Sternum and chest discomfort? will it ever go away!!!

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Jailene777

Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2011
Messages
22
Location
New Haven, CT
It's been over a year since my sternum has been sawed in half and my rib cage cracked open, and I still feel an annoying discomfort. Am I the only one going through this? My cardio said its not uncommon for open heart patients to still feel like this. So I'm guessing this is normal.... Someone please let me know. Thanks!
 
I had my OHS in December 2010 and YES, I do still have annoying rib cage pain, particularly in my lower right rib cage. Sometimes my sternum buggs me too, particularly on damp or very cold days.

In addition to the rib cage pain, I also aquired a swell case of Miniers Syndrome
 
I don't have pain so much ( over 2 years out from most recent OHS) as awareness. And I catch myself itching along the incision kind of absentmindedly scratching on either side of it. Every once in a while I'll get a good stretch and almost feel a bit of a pop, but no associated pain.
 
Jailene,
I was feeling pretty good after a year but it took a little longer before I really felt like I was completely healed and my sternum was solid. One thing you may want to check with your surgeon is whether or not your sternal wires are touching something and causing irritation. I know that some people are so bothered by their wires that they have them surgically removed.
John
 
My aches come and go. I haven't figured out the pattern for them. Perhaps changes in the weather have an effect, perhaps it's because I hunch over when I'm concentrating on my computer. One thing I do know is that the long drives still get to me, and I can feel the tenseness in the muscles between my neck and my collar bones/sternum after a few hours. When I dropped my daughter off after Thanksgiving break, I had a nice pop in that area when I lay back on her dorm bed.

These aches may be annoying, but they are far better than the alternative we would have faced if we didn't have surgery.
 
Wow, seems like ya ought to feel great after that much time, sorry to hear your not..
I get a strange pain in the heart area once in awhile but that's about it on the frontal side. back side different story. I'm about 3 months out and saw a chiropractor today, I think it might have helped so gonna give it a few more trys along with some massages. Been having some pinched nerve problems that hurt like the dickens, I hope like heck this bone cracker can cure this.
 
Sternum pain

Sternum pain

Hey Bravado:

So you get the "heart pain" too? Wow! When it hit me from time to time, it really freaked me out, but every so often, I will be taking a nice deep breath and get a POKE! A couple breaths and it always goes away, but wow! It will really get ya alert in a hurry!
 
bradvo said:
You mean they poke out from your skin?
Click to expand...

Brad, no they haven't actually poked through the skin yet.....but it is a real concern for me.
Post op I was a bit puffy so I didn't really notice them as much, then a year or so later I somehow dropped
more weight and am quite thin these days so the wires are very noticeable. Not pretty ;)
 
@ Jake LOL- any poke or pain, palpitation or flutter, I call the ambulance! Talk about alert! I hate the fact how I'm so overly aware of everything, it makes me paranoid. I can really tell the difference when my heartrate is going fast. On top of it I'm studying to be a medical assistant and I want.to work in cardiology, so all the stuff I learn in school I really soak it in. I use my stethoscope at home and listen to my heartvalve ticking. But the sternum, I'm a stomach sleeper. And gosh after surgery and waiting for MONTHS for my pointy sternum to go down, and everything to feel preety normal, I was craving to sleep on my stomach, I was craving for it like a drug. I felt restless after surgery and I couldn't fall asleep comfortably. When I did, I felt like a baby. Now its been over a year and I'm noticing that I feel discomfort by sleeping on my sides. I'll wake up very achy in my chest.
 
I'm kind of getting jealous with all the tickers out there with mini sternotomys- and sub mammary incisions, less recovery time and discreet scars. I got the whole nine. Traditional sternotomy, I felt like a got hit by a bus. So anyways, I preety much get the picture this annoying discomfort will remain part of us. Sucks... But... I guess its better to have gone through this than not have gone through it all. Thank God we are alive.
 
Ken, I'm really happy you got a repair. How I wish I had a repair, things are complicated for me cuz I'm on coumadin. I'm happy that you are enjoying your life and cherishing your daughter's accomplishments. It really reads out. Nothing means more to you than family, and that is definitely a reason worth living. My daughter just turned 4 yesterday. I had my surgery when she was 2. I thought I wouldn't live to see her grow, but God has blessed me and I'm grateful to be alive.
 
Jailene777 said:
Ken, I'm really happy you got a repair. How I wish I had a repair, things are complicated for me cuz I'm on coumadin. I'm happy that you are enjoying your life and cherishing your daughter's accomplishments. It really reads out. Nothing means more to you than family, and that is definitely a reason worth living. My daughter just turned 4 yesterday. I had my surgery when she was 2. I thought I wouldn't live to see her grow, but God has blessed me and I'm grateful to be alive.
Click to expand...

Jailene777, that post put a smile on my face ...same way I felt about my grand kids. I have 4 . My youngest is 11 and the first to get grandpas attention when waking up in ICU, she had her finger inside my tied down hand so when I felt it I was able to give her finger a squeeze to let her know I was alright .
Something I will never forget, and I'm sure I already have forgotten much of those 6 days in the hospital.
 
My chest still lets me know that I have no sternum with air pressure changes ( I make a great barometer ) I get stronger EVERY day with the pectoral flaps and thank the Lord daily for the talent he gave my surgeon who saved my life by doing the sternectomy ....I have in the past 5 years a new daughter=in-law and two new grand daughters bringng the total to three PINK POWER LOL
 
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