4-Week Post-Op Update - Andy

[malibu82]

Dear Andy:

I've been following your posts since my AVR on May 7th. I decided tonight to finally join so I could ask others questions. Congratulations on your recovery so far!

Did you every have a sharp pain under your right rib when you yawn or take a deep breath? I'm still getting those. I asked about it after the surgery, they said it was from the chest tube being in there. However, still after four weeks? It's especially painful in the morning when I wake up. I too have been having sore muscles, mostly from sleeping on my back. The other question I have is when I bend over to pick something up, I can't breathe. It's like my lungs are cut off. Before my surgery I was very active. I could run up to eight miles no problem. I also biked the STP last year with my bad valve. The problem breathing when I bend over, even slightly,worries me a little. Is it because I'm only four weeks out???? I'm still out of breath walking up hills too. Is this normal at this point of recovery? Thanks to anyone who can give me some insight.

hi shaun, i had this same problem 11 days post op. i woke up and actually could barely take a breath, because it hurt so bad. since then the pain has subsided. it actually kind of moved from my ribs to my chest to my shoulder so im hoping it will move up my neck and outta here! it only hurts when i yawn now because of the neck muscles involved. but it hurt really bad that first day. i went to the doctor and they told me it was from the procedure of opening me up during surgery. i took motrin and they helped a lot but didnt get rid of the pain completely.

 

[Lynlw]

Thanks Lyn, I bet that's what's going on with me (disolvable stitches not disolving). That's consistent with what the doc told me the other day when she looked at it. She said just to watch it for a few more days. Hope it doesn't hurt too much if they have to pull them out - think there's 2 or 3 of them doing this at the very bottom of my incision! But I think one of them is almost poking through the skin now anyway, so maybe it'll just go ahead and poke it's head out and be easy to pull out.

I was wonderring how you incision was going, were theyable to pull any stitchesmonday? I think thats when you were going back

 

[pat45750]

Hills - question. When you first get home, can you walk gentle hills? I was told to walk, walk and walk when I get home - but live on hills in southern Ohio. I often go to town to walk on the flat land, but have to drive there. Just wondered what the doctors say about hills during the early days of recovery?

Thanks.

 

[ARGreenMN]

Pat - they said to avoid hills for a while, at least big hills. But now that I'm almost 5 wks post op, I'm cleared to walk up hills as much as I can tolerate them. Have only tried one big hill so far, and got a little winded, so I'm still sticking to flat areas with some slight hills. It feels great to walk! I climb stairs several times every day at home though, and have been doing that since I first got home. So short walks up hills shouldn't be a problem - it's just extended walks up long or steep hills you'll probably want to avoid for a while. Hope that helps, if not, let me know and i'll try to answer better.

Lyn, the disolvable stitches at the bottom of my incision is getting better finally. One of the docs tried to squeeze them out yesterday (like you'd squeeze a pimple). She must have loosened something up 'cause last night I think I got a little piece of one of them out, and another bigger piece out this morning. There's still a couple spots where they're raised/irritated, but I have a hunch those will come out soon too. They said to put warm water (i.e. a warm washcloth) on them to draw them out. They also put me on an antibiotic yesterday just to make sure I don't get an infection while it gets finished healing. Looking/feeling better today tho!