Just had surgery

[KevinW]

Hi All
I was discharged from hospital here in Brisbane 2 days ago after having a mech valve fitted to replace my highly stenosed bicuspid aortic valve, I was in there for exactly 1 week.
I was diagnosed at age 35 and am now 60, Ive had annual echoes ever since diagnosis
Post Op was a bit worse than I expected (lots of Nausea/Sweating) but my recovery since day 3 post Op has been better than I expected, I walked about 1 mile today.
Nice to be here, I just found this site, wish Id found it 6 months ago

The surgeon gave me a pic of my old valve, it looked kinda bad with no leaflets working, just a sort of slot.

Kevin

 

[ski girl]

Congrats on the acquisition of a functional valve! Once you get through the recovery you'll be amazed at how much better you feel. Take good care of yourself and follow the rehab instructions, especially the lifting and anything else involving your sternum; let that thing heal!

Awesome that you're already walking a mile, keep it up!!

 

[ramjet]

Hi KevinW,
I'm now 8 months post aortic valve replacement and all going well. You MUST get along to cardiac rehab. Depending on where you live you can go to one close to where you live hopefully but you usually can't start the rehab classes until your surgeon has given you the ok to start, and the chest has started to heal properly etc....they will tell you anyway. Its really important to go as the guys and girls there (nurses, physios, dieticians and exercuise physiologists) know all about how to help you get back your strength, and they also give you very helpful lectures on medications, diet, eercise, depression, etc etc, and you also have someone watch your pulse and Blood pressure and watch you while you exercise,a nd they guide you with what you can and can't do, and how to increase your exercise and the weights you lift....it called cardiac rehab, and no doubt they will already have met you to tell you about what they do....but my advice...don't miss it for the world. Every class. Do what you can to get to your class each week. You will meet others who have been through what we have been through as well. Best wishes, and be guided by the cardiac rehab people...they are angels in disguise!

 

[tgmorris]

Kevin, welcome.

My first memory after my surgery was being propped up on the side of the bed and doing dry heaves from the nausea caused by he anesthesia. Once they got that under control things settled down quite nicely. It seems ages ago yet it's been just under 5 months. I completed 24 sessions of cardio rehab and have continued on my own since then and also added strength training as that helps with stairs and such. I've been pretty fortunate in that I had no coronary disease other than the severely stenotic BAV and as such I've been pretty much released by my cardio (yearly visits) with no real restrictions. I'm also fortunate that I've been removed from all my meds other than a multivitamin and 81mg aspirin so my life is pretty much back to normal other than now exercising 6 days a week.

I didn't get a picture of my valve but the surgeon said it was the worst he'd seen and he's done a lot of surgeries. Maybe I'll see if I can get a copy of it or of the pre-surgery cath.

 

[nngbwh]

Glad you made it back. Welcome.

 

[dick0236]

Hi Kevin, welcome. I believe you will find the support of this site very helpful....especially during early post surgery. I remember the difficulty in getting ANY information about living with an "artificial valve" after my surgery. Virtually any concern or question you have, has been experienced by someone on VR.com. You are now an official member of the "zipper club".

ps: forgive the ignorance of an old man, but what country or state is "OZ" an abreviation for?

 

[Jkm7]

Hi Kevin, Welcome. Happy you found us.

So good to hear you are safely through surgery and having a good recovery at home.
You did great to walk a mile so soon.
I've had two OHS and I found that walking was the single best thing I did for myself during healing both time.
The benefits are huge.

Any questions, just ask away.

 

[njean]

Welcome and glad to know you are back and doing well from your surgery.

I too, like Dick0236, had my first two surgeries way back in the early 70's when OHS was still quite new and scarier. There was very little, if any, support back then, before or after our surgeries, making it quite difficult to boost our spirits and have confidence in the life expectancy our new valves offered.

So glad you found us, stay well and enjoy life!

 

[KevinW]

Hi KevinW,
I'm now 8 months post aortic valve replacement and all going well. You MUST get along to cardiac rehab. Depending on where you live you can go to one close to where you live hopefully but you usually can't start the rehab classes until your surgeon has given you the ok to start, and the chest has started to heal properly etc....they will tell you anyway. Its really important to go as the guys and girls there (nurses, physios, dieticians and exercuise physiologists) know all about how to help you get back your strength, and they also give you very helpful lectures on medications, diet, eercise, depression, etc etc, and you also have someone watch your pulse and Blood pressure and watch you while you exercise,a nd they guide you with what you can and can't do, and how to increase your exercise and the weights you lift....it called cardiac rehab, and no doubt they will already have met you to tell you about what they do....but my advice...don't miss it for the world. Every class. Do what you can to get to your class each week. You will meet others who have been through what we have been through as well. Best wishes, and be guided by the cardiac rehab people...they are angels in disguise!

Hi Ramjet
I have already been registered for the rehab at my local hospital, but as you say I need to see my surgeon first, which is next month, Ive been given specific exercises to do by the wonderful physio ladies at St Andrews (where I had surgery) and I have to walk a certain distance every day, Im feeling very good, obviously aches and pains and I keep having strange sensations in my chest, like things are 'sorting themselves out'

 

[KevinW]

Kevin, welcome.

