After your surgery, what are some of the things that you found out that surprised you

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I was surprised that they left my temporary pacing wires inside of my body and that from time-to-time they stab me from the inside and cause pain and bruising.
​I was surprised that I ended up with 3rd degree heart block. My atria beat but the signal never makes it to my ventricles without a pacemaker.
I was also surprised that so many people travelled around 100 miles to visit me. I spent 18 out of 21 days in the hospital and never had a day without visitors.
 
Dodger Fan;n867999 said:
I was surprised that they left my temporary pacing wires inside of my body and that from time-to-time they stab me from the inside and cause pain and bruising.
​I was surprised that I ended up with 3rd degree heart block. My atria beat but the signal never makes it to my ventricles without a pacemaker.
I was also surprised that so many people travelled around 100 miles to visit me. I spent 18 out of 21 days in the hospital and never had a day without visitors.

Sounds nice to have so many visitors. I had my parents come by every day but otherwise no visitors. Thinking back though I dont know, I was pretty out of it most of the time on pain meds, I probably wouldn't have felt very social.
 
That my valve is really loud at times,sometimes I can't help giggle when people near me are looking around for a clock.

Almost_hectic-
I just had my parents visiting me twice a day as I was in the hospital for two weeks.Relatives couldn't visit since I was real serious..no one wanted me to catch something.
 
Oh heres one. Surprised that a full year after surgery I still have sternum pain some days. Does anyone else have that too? Does it ever go away?
 
almost_hectic;n868132 said:
Oh heres one. Surprised that a full year after surgery I still have sternum pain some days. Does anyone else have that too? Does it ever go away?
I've still got some pain two years eight months post surgery - it's just on the right side near top of my sternum where some ribs connect - I've mentioned it before, cardiologist says it's costochondritis - whenever I breathe in I can feel the pain, not enough to need pain killers but enough to remind me it's there ! Plus I've got numbness on the right side of my sternum near my breast, I think a nerve was cut there, again a reminder !
 
almost_hectic;n868132 said:
Oh heres one. Surprised that a full year after surgery I still have sternum pain some days. Does anyone else have that too? Does it ever go away?

Yeah - some days I have pain, especially when I do exercises. I guess the repaired sternum is like any bone that has been fractured - sometimes you get pain, but it usually doesn't mean anything. Think of all the old folks who can tell us when rain is coming. . . we may be among them soon.
 
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I remember waking after being sedated for 6 days and I started crying.My mom asked what's wrong..I asked " Did I miss The Kardashians?"

Which promptly all the nurses laughed and my mom cried.
 
Thanks to all that posted here. I just learned today what it meet to be in the "waiting room" which I am in. I needed a good idea of post surgery would be like, and this post really helped, now I feel more prepared and confident. I have had previous experience with a breathing tube (previous unrelated surgery) don't remember any problems (except for being a little sore). I have had a catheter before, wasn't all that bad coming out, I was out of it when inserted, so I don't remember. Also learned today about getting blood sugar tested after surgery. I have Type II already, so am prepared for that. i am pretty much healthy (other than my AV and Type II diabetes)
Once again, thanks for the info
 
my surgery was on the 6th of DEC i was unresponsive for 2 days they thought that i had a stroke. when i finally came too and asked how long i was gone. so in on Tue and home on sunday
 
njtinman2001;n871088 said:
my surgery was on the 6th of DEC i was unresponsive for 2 days they thought that i had a stroke.

That's some serious **** right there!

Glad you're still with us mate :)

Here's raising a glass to a smooth rest of recovery
 
njtinman2001;n871090 said:
and i was out of it for days i could not understand what my cell phone said could not pay attention

That part is pretty common among us. When I got home from my hospital stay and re-read some posts I made from the hospital, I almost hurt myself laughing so hard at my foggy thoughts and sloppy typing. It does get better, I think. . .
 
