Do I need it?

[Gribur]

My wife and I are in the process of trying to plan my recovery and the set up of our house. We have 1 bathroom on the upper level so we are thinking of having me rest in the master bedroom as it is next to the bathroom. We are also thinking of getting a recliner for our room as I have read it may be more comfortable at times. I was just wondering at what point are you able to do stairs? It is a flight of 12 steps. Also when it comes to a recliner, will a normal one with a pull handle for the footrest work our would it make life a lot easier to rent a lift chair? I can get either, just wanted to know what people who are recovering think about this. ty and god bless
Larry

 

[escargome]

Larry,
l can't say for sure. Some people have had no problem with stairs as long as they went slowly. Others not so much. Discuss stairs with the physical therapist at the hospital. I always felt like the closer I was to the bathroom, the happier I was, lucky I live in a house with only one level. As to the recliner, again I feel that it is a matter of preferrence. I have a recliner in my living room, but I always needed help with the pull handle after surgery for a few weeks. My kids (grown) always laughed when they had to help me put the feet down. So you might be more inclined to rent a lift chair. Unfortunately there are no 100% answers cause we are all so different. Still I wish you a very successful surgery and truly bump free recovery. Keep us updated as you and your family travel this journey to a mended heart.

 

[Mentu]

Hi, Larry, before surgery, I worried a lot about how much of an invalid I would be upon returning home. In truth, one persons experience cannot be directly related to your own, still, most people should be able to move around and do normal light tasks around the house and care for themselves when they return home. You might need to take the stair more slowly at first but they would not normally be a problem. Your legs are fine after the AVR. The big problem is pulling with the arms and lifting. The one problem I would see with orienting yourself towards the upper part of the house is that one might tend to avoid getting out as much as necessary. Upon returning home, you have only three primary things to focus upon. Resting, eating, and walking. You will likely find the loss of stamina surprising but the good news is that it returns quickly. In the mean time, when your body tells you it needs a nap, listen to it. If you are going to heal properly, you need to eat a good diet. Some have suggested heavy on the protein. Walking will spur on your recovery more than anything else. Don't worry about distance. Several shorter walks will do quite well during those first three weeks while the incisions are healing. Walking will also improve your appetite and help you sleep better.

I did get a recliner before the AVR but I never slept in it at night. That said, I found it a wonderful place to nap and use my notebook computer (with a lap table). Mine is the kind with a lever on the side and I never had a problem with it. You might go to a store with a number of different ones and try out each of them paying attention to comfort and ease of operation.

You are very likely to find that although you will be week at first, strength will return rapidly and movement less of a problem than you may presently imagine. Your recovery is something you control. To get the most out of your recovery time, you might treat it like you would if you were training for some event and, in fact you are. Make a schedule for yourself and try to follow it. Try to walk at regular times instead of just when you "feel" like it. Look for things you can do. You might need to make several trips to load the washing machine but who says you have to carry everything at one time. After a couple of weeks, you will find that you still need to rest but are less inclined to sleep; it is a good time for writing or reading. Recovery can be a surprisingly good time, Larry. I encourage you to make the most of it.

Larry

Larry

 

[Jkm7]

Hi Larry,

I had two OHS in Mass General which is always listed among the top five heart centers in the U.S.
Both surgeries, I was not permitted to leave the hospital before I demonstrated I could walk a full flight of stairs. I had no difficulty doing so. From first day home, I walked up and down the stairs without issue and with full approval from my doctors. The first few times I walked the stairs, I had my DH walk just behind me to give me the confidence he was there to steady me if I needed it. I didn't and by day two, I was doing it with full confidence.

When walking stairs, rest your hand on the hand rail for balance but DO NOT pull yourself up. Use your legs only; not your hand on the rail. That can injure your healing sternum.

I never used the recliner that we have in our family room. I slept in my bed from first day home both surgeries but strongly advise a pile of various size pillows so you can adjust them in the way you are comfortable. I really only needed the extra pillows for maybe 10 days or so...... every few nights I needed them less and used fewer.

