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dan777

Just released today after one week. Started out with an angiogram on Wednesday (which showed my arteries to be clear, thankfully) followed by aortic valve replacement (porcine) on Thursday.

I will take time to note my experiences in more detail after getting some rest.

Everything went well but I do have two hopefully small issues they are looking into. One is I have some numbness on my right leg (outside portion from the knee up to just below the hip area. My cardio and surgeon feel this is simply related to being in bed for a few days. The other concern is I weigh the same or slightly more, when I came out as I did when I went in, and the food was not THAT good. Strangely with all the tests they gave me, no one weighed me again after I checked in.

I am now on Warfarin for 3 months, and go back to the Doctor to check my INR (which was 2.2) on Friday. Initial dosage was 5mg, which was moved up to 12mg on the date I left the hospital.

Thanks to all of you again for your good wishes and support.
 
G'day Dan!
So glad you're on the other side! Take care and make sure you do the VR. com motto...sleep, breathe, walk, sleep, breathe, walk etc.
Take care and we also hope that the issues you have will resolve quickly.
Yolanda
 
Hi Dan

CONGRATULATIONS ON CROSSING THE MOUNTAIN!!!! WELCOME HOME!!!!
Just try to take one day at a time, you'll see improvement every day. Remember the vr.com creedo: WALK WALK WALK, NAP NAP NAP, BREATHE BREATHE BREATHE.

BTW, it's normal for food not to taste good for a bit post op.

Evelyn
 
Good work...

I was also numb so nothing to worry about there i think...


It may be just me but 12mg of warfarin a day seems to be quite high a dose so early on, especially if you are out today (wednesday) and they are not testing you again until friday...did they start you off on 5mg and test to wait until your inr was stable for a couple of days?

Its nothing to worry about, some people take more than that amount to keep in range...just wondering if they started you on a lower dose and worked up...
 
Welcome home. Be kind to yourself and don't push your recovery. Make sure you are checking your INR a few times a week until you're sure it's staying in range.
 
Dan,
I'm glad you're home.
I think you should keep an eye on your weight, and if you gain much overnight
(more than 2 pounds) give your surgeon or cardio, a call.
Hopefully the weight will disappear as a little more time passes, but you might need a diuretic to speed the process along.
 
Congratulations!! Good job!!

I think your concerns are definitely worth voicing to the surgeon/doctor. However, many of us do experience rather peculiarly located aches, pains, tinglings, for quite a while after the surgery. Seems to come with the territory. Still I'm very glad you are talking with your doctors about it since they know your personal history.

Your weight will adjust as you begin to move around more. Don't forget, you were just lying around for a week, and you were probably getting fluids for a good part of that time. Water weighs a lot! That is the concern post surgery. That you not be retaining an abundance of fluids. Do keep an eye on it, but I'm sure they dismissed you with instructions about when to call for weight issues.

Best wishes for continuing success in your recovery!!

Marguerite
 
Yep, started at 5 and went to 8, 10, then 12. The Dr said that it would fluctuate as I come off antibiotics to they will keep checking every two days.

Thanks !


Magic8Ball said:
Good work...

I was also numb so nothing to worry about there i think...


It may be just me but 12mg of warfarin a day seems to be quite high a dose so early on, especially if you are out today (wednesday) and they are not testing you again until friday...did they start you off on 5mg and test to wait until your inr was stable for a couple of days?

Its nothing to worry about, some people take more than that amount to keep in range...just wondering if they started you on a lower dose and worked up...
 
Dan,
Glad to hear you are on the other side of surgery. Best wishes for a smooth recovery.
 
The Experience

The Experience

Have a little time and more energy so will start to document my experience for the benefit of others.

First of all, I am an American living in Singapore but have no health insurance.

I used a private hospital here, one of three available probably on a par with all but the most expensive private facilities in the US. Certainly similar in terms of facilities as the larger private hospitals I was familiar with in Omaha Ne. in the 90's.

Anyway. The angio was uncomfortable (Very cold room) but uneventful My cardio performed the procedure and my surgeon was viewing the results from an adjacent room.

Woke up at 630 and given a large jab of morphine for breakfast and the rest was a blur until I started to come out of anesthesia. That was probably the most unnerving of the entire stay. Had never experienced GA so did not know what ot expect. My hearing returned first and all I could think of was trying to get my eyes open and signal someone that I needed WATER... little was I to know that was a few hours away. Was then able to move my feet and get my eyes open enough to see that my arms were strapped to the bed, strangely that did not freak me out. They took the mouth tube out I guess at 12-18 hours after the procedure. The time in the ICU was tough but not as bad as I feared. Nurses for the most part were incredible (on the good side) but I was in an open ward in the ICU on day 1 and the sounds were the most unnerving.

