AVR Surgery June 10th

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Ross

Ross

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 15, 2001
Messages
25,981
Location
On The Hot Seat
My date has at last been set. Monday June 10th.

This has been long and drawn out already. I don't really know how I feel. I've been tense for 7 months now, so I don't know how much more tense I can get.

Perry, things better go well. I hope to beat my shirt order home. ;)
 
Ross,

More than likely you will. Your order is in the works and your check is in the mail, so all you have to do is relax (yeah, right!) well, try to relax. Best of luck to you with your impending procedure, Ross.

We'll be thinkin' about you and sayin' lots of prayers for you.

Regards,
 
Hi Ross-

Finally they have a date for you. I'm glad for you because it means that you'll be feeling much better after some healing, and I also understand full well how you must be feeling, having been through lots of things about a bazillion times with Joe.

I can only say that I'll be thinking of you and praying for you that these coming weeks aren't too tense. I think when there is lots of stress, the only thing you really can do is to put it right back where it belongs, on your surgeon's shoulders. Let him worry about things now, that's his job. Your job is to prepare whatever has to be prepared, try to get some positive thinking in and know that you have many, many friends here who care about you and are also praying for you.
 
Hi Ross,

Well, at least one more detail has been pinned down. Now you have a date. That should make things a little easier as far as planning and preparations go. You have almost a month to get ready.

It helps to focus on how well you're going to feel when the procedure is over. The surgery isn't as painful as you imagine it will be, and the recovery will go okay. You're young enough and resourceful enough to handle any obsticles you may encounter. You've picked a good surgeon at a good hospital, so you should get excellent care. And don't ever forget that you have loads of friends and helpers here.

I wish you the best on June 10th and a smooth recovery afterward.

Ron K
 
hi Ross

hi Ross

well done on getting a date ...as we are both waiting here .I feel I do know exactly how you are feeling ...if you get done before me ..which it now looks like you will you will need to come back and tell me all about it ...promise ?...in return I promise to be thinking and praying about you in the lead up to and during your op ....
what kind of practical things are you doing to prepare
a. for yourself ?
b. for your home?
and have you thought about what you are going to take into hospital with you ?
We live about 6 hrs away from my hospital ..but I've really no idea what to take with me when my call comes .
Take care and get plenty rest
oh by the way I had my first golf lesson last Friday night ...I've decided to take up golf when I am the new me LOL...my family think this is really funny ..as the men in my life are serious golfers LOL
love Scottie
 
hi ross!
well, you've got your date set, how wonderful! i remember joey and i thinking of it as just one more item crossed off our
list. now for the wait.....even though having a date makes it feel so real and scary, june 10th will be here before you know it and the whole thing will be behind you in no time. in some ways it gives us closure.
in the meantime, we will keep you company while you await your date.
please try and stay positive and busy.
be well, sylvia
 
Thank all of you. You know it's highly appreciated.

I already know I'm in for a tough time. Having had a total hip replacement, lung disease and now this, it's almost a given, that I'm going to have some rough bumps to go over. Rehab isn't going to be easy, but eh. This is where I need all of YOU!

Scottie: If all goes well, you bet I'll be telling you about it. I promise!

what kind of practical things are you doing to prepare
a. for yourself ?

Live life each day until surgery. I've got my Living Will, Power of Attorney, and Will all updated, just in case things go catastrophically wrong. Given what I've been told by the surgeons, this is not an unrealistic idea and anyone going through this type of surgery should have that anyway.
Doing a whole lot of praying for others and myself.

b. for your home?

I'm looking around for a good used recliner or someone I can borrow one from and getting the carpets cleaned. I need somewhere to sleep and I don't want to be sneezing my head off when I come home. Everything else seems to be in order. I don't have any steps to deal with, so that's not a problem.

c. and have you thought about what you are going to take into hospital with you ?

My standard surgical warfare items, God, loose fitting pj's, skin conditioner, shaver, No Rinse Shampoo, paper and pens/pencils, legal documents and anything else I can think of that I'll really need. I'm open for suggestions here because I'm bound to forget something!

At this point in time, I have no one to post on my behalf, so please don't get too excited if you don't hear anything about how it went. I'll try to teach my wife how to do these things, but she's not a computer person and has a real hard time seeing the screen. Between her job and visitation, I'm sure her time will be very limited.

Can you people think of other things that I'm forgetting?
 
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Ross, I completely understand your feelings, I felt the same way. Before I had a date, I was all gung-ho to get it nailed down so I could get on with it. Then, once I actually got it, it was "well, er, ok, I guess." I felt like somebody was calling my bluff, LOL.

It sounds to me like you are hooked up with a good group of doctors, and I'm sure you'll pull through just fine. I will certainly be thinking of you and sending healing thoughts your way.
 
Johnny, you hit the nail on the head with this:

"Then, once I actually got it, it was "well, er, ok, I guess." I felt like somebody was calling my bluff, LOL."

That is it exactly.
Part of me wants to run far, far away, and the other wants this to be over as soon as possible.
 
Ross - I wanted to wish you good luck with the surgery. You look like a young guy for all those other problems. Bring a pack of cards for solitaire when you are stuck in bed. Mindless game that helps pass time when needed. I will be thinking of you on the 10th.
 
Hi Ross-

Joe found having a small chair in the shower was very convenient. Even if he didn't sit on it, he could hold onto the back if he got dizzy or weak. I found a perfect armless, all plastic folding chair, that's pretty sturdy. It took a little looking around to find it, but you have some time to try to get one.

If you have any allergy to tape, make sure to tell everyone about it. I found that Joe always has some kind of eye inflammation when he has surgery, and I finally figured out that he's allergic to the tape that they put on your eyes to keep them closed during surgery. Just in case, also bring some moiturizing eye drops, like Bausch and Lomb Moisture Eyes. The oxygen near your eyes also irritates them.

