might try no sleeping pill tonight, and see how that goes.

I'm relatively pain free, and am only taking a few paracetamol at bed time to help me get comfortable. I still have some chest discomfort and bending over to pick something up off the floor, or twisting to get out of bed in the morning is not a plesent experience, but considering what they did to me 3 weeks ago I'm plesently suprised by how little pain I have.

My wounds seem to be healing well after looking a bit mucky to start with. The antibiotics my doctor perscribed for that seem to be doing their job, although they do seem to make my stomach feel a little unsettled.

Warfarin is a hassle! My surgeon delivered on his promise of a free CoaguChek XS (Woo Hoo!) but I had some problems using it initially, and wasted the first 3 test strips. But I met someone else over the weekend who uses one and he was able to run through it with me. I've run out of the strips that came with the machine, so now have to make the decision on whether to spend $240 on another pack of test strips. Here in NZ lab INR tests are publicly funded, but if you want to self test you are on your own. I can see the advantages of self testing, and my doctor is happy with me doing it, so will probably order some tomorrow. My INR has been low for the last couple of weeks, so my doctor has been slowly increasing my dosage, and it is coming right now. I sure hope this gets easier!

I have been doing quite a bit of walking, and can now say that I can walk further, faster, and better than I was in the last few weeks pre op. That is not saying much, because I was pretty restricted, but it still feels good. I walked a couple of kms (about 1 1/2 miles I guess) along a local beach and back this afternoon and felt like I could have done it again, but I was out of time. Unfortunately where I live is very hilly, and I'm still not that comfortable on hills. But I am able to walk the short distance down the road where there is a park, chemist (drug store) to collect my persciptions, convienience store, takeaways, and if i need it a liquor outlet. The walk back up the hill is not to strenuous. I am looking forward to being able to drive again so that I can take myself to the beach or somewhere else suitable for walking, rather than waiting for someone else to take me. I've done a little light gardening too, but am weary of putting any stain on my sternum, so will leave that for a while longer.

My biggest problem at the moment is boredom. And as a result I get tempted to start doing things I am not ready for (like the gardening). There is only so much TV you can watch before it starts to wear thin. I am starting to itch to get back to work for some mental stimulation. I am lucky that in my job there is plenty I can do that doesn't require a lot of physical effort, but I think there is plenty I can do that will be of value to my employer, even if it is only a few hours a day initially. So I'm going to talk to my doctor about doing that when I see him next week. Of course he will need to ok me driving for that to happen too. (Not being able to drive is very frustrating! There is so much more I could do if I was allowed to drive 5 minutes up the road!) My employer has been absolutely outstanding throughout this whole thing, and I have no pressure from them to get back to work before I am ready. But I think being able to ease back in to things a few hours a day and working back up to full time will work better for me, and also offer value for them. I was discussing a problem a co-worker was having with him on msn today, and it felt so good to engage my brain for something constructive! The CEO is dropping in to see me tomorrow, so I can discuss it with him then.

Emotionally I've had a few ups and downs, but are leveling out now. It was a shock to learn that my surgery was not plain sailing, and infact I was quite close to death (My 4 hour op turned into an 8 hour op, and then another 2 hours to open me up again to fix a bleed) I've had to re-evaluate some things, like my relationship with my dad, which has been a little strained, but he was at the hospital every day, even though he lives a long way away.
Mostly I feel lucky to have the support I have had from my wife, family and friends.

Well I haven't posted for a few weeks, so had to make up for it

 

[netmiff]

Thanks for the update - long is OK, a lot of vauable info there!

The mental aspect of OHS is as big, I think, as the physical one. It brought me a lot closer to facing my own, and others, mortality. I had also lost my MIL 6 months before, at 66 years old, so life and death were close to the top of my mind at the time.

I also think frustration is a big part of recovery - I was soooo wanting to do things I couldn't, but I had promised my husband (who was wonderful throughout) that I wouldn't do anything stupid, and didn't. 2 years later, and back to normal, I am so glad I didn't.

