Hiccups during recover

[GSman]

I am still in the hospital, 6 days post surgery. Release was plAnned for today or tomorrow. There are however a few things slowing me down.
1. Low haemoglobin (90 yesterday)- going up with iron supplement.
2. High pulse (resting between 94 and 105) - added a calcium channel blocker to my blood pressure meds. Now feeling dizzy, need to stop taking lisinopril today.
3. Running a fever of 37-38 C. Was put on IV antibiotics 2 days ago, waiting for blood cultures to come back.
Everything else is going well. Was climbing two flights of stairs yesterday. Echo and ECG are fine. Still some liquid in the lungs.
Hope the figure out the fever soon.

 

[clumsydancer]

Sorry about the hiccups. I had a low grade, less than 101, sometimes to 100 though, for two weeks post leaving the hospital. It subsided on its own. Some do have fever after surgery for reasons other than infection, but its better safe than sorry.

 

[ski girl]

GS did you get a mechanical valve? I too got very anaemic after my op, which they put down to the new valve smashing my red blood cells every time it closed. I just had to wait until it grew a 'slime layer'. My Hb got close to 80 and they were just about to transfuse me when it started to come back up . . . but this was about a month after the surgery.

Hopefully your valve is not as homicidal as mine was.

 

[GSman]

Mechanical valve

Mechanical valve

GS did you get a mechanical valve? I too got very anaemic after my op, which they put down to the new valve smashing my red blood cells every time it closed. I just had to wait until it grew a 'slime layer'. My Hb got close to 80 and they were just about to transfuse me when it started to come back up . . . but this was about a month after the surgery.

Hopefully your valve is not as homicidal as mine was.

Hi Ski girl,
Yes I got a mechanical valve. My Hb is going up with the iron supplement. They are wondering if the low Hb value causes the fast rate.
GSman

 

[kimcdougc]

GSman,

I will pray that everything resolves itself so you can get home to do the rest of your recovery. Take care of yourself. Kim

 

[GSman]

Good news, it was identified I am having a urinary tract infection, but blood is clear. Will be switched from IV to oral antibiotics later today. Hope this will take care of the fever.

 

[sood]

Good news, it was identified I am having a urinary tract infection, but blood is clear. Will be switched from IV to oral antibiotics later today. Hope this will take care of the fever.

Feel better buddy. One of the worst parts of this whole thing for me was the urinary cath and associated urinary issues. Stay strong.

 

[epstns]

GSman - The anemia is fairly common after valve surgery. I had it too, and it resolved itself after about 4 weeks. The major symptom I had, aside from being tired, was that I was always cold.

As for the hiccups, I had them, too. They also resolved after a few weeks. I suppose that in some way, either the diaphragm or some of the nerves that control it were "insulted" during surgery. Maybe bruised, maybe nicked, etc. At any rate, they do go away.

 

[kimcdougc]

GSMan..so have you made it home yet? Let us know. Kim