S
sylgeren
I just came home from the doctors and he said I was doing great. But I should still be careful for the healing of the sternum. Just how long does it take and how about driving a car? Any help would be appreciated.
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Ross
Well-known member
Hello sylgeren
I believe the rule of thumb is 6 to 8 weeks and even then, you may feel it move around a bit. As far as driving, you'll have to ask your Doctor. Mine wouldn't let me drive until after my first check up.
If I remember correctly, it was about the 3rd or 4th week.
I believe the rule of thumb is 6 to 8 weeks and even then, you may feel it move around a bit. As far as driving, you'll have to ask your Doctor. Mine wouldn't let me drive until after my first check up.
If I remember correctly, it was about the 3rd or 4th week.
RobThatsMe
Well-known member
Hi Sylvia,
The doctors usually don't want you to lift anything heavy, ( over 5 lbs) or drive for 5 weeks. It should be healed enough to begin driving and lifting by then. However, I believe that It takes up to one full year for the sternum to completely heal.
Rob
The doctors usually don't want you to lift anything heavy, ( over 5 lbs) or drive for 5 weeks. It should be healed enough to begin driving and lifting by then. However, I believe that It takes up to one full year for the sternum to completely heal.
Rob
hensylee
Well-known member
My experience is the same as Rob's. And when you do drive, be extra careful for awhile - that's what my surg told me, I asked why, and he only said "You have had major surgery - be careful".
Your scar is going to take a good time for healing and in meantime, it's gonna itch - so find a good cream to help it. God bless
Your scar is going to take a good time for healing and in meantime, it's gonna itch - so find a good cream to help it. God bless
J
JenniferO
Sylvia: I was given guidelines similar to others posted here.
No driving for 4-6 weeks.
No lifting anything more than 8 pounds (about the same as a gallon of milk). Even with the gallon of milk I feel a slight shifting so I go lighter than that. Also note that pushing or pulling as in opening a heavy door can stress the sternum.
I even find that the torque required to open those child-proof prescription caps is more than is comfortable, so my husband has to open all my pill bottles.
No driving for 4-6 weeks.
No lifting anything more than 8 pounds (about the same as a gallon of milk). Even with the gallon of milk I feel a slight shifting so I go lighter than that. Also note that pushing or pulling as in opening a heavy door can stress the sternum.
I even find that the torque required to open those child-proof prescription caps is more than is comfortable, so my husband has to open all my pill bottles.
M
McCln
Just take it easy, no heavy lifting, no vacuuming, no driving for 4 weeks. Make other do it for you. After you go back to work, still take it easy for a short time. But it has been stated, it can take up to a year. I am in my 5th month and I still have my good days and bad. But most of it is good. You take care and follow docotors orders. Be good and keep coming here.
Caroline
09-13-01
Aortic valve replacement
St. Jude's valve
Caroline
09-13-01
Aortic valve replacement
St. Jude's valve
M
Mara
Sylvia-
I was told no driving for 4-6 weeks, and even after 4 weeks, it was sometimes hard to steer. You can't rush things. It just takes time.
I was told no driving for 4-6 weeks, and even after 4 weeks, it was sometimes hard to steer. You can't rush things. It just takes time.
Z
Zazzy
Hi! Rob is right.. it takes a year for your sternum to heal completely. One of the reasons that they caution you when driving is because if a car or some other object were to dart out in front of you while driving your first instinct is to turn the wheel sharply.... this could do damage to your sternum or break your wires.
I was talking with my friend who works in my heart surgeon's office last week. She told me that they have had patients come in ten years after surgery with broken wires! YIKES!!! Personally I think that she was trying to scare me.... lol.... I had told her that I was helping a friend move. She was cautioning me to be extra careful and not to do any heavy lifting!
Anyway just take it easy... you have the rest of your life to drive... a few weeks won't make that much difference!
Take care,
Zazzy
I was talking with my friend who works in my heart surgeon's office last week. She told me that they have had patients come in ten years after surgery with broken wires! YIKES!!! Personally I think that she was trying to scare me.... lol.... I had told her that I was helping a friend move. She was cautioning me to be extra careful and not to do any heavy lifting!
Anyway just take it easy... you have the rest of your life to drive... a few weeks won't make that much difference!
Take care,
Zazzy
MarkU
Well-known member
My surgeon released me to drive after only three weeks, which looking back on it was a mistake- I probably should have waited another couple of weeks. His main criteria was that I was able to get along all day without taking any pain pills.
The first time I drove it hurt so bad that I waited another week before trying it again. I'm sure that the fact that my car has a 6-speed manual transmission made things a lot worse - shifting was agony!
I think it took me between six months to a year to fully heal.
