Finally met with surgeon

[Keith]

I finally got to meet with my surgeon yesterday and got a surgery date of August 15th. He will be replacing my aortic valve with a St. Jude mechanical and the ascending aorta from the root up to just before the arch.

I'm really looking forward to getting this out of the way so I can feel better and get back to normal activity. My wife is tired of having to do my "boy" jobs (mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, etc.) that I have been restricted from doing duing the excessive heat that we have been having lately. Does anyone know how long they usually limit how much you can lift after surgery?

 

[Lynlw]

Hi Keith, Glad to hear things are moving along. Sounds like you're having alot of work, where are you having your surgery? As fr post op and when you can resume different things, of cours everyone is different and if you run into any bumps things can change but for the most part there is a good PDF link posted in the post op forum written by the surgeon society that has all the basics listed in a chart by time frame postop http://www.sts.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/whattoexpect.pdf Hope that helps

 

[ElectLive]

It is different for everyone, but for reference, I was told nothing over 10 lbs for 5 - 6 weeks, then nothing over 30 lbs for another month after. After that, no restrictions of any kind, lifting or otherwise. In fact, at my 5 week post-op appointment with the surgeon, the 30 lb limit was the only restriction left. Driving, etc was fine.

My wife was even more strict than the surgeon. She wouldn't let me pick up my 2 1/2 year old after the pre-surgery visit, and post surgery, she wouldn't let me lift a gallon of milk until the 30 lb ruling. If you don't know, a gallon of milk is 8 lbs!

 

[Keith]

Lynlw - Thanks for the link. That's great information! My surgery will be performed at Roper Hospital in Charleston, SC. The surgeon, Scott Ross, was chief resident at Stanford and has done alot of aneurysm work.

ElectLive - Thanks for the response. That gives me a good idea of what to expect. My wife is a nurse pretty strict too, but I think she'll be ready for me to resume my "duties".

 

[ElectLive]

I got out the lawn mower at 2 months...felt confident, figured with a self-propel lever I'd be fine. Was pretty easy at first on the flat, but then I got to the hill. I stuck with it, foolishly, but at a pacemaker appointment a few weeks later, there was this big red flag that showed up on their data download.

So, anyway, long story short, take it easy the first few times resuming your "duties"...it won't be quite as easy as before.

 

[Julian]

I finally got to meet with my surgeon yesterday and got a surgery date of August 15th. He will be replacing my aortic valve with a St. Jude mechanical and the ascending aorta from the root up to just before the arch.

I'm really looking forward to getting this out of the way so I can feel better and get back to normal activity. My wife is tired of having to do my "boy" jobs (mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, etc.) that I have been restricted from doing duing the excessive heat that we have been having lately. Does anyone know how long they usually limit how much you can lift after surgery?

Keep on walkin' don't look back! Like a famous forum member has said "work the plan"

 

[Greg a]

Keith you are now firmly entrenched on the VR family Calendar

PLEASE dont look at minimum times and push to get ahead ......you will have been given a new lease on LIFE make sure you are here to LIVE it

 

[Rocky]

Everyone is going to have a different recovery. I suggest that you listen closely to your Cardio and family DR and follow their advice. I had almost exactly the surgery you had, and i have the same valve.

I was back at work in 3 1/2 weeks doing light duty. And on my bicycle in a couple of months. I now lift 30 lbs and feel no discomfort. One thing I notice is that I still feel a bit of pressure when I sneeze.

I still don't go to the Chiropractor and wont for a long time.

Overdoing it, because you are feeling good, can be problematic. Give yourself time to recover and enjoy it.

 

[Keith]

Thank you, everyone. It's great to have this forum to get this kind of information from people who have actually been there! It's really helping me prepare for this emotionally as well as educationally.