post surgery pain

[mile high]

Good morning,

My AVR was 5 years ago. During the immediate (the first 3 to 4 months) post surgical recovery time the discomfort/pain I felt was not in a specific place. What i felt was an overall body of not feeling well. Using tylenol took care of that feeling of discomfort.

5 years later i still have that same feeling of discomfort when i do certain physical activities. An example is yesterday i spent the afternoon cleaning out leafs from the gutters of our house and raked and bagged leaves around our home.

During the night i partially woke up not feeling well and recognized the discomfort as that just like post surgery, a general overall feeling of discomfort. I took two tylenol, went back to sleep and woke up with the discomfort feeling gone.

I have experienced this same overall discomfort feeling many times since surgery, all surrounding some physical activity. As to my physical health, i exercise regularly both cardio and some free weights, i am not overweight and generally in very good physical condition. I am able to do anything i want to physically.

My question is two fold:

1. What did others experience post surgery in terms of pain and discomfort? was it a general overall feeling or a specific area?

2. Do others who had the overall feeling of discomfort still experience this today? Any thoughts about the source of this discomfort and what could be done, like some specific exercises?

Thanks

Mile High
__________________
avr and ascending aorta
April 2, 2002
St. Judes Mechanical valve and dacron aorta

 

[Marguerite53]

I'm not sure my answers will be very helpful, but I do notice the same kind of sensations when I overdo it. Maybe the leaf cleaning stretched muscles that you don't normally stretch during your workouts. I suppose our bodies have some kind of memory. So that overall feeling (which I totally understand your description of) may just kick into gear when you have done a little too much of something. Kind of like each time we drink too much the hangover is the same !!

Maybe it's some scar tissue reacting to the movement.

I'm 18 months out and every time (and I mean each and every time) I get up from relaxing in a squooshy chair or low reclining position, my sternum aches like skin is being stretched too tight....still makes me wince a little bit. Haven't figured it out, but don't see that it's going away, so I'm just choosing to smile and make it a reminder that I'm still walking around on this planet!

Marguerite

 

[kbheart]

I had that kind of pain severely 4 to 8 months after my surgery. It was worse when I was lying down. They said it was from some sort of nerve damage from the surgery and gave me a medicine for neuropathic pain. Eventually, I went off the medicine but even now if I have a day with lots of physical activity, I feel that same general pain. I take Tylenol PM those nights and feel fine in the morning. Stretching my back and shoulder muscles seems to help. Forward bends help the most.

 

[WayneGM]

Cut and pasted from the other identical tread in the "Heart Talk" forum since this one seems to be drawing more attention.....

Even since OHS (21 months ago), I get muscular aches and pains mainly around the neck, shoulders, and back area. Typically its after hard physical labour or when there is severe weather changes, especially cold and damp. When its bad, I take a couple of Tylonol ES or Arthristis Formula.

My incision is also tender and itchy, even the bullet holes from the tubes, especially if I get hot and sweaty. If anything accidently hit my main incision, it's really quite painful (really stings) but just momentarily.

 

[mile high]

Thanks for the replies. It is nice to know that this type of discomfort is not just me. My next appointment I will discuss with my cardiologist.

 

[ruth]

Hey there MileHigh.

I know what you mean, for me it is only in correlation with overdoing it either with exercise (like your leaves) or with burning the candle at both ends and getting short nights of sleep. About 2-3 nights of <6 hours and I'm a mess.

I didn't used to be this way, this is new post-op. That achy-all-over-not-well feeling.

I'm with Margarite, though, it's another reminder of how lucky I am to still be here.

Peace,
Ruth

 

[mile high]

Ruth,

An excellent description - that "achy-all-over-not-well feeling". That is the one. It is funny, since it has been over 5 years since the surgery life just goes on. I am thankful to still be here, but also look forward to a long and productive life. The very loud clanking of my mechanical valve reminds me of where i have been and that I should appreciate the big and small things in life.

Mile High