Duration until normal movement?

[elirn]

How long did it take you to move normally and feel ok after surgery?

I had my initial emergency surgery in May and was feeling decent 2 months later, but needed another surgery (sternotomy) to repair a leak I had developed in my prosthetic aorta. Now I am back, starting all over again. Regrettably, I am impatient and just want to heal up, so I can get on with life. I am honestly very frustrated because the last 3 months have felt like a torturous eternity.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Duffey]

Almost a year in my case. I was very physically active pre-surgery, and it took a long time to regain my stamina. Best wishes going forward. Mary

 

[Paleowoman]

Elim - you've asked just the question I had for my cardiologist (saw him yesterday) as I'm seven months post op and still not got back my full stamina and fitness that I had pre surgery.

And Mary - I'm glad you told how long it was for you - I don't feel so badly now, I mean I feel it can be almost 'normal' for someone to not feel back up to full strength till almost a year ! I think things can take longer than we anticipate.

 

[epstns]

Unfortunately, the adage holds true here, too -- we're all different and we all heal at different rates. For me, surgery itself went "by the book" and then the complications hit. I wasn't cleared for cardiac rehab until I was 12 weeks out, and finished rehab when I was 6 months out. I felt "pretty good" by that time, but wasn't up to near-normal until almost a year. Before surgery I was a daily gym rat. After, I couldn't get back to push-ups until just about a year out. Even now, at 3 1/2 years, I may not have my original stamina, but that is difficult to estimate, as I am now nearly 67, and at some point will have to admit to slowing down.

Most normal bodily movements were fine for me by the 6 month mark. I just couldn't re-build muscle mass or strength until nearly a year. Looking back, though, by the time I started rehab at 12 weeks, I felt "pretty good."

 

[clay_from_nj]

Two or three months after surgery, I was fitter than I had ever been. A year later, running a 5k. Almost two years on, I'm hitting the weights every morning and working on a "superhero" physique. Just wanted to add my story to balance the ones you have been getting, emphasizing Steve's point that "we're all different and we all heal at different rates."

 

[elirn]

Thanks everyone. I am 34 years old and was always playing sports or training. The injury I suffered to my aorta playing hockey was brutal and I was starting to feel better after 2 months post emergency surgery, but I developed a leak and needed another surgery. Now I am starting over again and do not have near the energy.

The loss of activity has been one of the hardest things for me along with the crap my friends say to me. I.e. "See I told you eating healthy and exercising wasn't a good idea" or "you are so skinny now". Honestly, it really gets me ticked off because over the past few months I have had two heart surgeries and have never gotten to heal and get better. I am starting to feel like it will never happen.

Anyway... I appreciate the feedback and am hopeful that I will eventually get better.

 

[river-wear]

Your friends are being jerks. Just sayin'.

You're young, you'll get better - just give it some time. You've had a double whammy and didn't have a chance to fully recover from the first when you had to have the second surgery. I bet you'll feel like a new person in a couple months. Best wishes!

 

[Mentu]

I have come to think that the length of time until one is moving and feeling "normal" is most frequently directly related to how one manages one's recovery. I found that participating in my Cardiac Rehab group was the single best thing I did. I started at six weeks after surgery and completed it three months later so right around 5 months post surgery. At that point, I had a full range of motion and no discomfort using my arms again. Cardiac Rehab did provide a variety of regular exercise options but the big thing it did was restore confidence that I could exercise without any fear of hurting myself. I did find that I still needed to use a small pillow to fend of the shoulder strap when driving. After I lost my blue pillow, I borrowed one of Bede's toys and found it to be even better although there have been a few strange looks. This has continued to be one of my personal issues that everyone does not share.

​

Larry

 

[maprince231]

I had my surgery to replace my aortic valve and root last year. I was 35 when the surgery happened, so close to you. I wasn't in great shape beforehand.. would go on 2-3 mile walks, play softball, but was a bit overweight and not great cardio.

After 8 weeks, i was able to get out and walk as much as I was before the surgery and at the same pace. I felt decent, but not myself yet. At around 20 weeks, my sternum area felt completely back to normal and I had resumed all activities. I played softball this spring, about 30 weeks out, and running the bases was easier than before. My recovery time was faster. I'm not 51 weeks out (anniversary on Friday!) and feel completely normal again. The only thing i still deal with is the INR management (easy) and the blood pressure (a little dizziness at times).

Hopefully you will follow a similar path. We're both young so our bodies are capable of recovering quickly. Just go slow and steady, and treat symptoms as they come up. I went to PT last fall because of back pain that i think was related to the sternotomy... they straightened me out in a few weeks and i was pain free again.

I would consider the second surgery that you had to go through more related to bad luck rather than something wrong with your body. In my eyes, you should recover just as quickly and hopefully not have to deal with the leaking again. If so, i would think that you would start to feel better soon.

Good luck!

 

[elirn]

Thanks. I will need to reset my target at one year to be "normal" again. It's been tough because I stayed in shape to prevent OHS and was injured playing hockey. Suddenly stopping activity has been brutal on me and I agree some of my friends are jerks. I did begin cardiac rehab after the first surgery and progressed quickly, but having to start over again is just deflating. On the bright side, I have some nerve damage in my chest and I don't have nearly the pain this time around.

I also appreciate all the advice.

 

[epstns]

I wouldn't be so quick to reset your target to a full year. Just realize that the recovery may not be as fast as you want, but continue to push the limits. That's the only way any of us have gotten as far as we have. We wouldn't have gotten here if we waited until we felt 100%. Just listen to your body. It will tell you how far and hard to push. Do that, and a little bit more, and you will be the best you can be.

Have they spoken with you about cardiac rehab? Sometimes they assume that the younger patients won't need it, but from my experience (no, I'm not younger - was 63 at time of surgery), it was probably the best thing I could have done. They helped me to know how hard to push, and to realize that I wasn't going to break anything in pushing. They also were able to answer many of my questions about exercise, like when I should be ready to try returning to certain exercises, etc.

Another thing to keep in mind is any meds you are now taking, and how they will affect your exercise tolerance. After surgery I was placed on a beta blocker to control blood pressure and to slow down my heart, allowing it to beat more fully on each stroke. The side effect of the beta blocker was to make me feel like I was towing a sled full of rocks around all day. It really reduced my exercise ability. Over the first year or two, my cardio and I reduced the dosage until we got it to a tolerable balance of heart control and exercise tolerance. Today, I would bet that the beta blocker is the only thing keeping me from surpassing my pre-surgery abilities.

You are young and otherwise healthy and in good shape. These attributes will put you in the best place to have a very full recovery. . . and life.