6 week post op

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J

jag

Today is six weeks since my surgery and I thought the pain would be a lot less. Is it norrmal to still hurt every day and to be super out of breath after walking about a 1/4 of a mile. I also find I need a nap about 14:30 almost everyday this is after starting my day at 7:00. The pain i am feeling is on the right side of my incicsion and goes under my arm pit. If it is normal no problem just thought it would be gone by now.



Thaks
Jim
 
Hi Jag and welcome to the forum,

You don't tell us how old you are, but you have to give it a lot more time I think. Remember you went through major surgery and the healing process takes about a year.
Do what feels right for your body. If you feel tired go to bed and rest, and if you cannot walk more than 1/4 of a mile than so be it! Don't wear yourself out. That'll only set you back. Do what feels good, and what you are able to do, and that's what will make you stronger.
Have you thought of going to Cardiac Rehab? That would be a big help as well. There they teach you what to do, and what not. They have you start out slowly, and every week you do a bit more, all customized to your comfort level. There are other patients like yourself, and it is a real good thing. Some people keep going for years afterwards, just for the companionship and the exercise.
Ask your cardiologist for a referral.
I am one year post-op and it took me quite a while to feel better. I also had times when I felt on top of the world but it did not last.
I have a thick ugly 9" keloid scar that was and is at times still painful, although it is lots better than even 6 months ago.
I still feel little jabs of pain at times going through the chest/incision, and top left arm, but it is not a real chest pain. I think I'd recognize the real thing.
Several times over the past year I've had little setbacks because I did too much too soon, and pulled muscles in my chest. That doesn't feel good, believe you me!
I am going for check-ups to the cardiologist every 6 months and they are on top of it all, so they say. So I have to let go, and let God otherwise it would drive me nuts.

Take it easy my friend, and keep in touch. We are here to help you through this. Ask anything you want.

Christina
Aortic Stenosis
AVR 8/7/00 & 8/18/00
St.Jude's mechanical
Coumadin
 
Hey Jag. You have had MAJOR SURGERY and that is a hard concept to take in - I had trouble with knowing exactly how serious major surgery is compared to appendectomy. You will not be back to normal, physically, for quite some time so please don't hurry it. 1/4 mile sounds really good to me and after only 6 weeks. You are still weak and this is a pretty good stretch but you are certainly getting there.

As for the pain, any unexplained pain that is persistent, and is not just soreness, should be reported to your doctor. Even if it is just soreness, call and check it out, if only to ease your mind. After all that's what they are for and mine said if I had questions never hesitate to call. God bless
 
Same Issues

Same Issues

Jim,
I'm 5 wks post op. I have the pain over my right breast and under the arm. It hurts to reach out with that arm. I'm able to walk about a mile and my breathing is getting better. Are you using that breathing gauge that you had in the hospital? I did that for the first 2 weeks at home. I've just started re-hab and walked for 30 mins on the treadmill today. I to get up early to get my kids to school. About lunch time I'm ready for a nap. A couple of days in the week I skip it. I'm trying to do so because I still can't sleep thru the night without a sleeping pill. I thought I was the wierd one. Everyone says it get's better but noone will tell me when to expect this pain to end.

What type of surgery did you have? I have the Ross Procedure.

Leslie D
Aortic Stenosis
Ross Procedure 7/26
 
Leslie, sounds like you are doing great. Everybody heals at his/her own pace. 5 wks is not very long and we CANNOT jump out of bed one day and say "I am well". It just doesn't happen that way. It takes a while, but it comes - just ask the rest of us! The surg told me it would take a yr to be completely over it. (course I'm old, compared to everybody else here!) :) :D
 
Hi Jag

Hi Jag

I am also five weeks post op and still am sore on the left side of the incision and into my right armpit. I have a lot trouble reaching out with that arm. I ahd avr and 2 bypasses 7-17-01. I have my first visit with my cardio today so you can bet I will tell him what ails. The pain is not unbearable until I try to sleep at night. That's when I use those pain meds. Good luck and good recovery.

BOOMER
 
Hi, Jag.

I'm just over 3 months post-op and am virtually post-surgery symptom free after one month back to work. Yet, at 6 weeks post-op, I still had a lot of sternum and incision related soreness and tired very easily, lasting only a few hours at any concentrated upright activity. At that time, I was really worried about having to go back to work in two weeks (at two months post-op). However, in that two week period, I made tremendous progress and had absolutely no problem returning to work. At that point two months out, I still had a little soreness and fatiguing, but very minimal. Now, it's all gone.

We all heal at different paces and different ways sometimes, but I think every one will attest that there are certain periods when your healing goes through major improvements. So, I think you can look forward to things getting substantially better as time goes on. It may be only weeks or it may be months, but it will come.

Keep us posted.
 
Hey Jim,
I napped constantly after my surgery... six weeks post-op I developed pericarditis and four weeks later fluid on my lung, so I required some HEAVY-DUTY napping.

Don't worry about it... our bodies heal at different rates and depends on a lot of things. My surgeon told me that he found that older people heal more rapidly because they don't push themselves as hard to get better. BTW, I'm 48.

Take care,
Zazzy
 
To nap or not to nap?

To nap or not to nap?

I was told to get out of bed in the morning, clean up, and not to nap. Why this cruel advice? Well, my doctors thought getting back to a normal routine was faster this way. Less sleep problems etc. It worked for me. I was 72 when I had mitral valve replacement 9/17/98..I think this advice helped me get back to work sooner.
 

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