Personal Question

[AJC62]

I was just curious to know as far as having valve replacement or repair, how long after surgery can someone go back to exercising, having relations, etc? I hope this doesn't offend anyone?
Thanks,
AJC62

 

[Greg a]

TheGymGuy has posted a lot of GREAT info on the topic and very oddly as to having relations there have been a few threads and some even leading to believe they were still in the hospital

 

[Lynlw]

Hi Did you check out the pdf in this thread in the post op stickies? It doesnt answer all of your qustions but should help get an idea what you should be able to do when http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?36996-PDF-from-STS-What-to-expect-after-OHS

 

[AJC62]

Thanks Greg!!!

 

[AJC62]

Thank you Lyn!

 

[johnp]

I think some of this depends on whether you had the minimally invasive/robotics version or open chest. I can tell you I went out for dinner (and even a drink) 4 days after robotic surgery, and was able to go for progrssively longer walks after a week.

 

[AJC62]

Hi John,

I'm not sure - this is my boyfriend and he is waiting to hear back from surgeon as to what route they will take. Don't you have to be on coumadin and I thought I read that you aren't supposed to drink on that?

Thanks,
AJC62

 

[Jkm7]

Our best friends invited us to their house for dinner about 6 nights after I first came home. They had my favorite wine uncorked and waiting when we arrived.

He's an MD and I thought he was trying to kill me. Actually, he was doing us a huge favor to let us know I would not break, I could go on about my life and we could start back to doing whatever I was up to. Sure I got tired, so we went home and I rested. But we were going to restaurants regularly within a week or two of my leaving the hospital, we walked the grocery store and DH pushed the cart/put anything heavy in the cart..............

There are truly are few limitations on us post op (Including multiple flights of stairs) except for lifting, pushing, and pulling until our sternum has healed. It's not smart to raise your hands far over your head until sternum heals but you certainly can reach to blow dry your hair etc ASSUMING you personally feel up to it. We all heal and feel differently and you need to listen to your own body.

 

[Eva]

In addition to the above, and briefly, alcohol in moderation is OK.

We all differ and each one of us has to know what his body's limitations are after surgery!

I personally avoid alcohol ... my system does not tolerate more than 4 oz of wine at one time. Otherwise, my mended heart and I will have to deal with the unpleasant PVCs!

Good luck to your boyfriend.

 

[Jkm7]

Hi John,

I'm not sure - this is my boyfriend and he is waiting to hear back from surgeon as to what route they will take. Don't you have to be on coumadin and I thought I read that you aren't supposed to drink on that?

Thanks,
AJC62

A patient on coumadin can drink moderately as long as they are consistent and not overdo it.
If your boyfriend wants a beer, he can have one or two.
He needs to do approximately the same each week and should do so as they get his dosage adjusted.
Keep in mind a good coumadin manager doses the diet, they do not make the patient diet the dose. All that does is the manager sets the dose and makes it the responsibility of the patient to prove they are right. It leads to depriving the patient of healthful and/or favorite foods that can be eaten in moderation with consistency.

You would really learn a lot to read the Anti-Coagulation section of these forums.
CERtainly it would be very useful for your boyfriend to read and learn about a medication it seems he will take the rest of his life. The more he educates himself about it, the better management he will get as he will know if his coumadin manager is not newly educated to current philosphies about managing ACT.

 

[AJC62]

Thank you for responding Jkm7 - this is good to know. I just hope that he isn't afraid to try and do certain every day things but he is in mid mid-thirties and I'm sure he will recover quickly! And I agree, you do have to listen to your own body. Did you have the minimally invasive surgery?

AJC62

 

[AJC62]

Yes, I heard that having a few drinks here and there is ok.
Thank you Eva!
AJC62

 

[AJC62]

Thanks again Jkm7 - I appreciate all of the information!!

AJC62

 

[Jkm7]

Thank you for responding Jkm7 - this is good to know. I just hope that he isn't afraid to try and do certain every day things but he is in mid mid-thirties and I'm sure he will recover quickly! And I agree, you do have to listen to your own body. Did you have the minimally invasive surgery?

AJC62

Both my OHS were full open sternum.

Depending upon his wishes, perhaps if you went with him to pre and post op doctors appointments, you could encourage his doctors to advise him what he can and should be doing. If you think he will be afraid to try to do things, a word from his doctors may be the encouragement he needs.

Good luck.

 

[AJC62]

Hi again,

Wow! I wish I could go with him but he is in NC and his mother will be helping him out. I don't speak to him much since I think he feels he is no good to anyone the way he is feeling, etc. And I know that he is very scared and depressed.

Thanks,
AJC62

 

[Jkm7]

Fear and depression pre op are very usual and just about all of us have varying degrees of it.
Hopefully, after his surgery he'll feel so much better physically that mentally he'll recover as well.

 

[AJC62]

Yes, I realize that but he has been in this state for about 3 months now....
Thanks - I hope so too!!

 

[Jkm7]

From what I understand, he is still dangling with no firm surgery date and perhaps ?? no decision about hospital and surgeon. It is somewhat understandable for his depression and certainly fear to continue until he is post op.

Until he starts to make the choices and do the scheduling, there is little reason for him to feel better. IMO

 

[TheGymGuy]

I was just curious to know as far as having valve replacement or repair, how long after surgery can someone go back to exercising, having relations, etc? I hope this doesn't offend anyone?
Thanks,
AJC62

Hi AJC62. I had Aortic Valve replacement and Ascending Aorta repair. See my signature for more details. I had full sternotomy, and it is my understanding that the more confortable the surgeon is, the better the outcome is. Ask any surgeon if they prefer partial or full and they will tell you it is easier to work with a full, does not mean they won't do the partial. The recovery time from full sternotomy is about same as partial. I was walking 2-3 miles within first week after I was home. Weeks 2 and 3 I was doing to 3-4 miles and 2-3 hour weekend shopping walks around the local outlets. Most physical recoveries depend on age, physical condition, and most importantly mental state (positive outlook). Read my "hospital story" in my signature to get the full idea. One thing I can tell you is that mental toughness and not willingness to take it laying down made all the difference for me. I chose to fight my recovery every moment with my whole being, I earned every step, every spirometer breath and moved as much as I could. Shoot, I tried to encourage other people that had surgery to join me.

It is week 5 now, and I am exercising, jogging, doing interval training and barely feeling my sternum. Lynlw linked up a pretty good PDF and as far as it goes to relations I can tell you that if a person that had surgery stays in a passive position they can do "stuff" as soon as they feel up to it, assuming their partner does not mind.

Hope this helps,
GymGuy

 

[AJC62]

Yes, I agree with you Jkm7 and he met with a surgeon in NC on Monday and he said he would let me know how he made out but I have yet to hear from him. I know he is very scared and probably thinks he is going to die although he would never admit that. Hopefully when I talk to him a surgery date will be set - he said he can't wait to start feeling better and have his life back so I don't know why he is prolonging this.

Thanks,
AJC62