9 days post op

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maisiejane

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 10, 2012
Messages
166
Location
Cheshire, UK
Hi All,
Prior to my surgery I found it very comforting and informative to read other peoples experience of surgery so here is mine.
AVR - 17th February 2014 - 19 mm Bovine Tissue valve
Surgery time 4hrs 30 mins
Never once saw my named surgeon just a member of his team.
All went very well until waking up in CTCCU, no lasting effect of the breathing tube hardly remember them removing it.
wasn't in much discomfort at all as I was receiving Morphine, supported to get out of bed about 10 hours later, feeling very nauseated due to the pain relief and given anti sickness medication, unfortunately this didn't work and they gave me something stronger through my line, this had quite a bizarre effect and I started to experience buzzing in my head and I felt very drunk no loss of movement or sensation but frightened the hell out of me, all of a sudden I was getting shocks in my heart apparently what ever was happening was causing me to experience a very weird heart rhythm, I kept asking what was happening but all staff around said all was fine and not to worry. I thought this is it, this bloody operation is going to be the end of me, I was monitored closely all through the night, but then again everyone in CTCCU is monitored closely. The following morning the surgeon came to see me, I asked if there had been a problem and he just said that it was nothing to worry about as about 30% of AVR's experience rhythm problems, anyway they were very happy with my condition and they were moving me onto the ward.
My first day on the ward I experienced a migraine, I used to get them all the time but since starting HRT 5 years ago they had greatly reduced. as I was sensitive to opiates I was only taking paracetomol for the pain, I was up and about very quickly providing self care and walking around the ward. I was discharged on day 4 post surgery, my current list of meds are -

Aspirin 75mg 1 x daily
Bisoprolol 1.25mg 1 x daily
Lansoprazole 30mg 1 x daily
Simvastatin - 40mg 1 x daily
Paracetomol - 500mg 2 x every 4 - 6 hours
Senna 7.5mg - when required

I am now on day 9, I have experienced visual issues which include the ocular migraine and also things like shooting stars but they are now improving, the migraines are still troublesome but I am hoping these too will subside. My blood pressure is fairly low 114/61 and I have a pulse rate of 60 bpm, I am being seen by the District nurse and I told her that I wasn't sleeping too good and that I was being bothered by my pulse thumping in my head and upper back, she offered to speak to my GP and get back to me, she came back later that afternoon, the GP refused to prescribe me anything to help me to sleep, but wanted me to increase my Beta Blocker!!!!! I haven't done this as I have read in the book that they provide you with that sleep problems and strong pulse problems are normal following AVR,
Deb xxx
 
Deb,

I am so glad to hear from you. It sounds like you are making positive progress, and if those migraines will go away, I am sure it will be a relief. I am someone in the waiting room, so I have no experience to compare yours to. In reading others post surgery posts, they have had some of the same symptoms.

Please know I am thinking about you and wishing you a speedy recovery, and hoping you get some sleep.
 
Deb,

I am so glad to hear from you. It sounds like you are making positive progress, and if those migraines will go away, I am sure it will be a relief. I am someone in the waiting room, so I have no experience to compare yours to. In reading others post surgery posts, they have had some of the same symptoms.

Please know I am thinking about you and wishing you a speedy recovery, and hoping you get some sleep.

Hiya,
Trying to be positive but mood fluctuates through the day, on a positive note I am getting out for short walks and I can see improvement with each new day
Deb xx
 
Hey Deb, regarding the pulse thumping in my head, it sounded like a metronome! I had problems with it for almost a year out, and my cardiologist said he had never had anyone complain of it before. Ha! A lot he knows; as you say, it's a fairly common complaint post-surgery on the VR.com forum.
 
Hi Deb - yes I get that thumping in back, and chest, that definitely seems to be something we all experience so must be 'normal' for us.

I love your new signature - I'm also a little bit of a cow ;) Are you going to get a card to keep on you with the name of your valve ? On discahrge I got given a little slip of paper which says it's a "temporary identification card" and lists the name of my valve and its serial and lot number, and tells me I'll get a permanent card at some point !

Anne
xx
 
hi debs sounds like you are doing ggrreeaaatttttttttttttttttt, one thing if your doc has prescribed beta blockers and you are not taking them you best tell him, also be careful when walking next to a field that you dont finnish up chudding the grass lol, take care debs
 
Happy to hear you are in recovery, Deb. It does take some time to get past the immediate effects of surgery but soon you will be feeling more normal. The sleep problems, I think, plague most of us; have you been walking much? I found that going for walks even for short distances really seemed to help me sleep and it was even better as I increased the distance. Remember, those first three weeks as your incisions heal are a time to be easy on yourself. Take care, and let me say "Moooo!"

Larry
 
Glad to hear you have the OHS behind you. It only gets better from here. Don't rush, take your time and take care of yourself and the little steps will turn into bigger ones. Hope all of your issues subside soon. You will be beck to your old self in no time.
 
