Grateful to have found answers to questions - thank you, one and all!

[MiraLaura]

Members of these fora:

I have been reading for the past two weeks or so and am grateful to have found answers to all the questions I came home from the hospital with - as well as a place to feel not quite so alone.


For the record: I am a 49 year old solo parent of a fifteen year old. On March 9 I experienced tearing/ripping in my chest that turned out to be an acute aortal dissection. Yep, I'm lucky that the ER doctor was dead-on with the diagnosis.

I don't remember being transferred to the largest teaching hospital in my county.

End result: Transferred and directly into surgery. Bovine aortal valve, hemi something, coronary artery bypass graft (dissection tore into coronary artery?). Oh, and lots of dacron. Total some eight hours I'm told, though I remember nothing.

Home now three weeks. At five weeks post-op, I've found a good cardiologist and am up to a mile (between 1.0 -1.5, actually) a day walking, am on lopressor (50mg TID) and ramipril (2.5mg).

Prior to what my teen calls "the really bad thing" I was hypertensive but "medically controlled." Ha. Other than this, I had no symptoms or obvious risk factors.

Grateful to be alive, grateful to find most post-surgical cognitive hiccups are fading.

Laura

 

[Greg a]

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY we are all Brothers and Sisters in OHS and I am reposting this from the thread "After your surgery, what are some of the things that you found out that surprised you"

What a wonderful thread. I wish I'd read it before surgery, but since it was emergency, with no symptoms or indicators, that wasn't meant to be. At 5 weeks post-op I'm surprised by

-Not recalling being transported from one hospital to the next
-Remembering the surgeon telling me his name but not remembering the discussion about what kind of valve I wanted (the surgical report says I was "adamant" about not wanting a mechanical valve)
-Not remembering the five days in and out and in and out of CICU
-How ill and disoriented pain killers made me
-How little appetite I would have for almost five weeks - and now, for the first time in my life, I have to make myself eat

The mental fog is clearing slowly, but of all of the things in this rollercoaster ride, it's been the most frustrating.

Glad to have found a place to read what I probably ought to have been clued in on by the medical professionals.

Laura

 

[bdryer]

Whew that was close! Welcome to your second life!

 

[Jkm7]

You are, indeed, a lucky lady and we are VERY happy to 'meet' you. Happy you found us.

Sounds like you are doing great.
Best wishes for continued wonderful recovery.

 

[AgilityDog]

Wow! You are one lucky gal! Welcome to our family, indeed. It'll probably take a few months for all the shock to wear off, so we're here to help you through it, as needed.

 

[DebbyA]

Oh my goodness, I'm so glad you got the right ER doctor and are doing so well! I'm happy you found the forums, but sorry for the reason. You will certainly have a rare perspective if you decide to remain active here.

Best wishes,
Debby (one of the boring OHS experiences, but not complaining)

 

[neil]

welcome aboard.......welcome to the mad house lol

 

[Jason]

Wow, you are lucky; someone was watching over you that day. You are the first person I have heard of who survived an aortic dissection, although I knew they were out there. Thanks for sharing, and welcome! I had my planned surgery two days before you, actually!

 

[WandaW]

WOW, So glad that you made it! My father had an aortic disection, and struggled for 18 monthes to try and get back on his feet. I am so glad for you and your child that you will be okay. I remember the week before my surgery as being VERY stressful getting everything ready at work and home. So maybe it is a good thing that you could miss that.

 

[Jeff Edmonton]

Good thing you did not ask for a second opinion. Sounds like you made some good choices yourself that day. Great that recovery is going well and your life is back on track!

 

[MiraLaura]

Thank you for the warm welcome!

Off I go to cardiac rehab this evening (much better for me than a second Seder) for evaluation. I'm guessing that my BP will spike - I'm highly reactive - and they'll send me back to my cardio for meds adjustment.

Rehab didn't want to see me until six weeks post-op. Is this typical? When I called to start the ball rolling - their reaction was "We've heard about dissection, but never seen a survivor." Could that have something to do with the six weeks on the beach?

I am sooooo ready to go back to work - mentally. I know my strength and endurance are not anywhere near what I need to be effective at work.

Trying to look at this as a process - priceless.

Laura

 

[nngbwh]

Welcome aboard, Laura. You are one lucky lady.