Gary is progressing nicely and sleeping better at home. He will be on line soon so he can "talk" to you all. He read the postings yesterday and noticed my many misspelled words, which I again apologize for. Each day things improve. Thanks again for the much needed support!
aortic valve replacement
- Thread starter Gary
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Sarah_Louise
Well-known member
So pleased your both home,
Hope the recovery continues to go well,
Love Sarah xxx
Hope the recovery continues to go well,
Love Sarah xxx
Catheter came out yesterday morning and we have a patient that feels human again. Yesterday and today he has been more active and talkative and his appetite is back! He is a little tired today, so napping. But to see him this way, 9 days after heart-lung bypass and minimally invasive OHS, just is amazing. Each day he gets better and stronger, yet I remind him to go slow and easy, which he heeds. Follow up appointments next week with surgeon and cardiologist. And, again, UMC Tucson called to check on him as did United Health Care, our insurance. What great support all around!
Great news! May he continue his smooth recovery and listen to your advice to go slow and easy!
Good Luck Gary. My procedure was a "ditto" of what you will be going through. All the best. Keep us posted.
RTZdad
Well-known member
Best of luck to both of you. I hope Gary's recovery goes smoothly. Take care!
Tom
Tom
TheGymGuy
Well-known member
Great job Gary. May recovery continue to go smoothly.
:-(. Gary in hospital again. We watched a movie last night. He said he had a brain fart and asked what day it was. Then he could not remember his surgery, the catheter, Tucson. Everything about just his surgery was gone for 25 minutes. Of course, he knew his name, my name and his address and things. We ended up in ER as a precaution. They did a head CT scan, EKG, blood work (that poor thing has no veins left and it hurt me to watch that). Decided to keep him overnite for observation. His memory was back in ER. Testing him for stroke stuff today. Surgeon does not think it was a stroke, he thinks it is the meds. Did anyone else have short term memory lapses? I read this is a side effect of the heart-lung bypass machine. Not sure if he gets out today. Good news is surgeon and I talking directly and his cardiologist is at this hospital. Poor Gary!
Sarah_Louise
Well-known member
So sorry to hear Gary's back in hospital Debbie, everything crossed it isn't a stroke and he gets back home soon,
thinking of you both,
Love Sarah xxx
thinking of you both,
Love Sarah xxx
All tests so far do not indicate a stroke. He had an echo, EKG, blood work, head CT scan, and we are waiting on doppler carotid test. The floor doc and surgeon do not believe it was a stroke and think it falls back on th meds, anesthesia, and possibly effects of heart lung bypass machine. He has been his old self, and very anxious to get home. Now I have to ask, why do they keep these rooms so damn cold? If they get this test done, (almost 3pm) and get results we can go home. But they have to do that test and read it, so crossing our fingers.
Hoping that it was, indeed, just a "brain fart". There can be a few little bumps on the recovery road. Best wishes.
I did for a very short period! One morning at the hospital I woke up around 3:00 a.m. I could not remember anything! I was only able to recognize I was in a hospital, but not why, nor which hospital. I knew i was married, but worried how to contact my husband or what was the address! I got very scared. I decided to go back to sleep after I prayed hard that I remembered things next time I woke up! Luckily, I did. I mentioned this to the nurse/doctor that morning. It was the medication!
Ray Norsworthy
Well-known member
Good luck, Gary.
TheGymGuy
Well-known member
Hope Gary is doing better. Some of these meds have weird side effects. Hope this is just a minor bump / brain fart
Hope Gary was allowed to go home and that all the tests proved negative. Sometimes our bodies act nutty while trying to get the medications/anesthesia etc. flushed out. I will pray that all is well and he can resume his recovery.
Stroke was ruled out after many tests. Cardiologist believes it was a transient global amnesic attack, common after surgeries. Thank God! Now we know he has no blood clots. We are home. NOW recovery needs to start. That trip to the hospital was worse than the heart surgery, according to Gary.
Saw the cardiologist and surgeon for follow ups this past week, all is well. Gary is back to driving, so has one of our hot rod cars out this morning. This has been an emotional road, but we have turned the corner. Last week with the catheter and that memory loss attack was somewhat of a setback, but that is now behind us. He will start cardiac rehab on Monday. He is not ready to post himself yet, it is still somewhat emotional, but I wanted ya'll to know the surgery was successul, Dr Allen Raczkowski just is stellar, the UMC in Tucson is phenomonal, and Gary's strength will be worked on starting this week. Truly amazing what medical science does nowadays. God bless everyone that has been through this!
Hi all, this is Gary, doing great! Thanks to all my well wishers & my wife Deb for keeping this blog going. Cant say enough about Dr. Allen Raczkowski at UMC Tucson & that he was able to do it all through a 4" incision. My breast bone is healing nicely with only small red scar. I feel much stronger each day and am looking forward to rehab monday.