Hi,
Yet again I am feeling a little better today, I am pottering around the house and doing small chores, but my hubby is very protective and after 30years of marriage he has found quite an assertive streak! I will let it ride for a short while, but it goes against every grain of my personality ☺we have been out for lunch today, at first I was feeling quite shaky, but felt much improved once I started to eat, that is one thing I have noticed, my blood sugars seem to drop fairly quickly and I am having to eat on a regular basis, pre surgery I would go all day before eating but I think we use more calories at this stage of the healing process. I have managed to reduce my pain meds and am now only taking 2 paracetamol am and pm. Am not happy taking the 1.25mg beta blocker as it makes me feel slightly light headed, do we have to take these for life or until our hearts settle? I have managed not to nap for the past 2 days but I am resting a lot. So good to know you are all there.
Deb xxx
 
Am not happy taking the 1.25mg beta blocker as it makes me feel slightly light headed, do we have to take these for life or until our hearts settle?
Funny you should ask that Deb because just this afternoon I had an interesting email conversation with a cardio-thoracic surgeon who has given me good advice in the past. I asked him about beta blockers as I wanted to know what kinds are normally prescribed after cardiac surgery, for how long and at what dose, becasue all the info on the net regarding beta blockers is related to hypertension, heart failure, AF not due to surgery, and anxiety. He told me that they are prescribed, as we all know, to prevent atrial fibrillation following surgery and that the usual ones are Metropolol, Bisoprolol and Sotalol. He said that only half the regular dose is required and that usually six weeks post surgery is long enough as long as a person's blood pressure is normal !

(I'm definitley going to ask if I can come off mine next time I see my cardiologist as I don't see the need as my blood pressure is low to normal. And after all, if I get a problem I could just restart them.)
 
Hi Anne,
That sounds very promising indeed, the unfortunate thing is that all of these specialists seem to have their own views and opinions, but as long as I continue to stay within normal rhythm and blood pressure I too will ask for them to be stopped.
Deb xxx
 
Hi Anne,
That sounds very promising indeed, the unfortunate thing is that all of these specialists seem to have their own views and opinions, but as long as I continue to stay within normal rhythm and blood pressure I too will ask for them to be stopped.
Deb xxx
 
Deb. from one heifer to another (hahahaha). Please take care and hang in there. Things as you can see do get better. I too had occular migranes after surgery, but they lessened in frequency as time went by. I also understand about having a problem letting our loved ones take care of us, but sit back and enjoy it. It took me a little while, but as I got better I reverted to my same old bossy self. My husband just let me rant whenever I felt like it. Just remember not to overdo it. Take your time, rest when needed and eat good food. I shall be thinking of you. :biggrin2:
 
Glad to hear you're on the mend. You may be able to get off the BB at some point. You and your cardio will need to discuss. Personally, I'm still at 50mg metoprolol twice a day, but it doesn't bother my sleep like some many others.

Like you, I was eating a lot of snacks and small meals all day long. PB&J, oatmeal etc.

I really believe that my double vision was caused by the statin. I can't prove it, but the cardio said I didn't really need it, as I have had good lipid profile for years. So I stopped it. No more vision problems. Probably just a coincidence.
 
Had a funny little episode earlier, it lasted only 60 seconds but I felt hot and had tingling in my lips, cheek, arm and leg, I am guessing its a combination of the beta blocker and low blood pressure 100/58 this is a bit of a rollercoaster, just want to feel confident in my health again, I know I am moaning as I am only on day 11 post surgery.
Deb xxx
 
Just be careful going off the beta blockers. Your body can become "addicted" to them (note use of quotes), requiring cessation to be a gradual process. I've been taking carvedilol (Coreg) for a couple of years now and at a low dose there is very little in the way of side effects. I don't know about the other beta blockers, but carvedilol is quite relatively harmless and is in fact a potent antioxidant. Seeing as how there is very little negative to being on it, I'm in no rush to get off.

Statins on the other hand - from what I've read, I don't ever want to have to start on them.
 
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Hi Clay,
I have been taking Simvastatin since I was first diagnosed with aortic regurgitation and have not experienced any side effects as I am aware.
I will take my lead from the pro's in the know but am currently hypo aware of my body and any different changes, I wish that I wasn't, but the trauma od AVR is bound to knock your confidence a little.
It is very early days for me so hopefully improvements will come with each day.
Deb xxx
 
Deb, you should be aware of your body. Your best advocate is yourself. Ask questions, be aware of possible outcomes and always challenge opinions which you do not believe are in your best interest. You are NOT a lemming so don't go over the cliff before you find out how far down it is. :). Hang in there, it will get better
 
Glad to hear you are doing well. The metoprolol kept me awake for hours a few nights when they raised it due to some a-fib. I finally realized that if I timed my dose to take it right before going to bed, I could get to sleep before it kicked in. It hasn't interfered with my sleep since.
 
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