Made it!!! Road to recovery

[missaviator]

Well it was quite an experience. The pseudo aneurysm turned out to be far more serious than any of the tests showed. My aorta was separating from my heart near the valve. Had it broken off it would have been fatal. So a patch and two new valves later and I'm ready to rock. God is good, and I cannot begin to express how many "curve balls" were thrown my way, but it has all worked out for the best. I feel so blessed and thankful.

I woke up and got the breathing and drain tubes out super quick. I believe Wednesday...its all a blur. I have been taking only Tylenol since day 5.... The pain meds made me so nauseous I just threw in the towel after three days of vomiting.

I now am at home but with a PICC line because I had a rash and fever after surgery which although they aren't sure ....we are treating it as endocarditis. 2/16 blood cultures turned out positive for bacteria....better safe than sorry. But my Bora Bora trip is out, as I have to have this in for 6-8wks. Oh well.

I also think the stress of the surgery triggered a shingles like virus which we are also treating.

Overall I feel pretty good. I would be lying though if I said I don't pray for next month to hurry here. I want to speed up this recovery and get on with life.

This 2nd surgery has been significantly more difficult, I guess now I'm 10yrs older and redo surgeries are apparently more difficult.

Hope you all are rockin' your recovery too!!!

 

[neil]

good luck on your recovery,

 

[Phil]

Well it was quite an experience. The pseudo aneurysm turned out to be far more serious than any of the tests showed. My aorta was separating from my heart near the valve. Had it broken off it would have been fatal. So a patch and two new valves later and I'm ready to rock. God is good, and I cannot begin to express how many "curve balls" were thrown my way, but it has all worked out for the best. I feel so blessed and thankful.

I woke up and got the breathing and drain tubes out super quick. I believe Wednesday...its all a blur. I have been taking only Tylenol since day 5.... The pain meds made me so nauseous I just threw in the towel after three days of vomiting.

I now am at home but with a PICC line because I had a rash and fever after surgery which although they aren't sure ....we are treating it as endocarditis. 2/16 blood cultures turned out positive for bacteria....better safe than sorry. But my Bora Bora trip is out, as I have to have this in for 6-8wks. Oh well.

I also think the stress of the surgery triggered a shingles like virus which we are also treating.

Overall I feel pretty good. I would be lying though if I said I don't pray for next month to hurry here. I want to speed up this recovery and get on with life.

This 2nd surgery has been significantly more difficult, I guess now I'm 10yrs older and redo surgeries are apparently more difficult.

Hope you all are rockin' your recovery too!!!

Good for you missaviater!

Glad to read it is done and dusted for you, too.

Yesterday was great. No haze and no vomiting. The post operative nausea is dreadful, so I was glad when it left me.

I think my wires come out today meaning my body will finally be mine again, so I'm pleased about this as well.

This definitely was harder than the previous two surgeries and I'm glad I went mechanical this time as I don't think I could go through it again.

Keep up the good work and all the best.



Phil.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Good to hear that you have made it through, but sorry to hear the trip to Bora Bora has to be postponed.

Your comment about praying for next month to hurry struck a chord with me. I'm still in the waiting room with surgery scheduled this week. Its easy to think that everything will be better when you're on the road to recovery, but harder to remember that the road will still be long with some twists and turns!

Take care of yourself and keep us updated. -- Suzanne

 

[sood]

Welcome back Rachel! Believe it or not I've been thinking about you every day since your surgery. Since you hadn't posted I got really worried about your state. Everyday that past I was hoping you were ok! So glad to hear that you are doing better, sorry you have experienced some issues. But soon hopefully they will all be in your rear view mirror. Get well soon

 

[pellicle]

Glad to hear you're though and on the mend

This 2nd surgery has been significantly more difficult, I guess now I'm 10yrs older and redo surgeries are apparently more difficult.

Wait till you go through your third (speaking from experience). Redo is increasingly more difficult due to increasing scar tissue and adhesion (just to start the list).

Which is why I often harp on about the choice being made with careful medical advice.

 

[AZ Don]

missaviator, Glad to hear that you made it, though sorry it was more difficult than it could have been. It sounds like you are headed in the right direction on the road to recovery. Though it may not seem this way now, once it is all over it will seem that it all went by quickly.

 

[ski girl]

Wow Rachel that's quite a story! And Bora Bora isn't going anywhere, it will be there when you're ready to go. Best of luck with the recovery and I will just have to have a pina colada for you!

 

[Rachel]

Really great to hear from you - and yeah as mentioned above - Bora Bora will be there when you're ready!

Take care of yourself and I wish you a speedy recovery!

Rachel

 

[ottagal]

What an experience for sure! Hope your recovery smoothens out and quickens up! Patience is a virtue. Keep your eye on the Bora Bora goal...something to look forward to! Thinking of you...

 

[Heather Anne]

Wow! You seem really upbeat considering all you've been through. But you are right: with every day, you will feel better, and that month will have passed before you know it. And you definitely owe Bora Bora a visit!

 

[kimcdougc]

missaviator, third time is the charm for you I hope. I was sick vomiting for a day like you in ICU. It sucks. Good thing it all becomes a blur. Sounds like you are on your way to recovery. It is one day at time my friend. Bora Bora will be calling your name in a few months. Until then, just look out your own window at your own home and be thankful. (That is what I will be telling myself all summer this year, since I too will be recovering with you.) Take care of yourself and keep moving.

 

[missaviator]

You all are amazing. I am so glad I found this site.

I am 26 days POST OP! Loving how time is flying. My only complaint is how sore the sternum/chest is. I think it is funny how I forgot HOW painful heart surgery was in the past 10 years...my mom said that is why women have more than one baby...haha

Night sweats stopped about a week ago which is nice, I'm sure my mom is happy with the decrease in laundry. I definitely can't wait till I get my body back...it feels very foreign to me and frustrating at the same time. It's easy to get in a blah mood when you just don't feel like yourself.

I can tell you I am praying like crazy for the new technology for ALL of us so we can do VR minimally invasive....I am dreading my third OHS. But I have 10 years to live it the heck up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So much love and positive vibes to you all.