Got My AVR done on Oct 12, 2010 and I am doing fine with all your blessings

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bahlvarun

Well-known member
Joined
May 28, 2009
Messages
113
Location
New Delhi, India
Hi all,

Got my AVR done on Oct 12 doc put in SJM #23 Regant valve, was out of ICU by Oct 13 and out of the hospital by Oct 16; It was a nice and uneventful journey.

But even at home I am facing some breathing, I still cannot breath freely, some or the other damn muscle start aching whenever I move them.

One more thing bothering my right now is that (and this only happens when I lie down alone), it seems my whole body is shaking with the rythm of my heart, I can feel the heart beat in my head and of course my heart.

Rest is more or less smooth uptill now, would appreciate any suggestions for the remaining part of the recovery process
 
You will get use to the heart beat you are feeling / hearing ... the aches are normal ... I had a lot of trouble with my right shoulder and it took several months to resolve itself ... you and I spent about the same time in the hospital and I was excited to get back home but I rushed my recovery, don't do the same, it takes TIME ... you will experience different aches and pains for some time ... your body has been through a lot ... rest, walk and eat, then do it again ... Congratulations on a successful AVR ... Live long and prosper :thumbup:
 
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Hi Varun, good to see you are home.
The first few weeks of recovery are very slow and somewhat annoying with the various stiffness and pains. I could breathe well, but there was a mild pain and rattle in the bottom of one lung which went away on its own. Did you get one of those spirometers to use for breathing exercise?
Regarding the force of your valve.....same thing here. I have the Regent 21m valve and those things really pump !
At first it made me crazy and the surgeon gave me Metoprolol which I continue to take so that I can lie down and get some needed sleep without the valve shaking my chest. I am thin so maybe this contributes to the shake (?).
Also, eating smaller meals more often is easier on the digestive system. :)
 
Varun, good to hear that your surgery was uneventful. I have a 23mm tissue valve but that feeling that my heart was pumping really hard was the same. I think it is very normal. There is such a difference in the amount of blood the heart can move through the new valve that it feels almost as though the heart has grown three or four times stronger. That will fade somewhat with time. Before my AVR, I had difficulty finding my pulse in my wrist. Immediately after surgery and still today I can find my pulse in a second. It is the most direct indicator that your new valve is working. Since my bovine valve is tissue, it makes no sound but I can still feel that strong heart beat.

As for your recovery, listen to Cooker. During this first month, both your internal and external incisions are healing so you need to be gentle with yourself. Do your walking and get plenty of rest but limit your other activities as your doctor has told you to do. I would also encourage you to participate in a monitored Cardiac Rehab program. It will not only provide a gradual increase in the amount of exercise you do but will give you confidence in your body that it is not fragile and can take the exertion. Let us know how else we can help.

Larry
 
Hi Varun,

Yes I know EXACTLY the feeling! I could have sworn the whole bed was shaking with each heartbeat! Mine took several months to calm down. The most annoying being, the pulse at the base of the back of my head. Personally speaking it took me eight mos, before I could sleep COMFORTABLY on my side.

You will get there! It just takes time. You can not rush it. Your body will heal in it's own good time.

Take care
 
everything your feeling is normal.just try and relax.your body is mending and adjusting.it takes time but, you will start seeing progress soon!
 
Varun,

Glad you are home and glad you got all the right answers above.

Your heart is reconditioning itself, your body is readjusting after the *trauma* of the surgery, and your emotional and mental states need to rest after all the anxiety we go through before the surgery.
 
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No place like home after this surgery!! My right shoulder is still painful and I do not have full movement, more than a year post surgery. Our bodies end up in weird positions for a long period of time, when they are working on our hearts. I also had the pounding for about 3 months, then it went away as the heart settled down. Wishing you a smooth and bubfree recovery.

I also had breathing issues (in fact it kept me in ICU for 2 days longer) but that improved as I started walking and exercising more and eventually it went away.
 
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Good to hear you are home and have had a GREAT but normal passage over the mountain......what we hear about here is mostly the UNUSUAL travels with bumps in the road ....it seems it is like eating in a dining room where there service is "as expected" we woul not write about but if service was bad we sure record that for the record.
 
WOW!!!!!!
Welcome home,
Hope you get some rest and are back to normal soon,
Luv Sarah xx :)
 
If you ever have sharp pains that are attributed to breathing get checked up to see if you have a plueral effusion. But breathing will not feel normal for about two weeks. I am coming up on 3 months and I still have some feelings of my heart beating in the back of my head and in my neck sometimes. It doesn't bother me much and it isn't too strong. I think after a month it settled down.
 
Varun,
Great news that the surgery went well!
I had breathing issues for a 6 weeks post-op attributed to effusions and collapsed lobe.Within time it went away. For the longest time I felt a very strong heartbeat and it too settled down within the last few months (am almost out a year).

As others have said, it takes a while for the heart to remodel. Hopefully, this too will pass.

Take care,
 
Hi Varun

Congratulations on the new valve. Great you did not have any bumps in the road. I am 10 weeks post op and found it diffiuclt to breath at times too. Use the breathing device they gave you to get your lungs working and strong. I slacked off, but was reminded to use it and it helped. I could not lay down and breath comfortably for weeks. Only now can I lay in bed and am still not completely comfortable because parts of my chest will still ache at times. There was a lot of slicing and dicing and it takes a long time for it to all heal. I had the big heartbeat in my neck. Felt like my chair had a motorized motor pounding me in the back. Mine did not last too long and I had some a-fib thrown in too with what felt like a fish flopping in my chest. You just go with the flow and things get better - slowly.

I wish you a fast and bump free recovery. Pat
 
Thanks Bina,

You are as great as ever, the hospital did give me some respartory excerciser, I am working on that. The only issue I had was that the kind of thrust valve had on my body when I am lying down.
After putting it up, I discussed it with my doc and he too had the same opinion, So happy to be safe I guess ;)

Rest is all fine, you take care.
 
Lost my Dad ...!!

Lost my Dad ...!!

Hi all,

I lost my Dad two Days back, just wanted to know how to take care of my health at this point.

Any suggestions
 
Bahlvarun,

I'm so sorry to hear that your dad passed away. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
I know it will be hard but try to put this behind you and get on with your life. Your dad is at peace now.

Take care.........
 
I am terribly sorry about your Dad's passing. When one loses a father it is the end of chapter in one's life and particularly traumatic. One must now get on without a father's wisdom but it also allows for reflection and memories, painful memories at first, but hopefully soon the pain will turn into fond and happy memories.

You now face a double recovery, healing from OHS both physically and psychological, and recovering from the shock of losing your Dad. I hope you have family and friends to lean on because you need to look after yourself now and let siblings and other family members take care of things...
 
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