Hi everyone,
Thought I'd do an update. Things still not going well. Thanks everyone for your messages. Taken me ages to write this as even email exhausting still.
I was in hospital from Sunday to Sunday. I fell over Sunday when I got home, rang hospital who told me to take more tramadol and codeine. Over the evening feeling worse, having kind of hallucinations (smoke and little red dots crawling all over my skin and walls) and fluid retention got worse. I wondered if if was the tramadol or codeine and decided I wouldn't take anymore despite pain.
Saw GP on Monday who checked me over. Suddenly Monday evening I started to spontaneously bring up phlegm and to cough - I hadn't done this once in hospital. Also for the first time I heard sounds in my tummy of wind, had not heard any since surgery. Fluid retention started to improve. I decided that the tramadol and codeine had indeed been bad for me, suppressing cough, suppressing appetite, suppressing bowel activity. Pain bad and heart racing.
Tuesday saw GP who prescribed morphine in liquid form so I could titrate tiny doses. Took a few doses, just 1 ml (a child of under 5 year's dose) and got migraine auras after each. Got too scared to take anymore.
Continuing problems with tummy as every time I had just a tiny amount of food all abdominal activity would cease and I would bloat and distend, this painfully pressing on cardiac area. GP said this was due to surgery, but it meant I still could not eat. No food appeals to me because it causes these problems and pain. I have not had more than an egg or two since surgery day, and nothing since Monday, and I am now dangerously underweight at 45.3 kg/95 pounds (BMI 17). Also exhausted from lack of sleep despite zopiclone. GP has now prescribed me a liquid nutritional food called Fortisip - free food from the NHS. GP says my bowel sounds are disordered but I am not blocked.
Yesterday morning had diarrhoea and felt dizzy and light headed. Was worried about the diuretic I am on. When in hospital my sodium levels were too low for several days which had concerned the medical staff.. Saw GP who said my blood pressure was too low, told me to stop the diuretic and that he would fax hospital for advice. Also had blood test.
So here I am, worse than when in hospital, not sure why, maybe as drugs given in hospital suppressed things they shouldn't have - I should never have been given tramadol or codeine as I have small airways disease ! I am following my instinct now and resting on sofa as multiple trips upstairs to the loo are not good either. Red Cross lent us a commode - hospital physios said we shouldn't get a commode, thankgoodness we didn't listen to them as it can be very helpful, especially when I've had enough of stairs. Am breathless often and on any type of exertion, but that's due to the pain and lack of energy as GP checked out my lung bases. Thankgoodness my legs are very strong from previous weight lifting, as are my abdominal muscles, as I have had no problems getting up from sitting position or out of bed/sofa at any time, even immediately post op - am sleeping in upright position, far too painful to lie down. Cannot do much exercise as am dizzy and exhausted, probably due to lack of energy and electrolyte imbalance.
So the op was a success but recovery is not so good. The anaesthetist, who is a brilliant doctor and communicator (Dr JP van Besouw, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists no less) told me that I was in surgery for two hours and on the heart lung machine for 45 minutes. So that was pretty brilliant I think of the surgeon, Prof M Jahangiri who, as you know I have said before, is only good as a surgeon. I got a Edwards C.E. Perimount Magna Ease Aortic valve, size 19 mm.
Btw, drainage tubes when came out didn't feel a thing. But this surgery, well I don't know how some say knee surgery is worse as I've had knee surgery and emergency caesarean and they were walks in the park compared to this. But I guess everyone is different and my small frame and short and depressed sternum might make a difference, plus inappropriate meds. Here's a piccie of my scar. That's "minimally invasive" but seems to be most of the length of my short sternum.
I'm hoping to have much better news soon. I would hope that once I have been able to eat and get some strength that will help, no food of any kind, no matter whether healthy or not, is appealing to me with this distension/bloat, and stopping peristalsis, which I have discovered can happen after heart surgery which I'd never heard of before. Also when I can get more sleep and get on top of the pain properly. My poor husband is working so hard to keep things together in the house, I feel really sorry for him, but proud of him and my son.
Btw, any other UK members here - in the private hospital where I had my surgery, St Anthony's, there were several NHS patients. Guess what, the NHS hospitals 'fix' their waiting list figures by paying private hospitals to admit patients when they are too full. This also has the direct effect that the real extent of NHS problems are not revealed, ie that the NHS needs more money to get more beds. How can the NHS get the funds it need if it doesn't own up to a problem ? The hospitals are too interested in performing well for their 'oftsed' inspectors reports instead of saying they really do need more beds.
PS - I think you need to click the picture to see it properly as it's just a thumbnail there.