You're well on your way, and as you have discovered, the work and what-to-do thing is a personal one, we all have our own ways, so do what works for you. You might also sleep a little better once you start back, having had some "mental stimulation" as you put it, instead of watching mind-numbing TV all day.

 

[Mentu]

Hi, Scott, I want to thank you for your post. I am about two and a half weeks till my surgery and it is very reassuring to hear from you and others such as John & Alex that your recovery is progressing. My garden has really suffered this summer but there isn't much I can do about it right now. I, too, look forward to the day I can enjoy getting my hands back in its soil. Thanks again for your post. I look forward to hearing from you again.

 

[hall]

Glad to hear you are doing fairly well for 3 weeks. Thank you for updating.

 

[Pweeder]

Scott I too am 3 weeks post-op. I also am walking about 1-1/2 miles daily. It is good to hear you are doing so well. I think boredom is part of the process unfortunately. I am not a big reader and I am also tired of the tube. I talked to my docs yesterday and get to go back to work after the holiday. 1/2 days to start. I also work at a desk job. Still hard to bend down and pick things up as well. I didn't see in a previous posting did you go mechanical valve or bovine? I went mechanical. It is good to hear that another 3 weeker is doing so well. Keep posting!
Pat

 

[Johan]

You are doing very well at week 3! I am now 9 weeks post-op and very much back to normal, that is doing the things I did before, the only difference is that I now have far more energy and certainly no longer out of breath! You will soon be there. The biggest liberator is being cleared for driving, they only allowed me to drive 6 weeks after the operation. I also could not sleep for more than about 3 to 4 hours at a time. I did not take sleeping pills (personal issues) and would read and then fall asleep again. My sleeping pattern returned to normal at about 5 weeks. So hang in there you are progressing well. The emotional issues are also pretty standard with OHS and I am still a bit emotional at times. Glad you are looking at the issues with your dad, live is too short to be burdened with the kind of regrets unresolved family issues invariably tend to bring.

 

[westie]

kiwi summer

kiwi summer

.
hi scott

sorry to hear your op was a bit rough; i bet you are glad you went mechanical so you do not have to worry about another operation in 10 to 15 years.

the best thing is you are still breathing and can look forward to a truly great kiwi summer!

 

[scotttnz]

Thanks everyone for your encouragement!

Scott I too am 3 weeks post-op. I also am walking about 1-1/2 miles daily. It is good to hear you are doing so well. I think boredom is part of the process unfortunately. I am not a big reader and I am also tired of the tube. I talked to my docs yesterday and get to go back to work after the holiday. 1/2 days to start. I also work at a desk job. Still hard to bend down and pick things up as well. I didn't see in a previous posting did you go mechanical valve or bovine? I went mechanical. It is good to hear that another 3 weeker is doing so well. Keep posting!
Pat

I did not seriously consider going with another tissue valve. I was very fortunate to get 19 years out of my homograft, but could not bear the thought of a 3rd OHS in 10 to 15 years. I realise there are no guarantees but hopefully this will be my last OHS. I got a Medtronic Advantage 21A. My surgeon was not comfortable using the on-x that I would have prefered due to my small aortic root.

.
hi scott

sorry to hear your op was a bit rough; i bet you are glad you went mechanical so you do not have to worry about another operation in 10 to 15 years.

the best thing is you are still breathing and can look forward to a truly great kiwi summer!

Oh I slept through the whole thing. In fact I don't remember anything between going to sleep the night before the op, and waking up in the ward the day after the op. I clearly remember getting premeds, and being wheeled of to theatre, and waking up in ICU a couple of times after my 1st op, but nothing about this time around. It was obviously much harder for my wife and parents, who saw me surrounded by ICU nurses (she said there were something like 10 nurses for 5 patients in the ICU, and all of them were working on me) before they decided to take me back to open me up again.

Yeah can't wait to get out kayak fishing over summer. That first snapper is going to be particularly special!

My boss dropped in to see me yesterday, and he is happy for me to do what ever works for me. They are busy at work, and have plenty that I would be able to do at my own pace. So I'll see what the doc says when I visit him on tuesday, by which time I will be 4 weeks post op. If he won't let me go back to work part time I might have to threaten to paint the house.......