Don't forget to bring a robe, so your not flapping in the breeze when walking down the hall. Somehow, the laundry always forgets to deliver robes to the floor.

Type up a list of your current meds to have in your room with you. That way you can make sure that you are getting all of your needed meds after surgery. This has always been the time when meds inadvertently get left out, and sometimes permanently. The doctors are supposed to refer to your PAT med list, but things do not always go as they're supposed to.
 
Thanks Bill

I was 29 when I started having lung problems, 33 when I had my first Open Heart Surgery and 36 when I had my hip replaced, thanks to the steroids they had me on to treat the lung disease.
Don't let anyone tell you that steroids don't do some nasty things!
I'm 40 now, wow, and still going.

Nancy

Thanks for the ideas. Some of that stuff I do have. The eye drops, I think I'll write that one down now, as I do remember having dry itchy eyes before. I'm wondering though, do I really need a robe? If I walk up and down the hallways enough in my "Modesty out the window" mode, won't they release me sooner? :D
 
Hey Ross - well, you are on the path now heading towards the mountain and you have lots of hands touching yours as you go.

Didn't know you had a hip replacement and lung disease. How did you fare with the replacement? Interested to know as I have some bone loss in hip - 36% and 25% is the cutoff for possible fx.

One thing you can do for us is to tell us where you will be and we can check up on you ourselves, since there's not anyone to tell us. I recently had a cousin in hosp for bypass and I could email her every day. We could do that with you (and others), too. If we call the hosp they won't give us any particulars, but would at least tell us that you made it through and what grade your condition is.

Sounds like you have all else in order. I got all my affairs in order, too - something I had put off much to the chagrin of my children. Now it's all done from then on.

Oh - one other thing...don't sneeze after surgery! Evil, evil, evil.
 
Well, the hip replacement was no fun, but then again, neither was not being able to walk. High dose Prednisone, for 5 years, is to blame for the femoral head death, in my case. This thing isn't anything for distance walking or extreme exercise, and the kids absolutely love it, because I can't run and catch them, but I'm mobile and can get around to do the things I need to do, like short strolls through the grocery store etc, I can't do the shopping malls though, the socket tires pretty quickly and then things get a bit painful.

As for the hospital: There web site address and etc.

http://www.aultman.com/

Aultman Hospital
2600 Sixth St. SW
Canton, Ohio 44710
(330)452-9911
Patient Information (330) 452-9911

And about those evil sneezes. I remember them from the last time around. That's why I'm cleaning the carpets and getting as much dust and stuff out of this house before I go.

I absolutely hate those instantaneous, rapid fire in a row, sneezes! ;)
 
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c uttin and pastin in my saver folder and my calendar - Thanks for all the hip info. I injured the bursa in rt hip last Sept and what pain. Now left one acting like it could do the same. I get up, it catches, I go "UNH" and bend back & forth to release the catch and the children first get concerned, then chuckle.
 
Dear Ross:

I would add the following:

a. bring a pillow - you might need it to hug to your chest

b. If at all possible, have your wife take the time off from work when you are in the hospital. I can't tell you how glad I am that I did. We own our own construction business, but all of our employees bent over backwards to fill in the gap for three weeks.
When you are first out of ICU, you are still very very weak. I would quietly arrive at the hospital between 6:00 and 7:30 AM, to help him with breakfast. Believe it or not, the effort of just preparing his tray, just tuckered him out. Many small tasks, helping, can be done by your SO that makes it SO much easier.
I often helped the elderly gentlemen in his room doing the same thing. Imagine your coffee on the tray, and housekeeping forgot the sugar. By the time you get someone to find some for you, the coffee is way cold.

c. The last thing....recliner. This is a really important item for your comfort when you come home. Many years had I resisted getting one in the house, for fear my husband would never get out of it. This site suggested the recliner, we bought one, and even now, he enjoys it so much. It almost gives him "permission" to really relax.

We are all confident that you will make it out of the surgery, and have an entire "new" life in front of you. We will pray for you daily, until your safe return to this site.

Wayne and Marybeth
 
My nurse cousin came from Texas to help me. She arrived just after surgery while I was still in ICU, took a motel room near the hospital, was with me every single day to help me out - then took me to her house til I was able to come to my own home. So, it's really good if you are able to have your wife with you, at least at first. Second Marybeth's suggestion.
 
WELL AT LAST YOU HAVE A DATE! I'M SURE AT THIS POINT YOU ARE RELIEVED, BUT AT THE SAME TIME FULL OF MIXED EMOTIONS. MY FAMILY AND I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR DAYS PRIOR TO SURGERY AND OF COURSE THE DAY AND DAYS AFTER THE SURGERY. YOU HAVE BEEN A GREAT HELP TO MANY OF US ON THIS SITE AND WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU IN ANY WAY WE CAN RIGHT NOW. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONTINUED POST'S PRIOR TO SURGERY AND AFTER SURGERY. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ROSS, I KNOW EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT JUST FINE! ZACK
 
I really don't know what I would do with out all of you!

When I first came here, I was scared and upset, because I knew no one that I could talk to about this and get an intelligent answer. If any of you have talked to someone who hasn't been there and done that, you know what I mean. They treat this whole ordeal like your getting your tonsils out or something and really haven't a clue what your going through. I was feeling really outcast and down, maybe like I was the only one with the problem even though I knew better. I really needed a group of people such as all of you.

Thank you one and all and a special thank you to Hank, for having a vision turn into a reality. It is a service that is invaluable as far as I'm concerned.

Sorry to be a ham, but I love you all so much that I don't know any other way to express it.
 
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