Thought I'd do an update. Things still not going well. Thanks everyone for your messages. Taken me ages to write this as even email exhausting still.
I was in hospital from Sunday to Sunday. I fell over Sunday when I got home, rang hospital who told me to take more tramadol and codeine. Over the evening feeling worse, having kind of hallucinations (smoke and little red dots crawling all over my skin and walls) and fluid retention got worse. I wondered if if was the tramadol or codeine and decided I wouldn't take anymore despite pain.
Saw GP on Monday who checked me over. Suddenly Monday evening I started to spontaneously bring up phlegm and to cough - I hadn't done this once in hospital. Also for the first time I heard sounds in my tummy of wind, had not heard any since surgery. Fluid retention started to improve. I decided that the tramadol and codeine had indeed been bad for me, suppressing cough, suppressing appetite, suppressing bowel activity. Pain bad and heart racing.
Tuesday saw GP who prescribed morphine in liquid form so I could titrate tiny doses. Took a few doses, just 1 ml (a child of under 5 year's dose) and got migraine auras after each. Got too scared to take anymore.
Continuing problems with tummy as every time I had just a tiny amount of food all abdominal activity would cease and I would bloat and distend, this painfully pressing on cardiac area. GP said this was due to surgery, but it meant I still could not eat. No food appeals to me because it causes these problems and pain. I have not had more than an egg or two since surgery day, and nothing since Monday, and I am now dangerously underweight at 45.3 kg/95 pounds (BMI 17). Also exhausted from lack of sleep despite zopiclone. GP has now prescribed me a liquid nutritional food called Fortisip - free food from the NHS. GP says my bowel sounds are disordered but I am not blocked.
Yesterday morning had diarrhoea and felt dizzy and light headed. Was worried about the diuretic I am on. When in hospital my sodium levels were too low for several days which had concerned the medical staff.. Saw GP who said my blood pressure was too low, told me to stop the diuretic and that he would fax hospital for advice. Also had blood test.
So here I am, worse than when in hospital, not sure why, maybe as drugs given in hospital suppressed things they shouldn't have - I should never have been given tramadol or codeine as I have small airways disease ! I am following my instinct now and resting on sofa as multiple trips upstairs to the loo are not good either. Red Cross lent us a commode - hospital physios said we shouldn't get a commode, thankgoodness we didn't listen to them as it can be very helpful, especially when I've had enough of stairs. Am breathless often and on any type of exertion, but that's due to the pain and lack of energy as GP checked out my lung bases. Thankgoodness my legs are very strong from previous weight lifting, as are my abdominal muscles, as I have had no problems getting up from sitting position or out of bed/sofa at any time, even immediately post op - am sleeping in upright position, far too painful to lie down. Cannot do much exercise as am dizzy and exhausted, probably due to lack of energy and electrolyte imbalance.
So the op was a success but recovery is not so good. The anaesthetist, who is a brilliant doctor and communicator (Dr JP van Besouw, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists no less) told me that I was in surgery for two hours and on the heart lung machine for 45 minutes. So that was pretty brilliant I think of the surgeon, Prof M Jahangiri who, as you know I have said before, is only good as a surgeon. I got a Edwards C.E. Perimount Magna Ease Aortic valve, size 19 mm.
Btw, drainage tubes when came out didn't feel a thing. But this surgery, well I don't know how some say knee surgery is worse as I've had knee surgery and emergency caesarean and they were walks in the park compared to this. But I guess everyone is different and my small frame and short and depressed sternum might make a difference, plus inappropriate meds. Here's a piccie of my scar. That's "minimally invasive" but seems to be most of the length of my short sternum.
I'm hoping to have much better news soon. I would hope that once I have been able to eat and get some strength that will help, no food of any kind, no matter whether healthy or not, is appealing to me with this distension/bloat, and stopping peristalsis, which I have discovered can happen after heart surgery which I'd never heard of before. Also when I can get more sleep and get on top of the pain properly. My poor husband is working so hard to keep things together in the house, I feel really sorry for him, but proud of him and my son.
Btw, any other UK members here - in the private hospital where I had my surgery, St Anthony's, there were several NHS patients. Guess what, the NHS hospitals 'fix' their waiting list figures by paying private hospitals to admit patients when they are too full. This also has the direct effect that the real extent of NHS problems are not revealed, ie that the NHS needs more money to get more beds. How can the NHS get the funds it need if it doesn't own up to a problem ? The hospitals are too interested in performing well for their 'oftsed' inspectors reports instead of saying they really do need more beds.
PS - I think you need to click the picture to see it properly as it's just a thumbnail there.