1 month since my surgery and my incision is leaking at the bottom kind of gooey brown they put me on bactrum and i see my Dr tomorrow but i don't feel bad or have a fever other than the pain from the surgery which is getting less
 
This specific thread helped me tremendously after learning that I was going to need my aortic valve replaced and aneurysm fixed. I was glued to this and I remember finding such relief in the ones that made it seem manageable. So, I feel the need to contribute as well:
1. The emotions hit me while waiting after I checked in. I cried... a lot. Prior to that I was at peace with the procedure and confident that it would go well. Although I still felt that way, the reality of it all hit me like a ton of bricks.
2. That I slept very well leading up to the surgery, including the night before.
3. I remembered everything in pre-op and felt very calm (not sure if they gave me something or not...)
4. I remember being wheeled into the OR and talking rather lightheartedly with the staff. I was told to lay on the table, they strapped down my legs and said "give us your left arm." BAM, lights out for this guy.
5. I woke up to ICU staff telling me to wake up and breathe. I would breathe for a bit and then was back out. That damn horn would go off... This cycle repeated itself with the nurse eventually handed me the remote to the TV. No glasses on, couldn't see the TV (didn't care to see the TV for that matter). I thought I was going to get sick (I didn't) when the tube triggered my gag reflex and hand signs with my wife came in very useful! I laid there for 1.5 hours (felt like a few minutes) with my hands not strapped down until they took the tube out. ICU staff was amazed that I was so coherent and didn't go after the tube.
6. That the tube coming out didn't hurt... at all. I knew right away that I had the tube in and just breathed through my nose. I was worried about this part but I managed it well because of the insight provided on this site.
7. The first night sucked because they couldn't get my pain meds right... they went for oxycodone which I got sick on about four times and therefore didn't have much left in my system. This was the worst pain of the entire ordeal... throwing up after having my chest opened up.
8. I wasn't really aware of what I just went through until day 2.
9. Once tramadol kicked in, everything was smooth sailing pain wise. I would get uncomfortable at times but didn't ever feel "pain."
10. Getting to the chair and walking was much easier than I thought. My legs were steady and I expected them to be like jello. I walked quite a bit and usually had my "goal for the day" met pretty quickly. Walking felt really, really good.
11. Drainage tubes came out on the second day (way faster than I thought). The tubes coming out wasn't painful but it was definitely a strange sensation of things moving inside of your body. The stitches being put in was painful in a pinching sort of way. Once the tubes were out I was a little sore for a bit. At the hour mark (as suggested on here) I felt much better. The pacer wires were the last to come out and didn't hurt much either.
12. That first shower... holy hell that first shower! Unbelievable experience. I sat in there for probably 35 minutes in awe of how good that felt. Actually, showers just felt really, really good for the first month.
13. I wasn't urinating as much as I should after the surgery. They gave me Lasix... holy hell, that stuff could find water in a desert. I began to meet my "fluid output" goal pretty quickly. ha!
14. Going home was scary but a relief at the same time.
15. That heart pillow was a life saver!
Overall, they have this procedure nailed! KU Med staff were fantastic to me and my family. This procedure is manageable and you will get through it.
My biggest surprise would be the emotional impact AFTER the surgery... 3 months out I am a ball of nerves quite often. I'm hyperaware of my chest and every "different" sensation sends my mind running. I'll beat this part too.
 
I don't know what "sticky" means, but I am sleeping more after surgery. 9-10 hours a night. Almost every night.
I go to sleep early, wake up early. Not a problem but don't know why?
 
Hi
Carnelian;n880946 said:
I don't know what "sticky" means

it means that its "stuck" at the top of the list of topics in this "sub forum" of this forum. So even as threads (topics) fall down the list (as they are no longer being posted to) the sticky ones stay stuck up top ... because its considered they are "ever green" or "important" enough to be stuck up at the top of the list.

, but I am sleeping more after surgery. 9-10 hours a night. Almost every night.
I go to sleep early, wake up early.

excellent ... early to bed, early to rise makes a (hu)man healthy, wealthy and wise.
 
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