My first memory after my surgery was being propped up on the side of the bed and doing dry heaves from the nausea caused by he anesthesia. Once they got that under control things settled down quite nicely. It seems ages ago yet it's been just under 5 months. I completed 24 sessions of cardio rehab and have continued on my own since then and also added strength training as that helps with stairs and such. I've been pretty fortunate in that I had no coronary disease other than the severely stenotic BAV and as such I've been pretty much released by my cardio (yearly visits) with no real restrictions. I'm also fortunate that I've been removed from all my meds other than a multivitamin and 81mg aspirin so my life is pretty much back to normal other than now exercising 6 days a week.

I didn't get a picture of my valve but the surgeon said it was the worst he'd seen and he's done a lot of surgeries. Maybe I'll see if I can get a copy of it or of the pre-surgery cath.

Hi tgmorris
The Nausea is horrible if your affected by it, I remember the first 2 days post op they kept bringing meals in my room, as soon as I could smell the food I wanted to vomit, I begged them to take it away
Ive been eating a very good diet for about 6 months now, things like wholemeal rice & pasta, olive oil, loads of veg & fruit & fish, no junk food, take away etc..I was relieved after going to the pre discharge lecture on diet that Id done exactly the right thing, it makes you stronger for the big operation you have to go through.
Ive been told I have to have no more than 2 drinks (alcohol) per day due to warfarin)(I usually have a bit more than that) so Ive decided to give up booze altogether, I havent had a glass of wine for 2 weeks now and I feel better for it.

 

[KevinW]

Glad you made it back. Welcome.

thank you nngbwh

 

[KevinW]

Hi Kevin, welcome. I believe you will find the support of this site very helpful....especially during early post surgery. I remember the difficulty in getting ANY information about living with an "artificial valve" after my surgery. Virtually any concern or question you have, has been experienced by someone on VR.com. You are now an official member of the "zipper club".

ps: forgive the ignorance of an old man, but what country or state is "OZ" an abreviation for?

Hi Dick0236
Wow, that valve has done well for you, I notice you dont restrict anything, but dont you have to restrict alcohol due to the Warfarin ? theyre quit big on that nowadays.
Yes I am now in the Zipper club (and proud of it )
btw, Oz is short for Australia haha

 

[KevinW]

Hi Kevin, Welcome. Happy you found us.

So good to hear you are safely through surgery and having a good recovery at home.
You did great to walk a mile so soon.
I've had two OHS and I found that walking was the single best thing I did for myself during healing both time.
The benefits are huge.

Any questions, just ask away.

Thanks Jkm7
Its great to be here, us folks have a lot in common, Ive already spent about 3 hours reading past threads, it is indeed a great forum.

 

[KevinW]

Welcome and glad to know you are back and doing well from your surgery.

I too, like Dick0236, had my first two surgeries way back in the early 70's when OHS was still quite new and scarier. There was very little, if any, support back then, before or after our surgeries, making it quite difficult to boost our spirits and have confidence in the life expectancy our new valves offered.

So glad you found us, stay well and enjoy life!

Thanks njean, it must have been a lot erm scarier back then, no internet, less knowlege, I bet anaesthetics were a bit more barbaric as well

 

[KevinW]

Incidentally my surgeon, Dr Peter Tesar has had a lot to do with this interesting animation of the proceedure;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjmy9OrDTVA

 

[dick0236]

Hi Dick0236
I notice you dont restrict anything, but dont you have to restrict alcohol due to the Warfarin ? theyre quit big on that nowadays.

I was actually prescribed a 12oz beer daily while I was in the hospital post op as a diuretic.....we didn't have all the meds for that pupose that are available today. I looked forward to my 7pm med(?) each evening. Nothing wrong with social drinking now and then......just don't overdue it. Overdoing it can screw up INR levels....and make you prone to falling on your head LOL.

 

[ski girl]

The alcohol-warfarin thing is a bit of a furphy . . . the point is to be consistent with your diet. Besides, research has shown that teetotallers have more health problems than moderate drinkers. I suggest 1-2 glasses of a good Margaret River red on a daily basis.

The drink that WILL mess with your warfarin is grapefruit juice! I forgot about that one and washed my warfarin down with a big glass of grapefruit juice for a week; the next week my INR was 9.0!!!!

 

[njean]

The alcohol-warfarin thing is a bit of a furphy . . . the point is to be consistent with your diet. Besides, research has shown that teetotallers have more health problems than moderate drinkers. I suggest 1-2 glasses of a good Margaret River red on a daily basis.

The drink that WILL mess with your warfarin is grapefruit juice! I forgot about that one and washed my warfarin down with a big glass of grapefruit juice for a week; the next week my INR was 9.0!!!!

I can relate to that! I LOVE red grapefruits but hardly ever eat them due to the coumadin. But two weeks ago, I just couldn't resist them any longer and I ate two in one week and when I went to check my INR it was 4.8! I had been on antibiotics for the flu too, so that didn't help at all either!

 

[KevinW]

The alcohol-warfarin thing is a bit of a furphy . . . the point is to be consistent with your diet. Besides, research has shown that teetotallers have more health problems than moderate drinkers. I suggest 1-2 glasses of a good Margaret River red on a daily basis.

The drink that WILL mess with your warfarin is grapefruit juice! I forgot about that one and washed my warfarin down with a big glass of grapefruit juice for a week; the next week my INR was 9.0!!!!

yes no problem having 1 or 2 glasses, but I feel a lot better for not having had any wine for 2 weeks so I think I'll use the break to quit drinking it altogether, I actually think wine is bad for you in other ways

 

[ski girl]

Ah but Kevin there is a possibility that you feel better because your heart is fixed!