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Mike1952

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 6, 2012
Messages
83
Location
University Place, WA
I made it! My surgery was scheduled for Friday, the 10th but the doctor called on Wednesday afternoon and asked if I would mind doing it Thursday instead. So, the last thing I remember, it was 2pm Thursday. Next memory I had it was 9am Friday and I was struggling with the tube down my throat. They quickly removed it and from that point forward, it was only a couple of hours and they had me sitting in the chair!

There was a bump in the road during the surgery. They had sewed me up and the surgeon was concerned about the amount of blood coming out of the chest tube. They decided to open me back up to make sure the valve stitches weren't bleeding. Ends up they were fine and the bleeding was under control. I ended up with a tissue valve.

It is definitely a great relief to have the surgery out of the way. My blood pressure and heart beat are quite normal. The only concern is I am anemic. My reading is 19 and I think normal is 35. I have a pretty long scar but it looks like it will heal pretty well. All in all, I feel like it went really well. My surgeon is in his sixties and he has done thousands of heart surgeries in his career! He had a couple of physician's assistants that were on the team.

Next, I will begin the process of walking more and more each day to get my strength back. After all the posts on this forum, I am prepared for it to be somewhat slow at first.

LIFE IS GOOD!!!
 
Great news Mike, I called yesterday early evening and was told you were doing fine....I'd agree if your already home . Take it easy on the recovery , keep up the walking and you will heal just fine. FYI, the walking helped me mentally as well as physically.
 
Great to see things went well! It's amazing how fast you're up and moving after such a surgery. I remember 5. Days post op walking down the hotel hallway for exercise thinking to myself, WOW. Love to read success stories, best wishes on a speedy recovery.
 
Congrats! Lucky you to go a day early for your surgery. Anemia is a common by product of the surgery and can cause an elevated heart rate. The anemia should resolve on its own and you will have more energy and feel better. Eat well and rest. Bravo!
 
Congrats! I was amazed that the whole experience was much easier than I thought it would be. I had my surgery at 8:00 AM and recall nothing until maybe 5:00 PM. I apparently conversed with my parents for an hour. I recall none of it.
 
Hi Mike, glad to read that you are post-op and feeling pretty good. Recovery often has its peaks and valleys, but you've made it through the worst part . . . . anticipating the surgery!:biggrin2:
I look forward to hearing more as you get time and energy.:smile2:
 
The surgeon was Doctor John Luber. He is in his mid sixties and all of the nurses really had high praise for him as a leader, as well as a heart surgeon. They have a good organization there with over a thousand heart surgeries a year.

Glad things went well for you. Who's the surgeon?
 
Sounds like you did very well, even with the extra bleeding. I’m sure that gave your family a bit of a scare. Fortunately, the surgeons have seen all of this stuff so much that they’re prepared for those kinds of road bumps. I had the same surgeon as you, my OHS was back in 2009, he doesn’t know me as “Forrest” as that’s my gal’s nickname for me, among others. I could not have found a better surgeon, it was nice to have full confidence going into surgery and during my follow-up visit.

Continue to rest well during this first stage of recovery, and watch how your walking endurance steadily improves.
 
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