Depression

[Michael Kreidic]

When I am really happy and things are so great, I sometimes get a sinking feeling. I have a St. Judes's valve and we have a good idea of how long it is going to last, but....I feel no hope at times. Every morning we are reminded with our meds. So, when does this feeling of hopelessness stop?

I am always told by doctors that I should be seeing a psychiatrist or therapist. Do any of you go? How is it helping?

Any take meds like Paxil or other?

 

[Gillian (in UK)]

DEPRESSION

DEPRESSION

I understand its not at all uncommon to suffer from depression after heart surgery.

I had my AVR on March 13 and have never experienced the euphoria that quite a lot of people seem to get following their surgery.

We have faced the possibility of dying or having major disability. And then we are better. I get days when I feel fine - cheerful and positive with good energy. But there are some days when I feel really depressed, and have even wished I hadn't survived. Though I am not suicidal in any way.

I personally don't want to get into having professional help unless it gets really bad. I just try to watch the game. The coin is flipped every day. One side is happy. The other is sad. Who can say which way it will land tomorrow.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Mike

Hi Mike

HI Mike-

I think you'll find that quite a few people who've had surgery requiring the heart-lung bypass machine have depression. And I think you'll find that quite a few are on Paxil, Zoloft or similar meds.

In my humble opinion, I think it's physically caused rather than an emotional cause. Perhaps others can enlighten you more on that.

No matter what the cause, these meds. do help tremendously. It takes a little time to get them totally into the body's system.

Don't give up. Give the meds. time to effect the change. You'll be so happy you did. If one doesn't work, there are others that do.

You really can feel better.

My husband has 2 valve replacements. One of them is 24 years old.

Don't put any of your life on hold. It's too precious to waste. Remember each day is a gift and an opportunity to do wonderful things.

Do something nice for yourself today.

Good luck,

Nancy

 

[ALCapshaw]

Hello Mike,

Depression is quite common following heart surgery. The good news is that it is treatable. I would recommend seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist (who can prescribe medications).

There is an excellent book that deals with depression following heart surgery entitled "Coping With Heart Surgery and Bypassing Depression" by J.Jude, et.al. It was previously published as "The Heart Surgery Handbook" which I found at my public library. The later version is still in print so should be available through most book stores.

Remember, a POSITIVE ATTITUDE does wonders for recovery. I hope you will come to see the sunny side.

'AL'

 

[Michael Kreidic]

I wonder about the " physical cause or the emotional cause" of depression that you mention, Nancy. Before my heart surgery, my cardiologist put me on paxil to help me thru since I just had gone thru a radical Nephrectomy for a malignant tumor. I believe it helped me tremendously through my heart surgery, but later I had lots of bad side affects.

I am certain that the body itself creates this depresson, cause I felt that before I identified the cancer. I had a feeling something was wrong. Is this the "physical cause"?

 

[Nancy]

Could be

Could be

Also could come from your blood/body chemistry getting out of whack after major surgery. I think I'm not too far off when I say that many "emotional" illnesses are caused by some body chemistry gone awry. I'm not talking here professionally but it makes some sense. Your body takes a terrific "hit" with this type of surgery. Just ask my husband who has had 3 major thoracic surgeries in 5 years and has another one coming up. It's a major league assault on the "ole bod". But all of these surgeries are necessary, so what alternative do you have???

If you think you could benefit from some meds. go for it. If one gives you side effects, work with the doc. until you have a good result for you. There are about a bazillion meds. for this now.

It really isn't worth your time to feel poorly, when you could feel so much better.

Enjoy your life, you've been given a second chance.

Now I'll get off my "soap box" and stop delivering my LBL (long boring lectures, as my daughters call them) LOL..

Best wishes,

Nancy

 

[Michael Kreidic]

Gillian

Gillian

I guess that depression exists in everyone to some extent. I gather from some of the replies, that it is something to tolerate. I for one agree with Gillian that there is a flip side. One side is happy and the other side is sad. I think I like to look at it that way. I think that everytime I come on the internet, it reminds me of my life which is centered on the valve. Luckily, my kidney takes a back shelf, thank God. I don't think about it either because I don't bother to go to the Kidney cancer site anymore, but I wear a suppport belt everyday which reminds me of my other surgery.

Perhaps the best medicine is constantly talking about it and I have started doing it, so it doesn't fester inside. I thank all who responded and made me think about how fortunate I am to have had the second chance. Now I have to really believe it!!

 

[Marty]

Hi Mike!

Hi Mike!

Depression is serious business. There is the talking cure and the chemical cure. You probably have had expert help with the kidney and now the heart. You now need a good psychiatrist who can help you with both types of psychotherapy. Don't try to tough it out. I have a friend who had a perfect mitral valve repair by Dr. Cosgrove in Cleveland. Soon after he got back home to Idaho he began to lose energy and finally couldn't get out of bed. His local GP finally figured out that he was depressed and referred him to a good psychiatrist. He slowly responded to treatment and now is fine-plays golf, skis, and feels great. No heart problems either.

 

[Michael Kreidic]

Hi Marty,

Thanks for the cheer up! I have been good at tackling my problems head on. I hate psychotherapy, because I have exper-ienced a lot of it in the past. It is a lot of guilt trips.

I think about this a lot and am trying too hard at tackling it myself. My wife constantly tells me to see someone cause I tell her she doesn't know how I feel. The only people who do are the ones going thru this. So here I am. Thanks and I appreciate your support.