We all heal differently and at different rates. If you are otherwise in decent shape and with few or no other serious medical conditions, with a good surgeon and top hospital, you have every reason to think of going out for casual dinner with your DW first week home. Most of us are far less ill than we think we will be.

Our best friend is a doctor. He and his wife asked us to dinner the first weekend I was home. I thought he was nuts and accused him of trying to kill me. He assured me I'd be perfectly safe and he would never let me do something that was harmful to my health or healing. Of course, seeing he is lifelong friend, we trust him without question. His point was not that we needed to come to dinner. He wanted to convince me I was safe to get on with living and whatever I felt up to doing was fine, within reason. The weight lifting restriction and not overdoing it are the most important limitations while healing.

The biggest issues many of us have (certainly with some exceptions) is to absolutely abide by the lifting weight limit our surgeons give us. This is critical to good healing of sternums which have been split. My other issue was regaining stamina. Walking, walking, walkling is your very best friend. I followed the walking schedule Mass General gives all their heart patients and it was immeasurably helpful.

You will be surprised how weak, weak really can be but also surprised how fast you can bounce back.

All best wishes.

 

[dwhist]

We have bedrooms and a bath on both floors and my wife had both areas ready for me when I came home. The hosptial would not let me leave until I did my walks and did a few flights of stairs. I was out in 4 days. When I got home I found the recliner, which we already had, did not work well. As mentioned above, arm strength was not there to move handle and I found the softness of chair hard on me. I ended up moving a straight back chair into its spot and left it there for about 4 weeks.

The first night I went up the stairs and slept in my own bed. My wife had gotten a few extra pillows to put around me. I cannot sleep on my back and was able to sleep partially on my side.

So, as mentioned above, it all depends on what ends up working for you. And you will find what works for you and be comfortable. Not going to be a problem.

 

[Mom2izzy]

I also had to demonstrate that I could walk up a flight of stairs before I could leave the hospital. My bedroom is upstairs and my only bathroom is downstairs, so I decided to stay downstairs. I alternated between the couch and recliner for a few days (while I was still on Lasix). I found it most important for me to change positions frequently. I also was very glad that I had practiced getting in and out of bed, the recliner and the couch without putting any weight on my arms. It's not as easy as it seems before surgery.

 

[marc_kowal]

I was able to do the stairs slowly 5 days after my surgery. I slept in the recliner downstairs for about the first month and then I started to sleep in the bed. The main reason for sleeping in the recliner was that it was easier to get in and out of. Also, my shoulder really hurt me and the recliner made sleeping bearable. Good luck!

 

[karla]

Personally, I had no trouble with stairs at all and was up and down several times a day as soon as I got home (went home on day 5). We have a bathroom on both floors but I made it a point to go to the one on the opposite floor of wherever I was at the time. Every little bit of activity helps! I did not like the recliner because it was a little too hard to reach the handle but certainly did not need a lift chair. To help get off the couch or out of bed, I learned to turn on my side, "hook" a leg over the edge, dig in, and use that leverage to help get up without using arms or hands. As Mom2izzy said, it really helps to practice before your surgery.

 

[Boston Tiger]

I came home on day 5, and went up and down the stairs several times. I made a nest in my recliner, but went up to the master bathroom whenever I needed to. I just liked using the reading room that I was most familiar with rather than the one downstairs. The stairs were no problem for me.

 

[Bill B]

Although my speed and ease of climbing stairs was much better before surgery than it was for several weeks after, I had no trouble going up and down them. I was just a bit more winded by it initially. A comfotable reclining chair is a wonderful thing to lounge on and rest during the first few weeks after surgery, but I would not be too concerned about getting up and down 12 steps as needed.

 

[enkaynj]

Larry,
I did not go up the stairs a full 2 weeks after my surgery. But as jkm7 has said, every person heals at his/her own rate. But when I did go up the stairs the first time after weeks, I felt like Tensing and Hillary. I was lucky enough to stay at my brother in law's for a few weeks (he is a cardiologist) and he encouraged me to go out to dinner with him and his friends the very first week I was back at home. Of course, I thought he was nuts, but listened to him anyway and I was just fine.