It's been a rocky road....

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RobinH

Active member
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
44
Location
Manchester, NH, USA
Hi All,

I haven't posted much since my 6/18/08 AVR (St. Jude's Mechanical) because it's been a tough recovery. I am now almost 6 weeks post surgery and finally starting to feel like my normal self.

Before my surgery, I thought I would have an easy recovery since I'm relatively young (47), active and in good health other than my severe aortic stenosis (caused from radation treatments for Hodgkin's Disease in 1979). Boy, was I wrong. I've had every complication in the book (I think, I hope).

Specifically,

1. Multiple pleural effusions. I've had 5 lung taps so far and the fluid just doesn't seem to be going away. My doctor has me on a Medrol steriod pack now combined with a diuretic. Hopefully, both will help.

2. Pericardial effusion. I had to be readmitted to the hospital 3 weeks post surgery due to this. They did a heart tap and drained me for 3 days.

3. Atrial fibrillation. I had to go to the ER twice because of this. IV cardizem took care of it one time and, the other time, I went back into normal rhythm ten minutes after arriving at the ER.

I'm not complaining...it's just frustating because all I want to do is get better and I've had all these little blips to deal with. I am feeling pretty good now and the only thing I'm dealing with now is the ongoing pleural effusion and some PACS. I really want to start cardiac rehab but my doctor wants to wait until the pleural effusion clears up.

On the bright side, I am walking a lot, driving, shopping, going to the movies....all things I did when I was a "normal" person. It feels good not to be a patient anymore and not so dependant on my husband for everything.

All in all, I'm so glad the surgery is behind me. Thank you all for you well wishes and good thoughts when I posted pre-surgery.

Robin
 
Sorry to hear about your complications, My surgery is scheduled tomorrow 7/30. I hope everything will keep getting better for you. Best wishes.

Gary
 
Sorry to hear about the rocky road. It sounds like the pavement is smoothing out now. Hopefully the pleural effusion will be rexolved soon. Best wishes for a smoother recovery going forward.
 
You have had a rough time, Robin.:(:(
In my opinion, the high possibility of complications post surgery is why valve replacement surgery is such a stinker!:eek::eek:
I hope that by the time another six weeks passes, the post-op complications will have passed and you will be feeling much better. Please stop by and keep us updated, if you don't mind.
Best wishes
 
You say you've had little blips to deal with.
I'd say they are a little larger than little and you appear to be dealing
with them in a positive way.
6 weeks out and you're starting to feel normal? I think you are
doing great.
Prayers are with you!
 
Sounds like you have had more than your fair share of complications but you are dealing them in a positive way and moving forward. Hope the road gets smoother and smoother for you from now on, Robin.

Cheers.
 
So sorry you have had this rocky recovery, but I will send prayers that it is all behind you now and you soon are feeling 100%. Please keep us informed.
 
Welcome back Robin -

You certainly moved fast to surgery!
(I'm curious, where did you have your surgery?)

There is a thread in the Pre-Surgery Forum that should be of interest to you started by "brd" entitled "getting out of the waiting room".

Barbara is a fellow Radiation Treatment Survivor who did a lot of research in her 3 year wait 'for the right time'. Katie 1234 wrote about her mother's recovery.

Bottom Line: Radiation Treatment Survivors typically have longer / slower / more complicated recoveries, but we do 'get there' in the end.

'AL Capshaw'
 
I have some of the same complications that you do, and I'm around the same age. I'm four weeks out of surgery.

I have some questions about plural effusions. My doctor hasn't used that term, but when I looked it up it seems to be the same thing I have -- fluid in the chest cavity around the lung. But you say that you've had "lung taps." This sounds like the fluid is inside your lung. I know that my fluid is outside, not inside, my lung, and that there is a way to drain it. So my questions are:

a.) where is your fluid hiding?
b.) do you think the steriods are helping?
c.) what is a lung tap like?

I'm wondering if pericardial effusion is the same as pericarditis, which I had. I'm not sure, because the doctor described my problem as "swelling of the membrane around the heart," while pericardial effusion sounds like extra fluid around the heart.
 
Al Capshaw...Yes, my surgery went very quickly. Saw my cardiologist on 6/17 and told him I wanted to be put on the fast tract towards surgery. Be careful what you ask for! He said "OK, we can do your cardio cath today and your surgery tomorrow!" By the way, I did have two coronary artery bypasses at the same time...the blockages were also caused by the radiation. I had my surgery at the New England Heart Institute at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH. Dr. Yvon Baribeau was my surgeon. I received excellent care and have no complaints.

Ponygirlmom: My pleural effusion is fluid buildup betweeen the lungs and the lining of the lungs. Lung taps are not fun but not terribly painful. They insert a catheter tube between the rib space on your back and drain out the fluid. It is an outpatient procedure. I think the steriods are helping because the volume of fluid is decreasing. My pericardial effusion was fluid around the heart..I guess between the heart and the pericarial lining. I don't really know what pericarditis is. Best of luck in your recovery.
 
When I developed fluid in the cavity between my lungs and chest wall, my Cardio recommended stepping up my use of the Incentive Spirometer. I was using it for 10 minutes every 2 hours. I would "push" until I could actually 'feel' the fluid being squeezed out. It eventually cleared up.

Robin - It sounds like you were well taken care of. I had not heard of that facility before. Our member "HarryBaby" has complained about his heart care in NH on several occasions. Maybe he should consult with your Cardiologist and Surgeon!

Out of curiosity, where were your Coronary Artery Blockages? I 'assume' they were localized. Did / do you also have "diffused stenosis", perhaps in the RCA?

'AL Capshaw'
 
Sorry you have had these problems but it will get better:).....I had fluid around the heart, a-fib which required converting and had to get three pints of blood....all in the first three weeks post op......but look at me now...swinging tree to tree:D
 
Sorry that you have had such a rough time. Lets hope that all your problems are behind you now and that you now recover well. I am wishing you all the best and luck in your recovery. All the best for a speedy recovery.
 
Hi Robin, Thinking of you and will be glad when you are past this phase. Best regards, Barbara
 
Hi Robin!

Sorry to hear about your rocky road. I've also had some problems post-surgery, but nothing like yours.

I think that the sobering reality about heart surgery is that the risk is not just paying the ultimate price, but also for all kinds of lesser complications.

No one should go into these surgeries expecting an easy ride. Some do get a relatively easy ride, but I wouldn't count on it.

Even the easiest ride will not seem like it in the ICU, at least in my own experience and what I've seen and heard from others.

Anyway, I wish you the best for a smoother recovery henceforward.
 
Robin,
I think it's pretty normal to have issues. I am over a year out from my mitral valve repair and looking back my issues were spread out. At 3 weeks I was in a-flutter, then when I had a stress test and it showed I had heart weakness (33%); then I had pluerisy. I guess I look back on all of these things and they don't seem so bad. I feel great today - I just had to get through the bumps.

Good luck and hang in there!
 
Thanks to everyone for your support and good wishes! You really make me feel like I'm not alone in this journey. I now know the bumps will subside and smoother payment is ahead!
 
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