 

[hensylee]

Hey Michael. Depression can be more debillitating than anything I know of. It is a situation that will pass all others you may have and there's such a hopeless feeling. YOu have been through a lot of physical stuff here - nephrectomy and heart disease. Many of us who have undergone heart surgeries have depression afterward; some report worse feelings than others. I was already on Paxil before surgery, was so thankful to be alive and given another chance at life, that I was very happy afterwards with only thoughts of getting well from surgery. Maybe staying in here, seeing and hearing from survivors will encourage and help. God bless.

 

[Zazzy]

Counseling can help

Counseling can help

Hi Mike,
I have been seeing a counselor/behavioral specialist since November, 2000. My surgery to repair my mitral valve was in October. She was a tremendous help... I am a wife and mother of two sons who is used to doing all the housework, etc. and it was really hard for me to let go and let others do it for me! Put me in a funk that you wouldn't believe!

Just when everything was going great and I thought that I didn't need to see her anymore, I was diagnosed with leukemia in January.... just when things were getting resolved with the leukemia and I was thinking of not going anymore... I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastecomy.

So here I am, nine months later, still going to see her! I think that we are going to have to break it off though.... we have become such friends that she cried at each new diagnosis!

I take 40 mg. of Prozac daily... but just having someone to talk to outside of family and friends helped me tremendously.

Take care,
Zazzy

 

[Michael Kreidic]

Zazzy, I admire your courage!

I guess we all have to cope some how, and talking about it always helps keep everything on the surface. For awhile, I thought it a bad idea to turn to the internet for help. When I first about the cancer, all I did was go to the net and read read read. Then I hated to go to the net to read because it made me feel worse. Later I became an addict to read about other people in the same boat as I was.. Then the heart surgery, I didn't know which site to go to.

Well, I think we all agree this site and others like it, help us air things out all the time. I still pop the xanax to help me at times. At one time I was taking 25 mg of Paxil. I guess sooner or later I will definitely try to go on something. I think the therapists always made me angry cause they didn't understand my dilemma

At times, I just would like to see it all go away so I don't have to think about it. In other words why doesn't some one figure out a cure for all of us.

 

[Patricia Choate]

Depression

Michael, I, too suffer from now and then depression. Immediately after my surgery was the worst....I had lost a lot of weight and then had that ugly scar down the center of my chest...couldn't do the things I was used to doing and even had moments when I wished I had not gone through the surgery. I tried to put up a brave front for my family, but my husband saw right through it. He suggested that I talk to my Cardiologist who put me on Zoloft. It helped get me through those rough days. My scar is now healed and I don't even notice it, my weight is back up and my energy level is back to normal. I do still have an occasional day of depression....but then , don't most of us?
I just wish that I had known about this forum sooner...having someone to talk to that knows exactly what you are going through is the best. Patricia

 

[Shari]

Hi Mike,

Although it was my husband who had heart surgery (type A aortic dissection and heart valve), I can certainly relate to feeling depressed. I think I held myself together during the 25 days he was in the hospital, but now that we're home I am feeling depressed about what he had to go through and our future. Last night I broke down and had a good cry. On the one hand, we feel so lucky that he has gotten a second chance at life, but at the same time there is that nagging thought in the back of your mind of, "what if this happens again." I'm trying to look at each new day as a gift and to try to make each day meaningful and loving. Having to go through heart surgery, either as a patient or a caregiver, certainly does make you take stock of what is truly important in one's life and to let everything else go.

 

[Dan O'Brien]

Michael,

Like everyone else, not every minute is a picnic following my heart surgery a little over 3 months ago. However, in my time at home recovering, I focused on all the positives in my life -- the fact I could be at home and see my 18 month old daughter all the time, and watch my 7 year old son walk off of the school bus, and extra time with my wife -- I saw all the tremendous love in my life, and I believe this focus kept me on the happy side of the coin far more than the opposite. Without it, I would have been lost. For some, it's easier said than done. I sincerely wish you the best through these difficult times.

 

[hensylee]

Shari, whether you are the patient or the caregiver, you suffer. You and your husband have had a tremendous shock in your lives and you will eventually deal with it, but you are still in the throes of feeling confused, pained and very much afraid for your future. Yours is a one day at a time situation, that will build your confidence in the safety of your husband's health as time passes. One day soon you might even have a lot of questions to ask of the valve recipients in here because I am sure you wonder about so much of it. Ask away and you will get answers and information. God bless

 

[Mike M. in Hous]

Hi Michael,

Depression is a serious matter, more so for some than others. I would not hesitate to seek proffesional help if I needed to. Personally the thought of what would have been if I hadn't had the surgery keeps me up. The roller coaster ride with my INR is a little disconcerting but not nearly as much as not being able to even go for a short walk was, or the scare I got when I had to go to the emergency room for chest pains before surgery. So I look at what I can do now that I couldn't before and pay no mind to restrictions placed on me because of the surgery. The restrictions are a minor price to pay to be able to live a full life, and besides they are not nearly as restricting as not being able to catch your breath after a walk to the mail box.
I think getting back into the swing of things as soon as possible has also helped keep the depression away. I was back in school taking finals 4 weeks after surgery and I haven't looked back since.
Look at it this way, without surgery there was no future now with a new valve you can enjoy life for a long time as long as you take a few minor precautions.
Will be praying for you and hopeing that you get through this soon.