Got out of bed later on T + 48hrs... different from what others reported from the U.S. and was transferred to a private room shortly there-after with the chest and neck tubes removed.

Progress was quick once I got out of ICU with things getting better daily. Day 4 I remember being the day I felt really good and ready to get out, but was kept there 2 more days to stabilize warfarin levels.

Cannot thank all of you enough for your encouragement and contributions. It is so nice to search the threads and get so many hits on questions and conditions that we all have in common.

Time for me to go buy a recliner.

Best wishes to all !

Dan
 
Re: warfarin and weight gain

Re: warfarin and weight gain

I concur re: weight gain. I gained quite a bit, all of it came off after I was walking around. Probably water.

Warfarin level DOES seem very high...and I'm concerned that you are not going to be retested for three months. I was retested daily after I came out until they got the INR level right. (This was last July) I'm now stable, at 7.5 a day.

I see some danger there...I'd talk to the docs again. Fast
 
dan777 said:
Just released today after one week. Started out with an angiogram on Wednesday (which showed my arteries to be clear, thankfully) followed by aortic valve replacement (porcine) on Thursday.

I will take time to note my experiences in more detail after getting some rest.

Everything went well but I do have two hopefully small issues they are looking into. One is I have some numbness on my right leg (outside portion from the knee up to just below the hip area. My cardio and surgeon feel this is simply related to being in bed for a few days. The other concern is I weigh the same or slightly more, when I came out as I did when I went in, and the food was not THAT good. Strangely with all the tests they gave me, no one weighed me again after I checked in.

I am now on 12mg of Warfarin for 3 months, and go back to the Doctor to check my INR (which was 2.2) on Friday.

Thanks to all of you again for your good wishes and support.

Welcome home Dan & best wishes for a speedy & uneventful recovery! Take care of yourself. Enjoy life!! :)
 
dan777 said:
Have a little time and more energy so will start to document my experience for the benefit of others.

First of all, I am an American living in Singapore but have no health insurance.

I used a private hospital here, one of three available probably on a par with all but the most expensive private facilities in the US. Certainly similar in terms of facilities as the larger private hospitals I was familiar with in Omaha Ne. in the 90's.

Anyway. The angio was uncomfortable (Very cold room) but uneventful My cardio performed the procedure and my surgeon was viewing the results from an adjacent room.

Woke up at 630 and given a large jab of morphine for breakfast and the rest was a blur until I started to come out of anesthesia. That was probably the most unnerving of the entire stay. Had never experienced GA so did not know what ot expect. My hearing returned first and all I could think of was trying to get my eyes open and signal someone that I needed WATER... little was I to know that was a few hours away. Was then able to move my feet and get my eyes open enough to see that my arms were strapped to the bed, strangely that did not freak me out. They took the mouth tube out I guess at 12-18 hours after the procedure. The time in the ICU was tough but not as bad as I feared. Nurses for the most part were incredible (on the good side) but I was in an open ward in the ICU on day 1 and the sounds were the most unnerving.

Got out of bed later on T + 48hrs... different from what others reported from the U.S. and was transferred to a private room shortly there-after with the chest and neck tubes removed.

Progress was quick once I got out of ICU with things getting better daily. Day 4 I remember being the day I felt really good and ready to get out, but was kept there 2 more days to stabilize warfarin levels.

Cannot thank all of you enough for your encouragement and contributions. It is so nice to search the threads and get so many hits on questions and conditions that we all have in common.

Time for me to go buy a recliner.

Best wishes to all !

Dan

Small World. I know another American living in Singapore.

Have you found out how much your VR Surgery will Cost?

We've seen some Very Low numbers from India and Thailand.

'AL Capshaw'

p.s. in our Local Cath Lab, they give the patients WARMED BLANKETS once you are draped :) HEAVEN !
 
Thanks Yankee,

Not to worry, I get tested tomorrow then probably early next week again.

yankeeman said:
I concur re: weight gain. I gained quite a bit, all of it came off after I was walking around. Probably water.

Warfarin level DOES seem very high...and I'm concerned that you are not going to be retested for three months. I was retested daily after I came out until they got the INR level right. (This was last July) I'm now stable, at 7.5 a day.

I see some danger there...I'd talk to the docs again. Fast
 

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