I go to the gym several times a week and after 14 months I still can't use any of the exercise machines where you put your chest up against a pad, like some of the rowing machines.
The first time I drove it hurt so bad that I waited another week before trying it again. I'm sure that the fact that my car has a 6-speed manual transmission made things a lot worse - shifting was agony!
I think it took me between six months to a year to fully heal.
I go to the gym several times a week and after 14 months I still can't use any of the exercise machines where you put your chest up against a pad, like some of the rowing machines.
A
alpage
My surgeon said that it would take three months to heal completely, or at least that there would be no activity restrictions after three months.
Alan
Alan
getting where you need to go
getting where you need to go
My surgeon told me to not to drive for a month. I told him I was going to be picking my daughter up from brownies, soccer, etc. and he better give me the real scoop... cause I was gonna be the one doing it as soon as I got home. He said, ?wait at least 14 days.. mostly to be sure all the anaesthesia is out of your system.?
I drove myself a couple of miles to the doctors office on day 7. I wouldn?t recommend it.... hurt like crazy. I never drove more than four or five miles from home... and very slowly.
It will have been two years since my surgery on April 6th and my sternum still hurts sometimes when I twist my chest just right. NO, I don?t think it has anything to do with driving to soon. lol
Not a very good heart patient,
Rain
getting where you need to go
My surgeon told me to not to drive for a month. I told him I was going to be picking my daughter up from brownies, soccer, etc. and he better give me the real scoop... cause I was gonna be the one doing it as soon as I got home. He said, ?wait at least 14 days.. mostly to be sure all the anaesthesia is out of your system.?
I drove myself a couple of miles to the doctors office on day 7. I wouldn?t recommend it.... hurt like crazy. I never drove more than four or five miles from home... and very slowly.
It will have been two years since my surgery on April 6th and my sternum still hurts sometimes when I twist my chest just right. NO, I don?t think it has anything to do with driving to soon. lol
Not a very good heart patient,
Rain
J
JenniferO
So, I'm now at the 3 1/2 week mark post surgery, but still feel a little movement in the sternum - like a twinge if I turn too far or pick something up slightly too heavy (I'm trying to be really careful). Is a little movement normal or should I not be feeling any? I'm worried that I'm not fusing like I'm supposed to.
Lorraine
Well-known member
Hi Sylvia,
I would totally agree with waiting 4-6 weeks before driving. I tried driving at six weeks and it still hurt to turn the wheel. I have a Ford Explorer without a running board on it. I'm 5 feet tall and I had a hard time boosting myself up into the vehicle. It's possible that aggravated my sternum everytime I got into the vehicle. When I went with other people in their mini-vans, suburbans etc, I brought a step stool along. I couldn't do that with my own vehicle because I couldn't reach down after I got in the car, to pick up the stool!lol!
To Jennifer. I still had some movement of the sternum for the first few months. It will diminish with time. Just don't try to overdo yourself. Take things slow and easy. No heavy lefting means no heavy lifting. I would go to the grocery store and let them put my groceries in the car. When I got home, I got one of my neighbors to bring my groceries in the house and help me unload. The heaviest thing I had to worry about was the blocks of water softener salt! Thank God for friends, neighbors and relatives! I also didn't try to mow my lawn last summer, being as my operation was last March 8th. I'm going to try it this year and just see how it goes! My rule of thumb post-surgery after the initial 6 weeks was: I"d try to do something, if it hurts or I felt pulling, I'd wait a few weeks longer before trying that same thing again. I think that holds true even now, almost a year post-op. Take care!
I would totally agree with waiting 4-6 weeks before driving. I tried driving at six weeks and it still hurt to turn the wheel. I have a Ford Explorer without a running board on it. I'm 5 feet tall and I had a hard time boosting myself up into the vehicle. It's possible that aggravated my sternum everytime I got into the vehicle. When I went with other people in their mini-vans, suburbans etc, I brought a step stool along. I couldn't do that with my own vehicle because I couldn't reach down after I got in the car, to pick up the stool!lol!
To Jennifer. I still had some movement of the sternum for the first few months. It will diminish with time. Just don't try to overdo yourself. Take things slow and easy. No heavy lefting means no heavy lifting. I would go to the grocery store and let them put my groceries in the car. When I got home, I got one of my neighbors to bring my groceries in the house and help me unload. The heaviest thing I had to worry about was the blocks of water softener salt! Thank God for friends, neighbors and relatives! I also didn't try to mow my lawn last summer, being as my operation was last March 8th. I'm going to try it this year and just see how it goes! My rule of thumb post-surgery after the initial 6 weeks was: I"d try to do something, if it hurts or I felt pulling, I'd wait a few weeks longer before trying that same thing again. I think that holds true even now, almost a year post-op. Take care!
