...And we're back.
Just to set the record straight with people on blood thinners, I had a Mosaic tissue (porcine) valve put in three days ago, and they have me short-term on Plavix as a blood thinner. Certainly not Coumadin. It is related to your condition and your physician. I was given heparin to avoid clotting at operation time.
I'm also in my basement typing out an email to VR, when everyone else who had surgery Tuesday is still in the hospital until Sunday. No, the insurance didn't kick me out. I was ready, and the surgeon and the cardiologist agreed.
Obviously, I still have some periocarditis, and a huge, Frankenstein set of staples that looks like a bad zipper. But I got to walk among my just-blooming daffodils today, and if I keep things cool, I should do very well. I was in a fine hospital, but a hospital is no place for sick people.
I have Vioxx for the periocarditis, atenolol to keep the heart rate down (25mg, 2xday), Ultram pills for pain (not on one now, but good to have in the evening, when pain and symptoms seem to increase), a stool softener (I guess so you won't pop a rivet), prevacid for the stomach (I'm not sure why on that one) and an iron pill to bring my blood back up. In a couple weeks, I'll be off of most of them.
I opted not to have the morphine, and had a Fentanyl (sp?) patient-controlled pain relief unit instead of the morphine one. I always felt the narcotics make it harder for you to fight for yourself. That made it bearable, but didn't leave me out of control or drugged feeling.
The second night, the periocarditis and the chest tube played off of each other pretty badly, but they gave me a shot in the thigh of something that began with T (Torinol?), that is a very strong anti-inflammatory they use on "young patients." They did mention that some older patients have had hallucinations on it, but I guess my chest anguish pretty much used that up. Anyway, it made it bearable in less than two minutes, so I finally got to sleep in time for them to come in for my next BP, pulse-ox, and temp reading.
Those are the drugs I had/have. They are all once a day, except the atanolol, which is twice (25mg-25mg) My arteries are completely clear, so that probably put me at a great advantage as far as variety and amount.
Best wishes to all.
Just to set the record straight with people on blood thinners, I had a Mosaic tissue (porcine) valve put in three days ago, and they have me short-term on Plavix as a blood thinner. Certainly not Coumadin. It is related to your condition and your physician. I was given heparin to avoid clotting at operation time.
I'm also in my basement typing out an email to VR, when everyone else who had surgery Tuesday is still in the hospital until Sunday. No, the insurance didn't kick me out. I was ready, and the surgeon and the cardiologist agreed.
Obviously, I still have some periocarditis, and a huge, Frankenstein set of staples that looks like a bad zipper. But I got to walk among my just-blooming daffodils today, and if I keep things cool, I should do very well. I was in a fine hospital, but a hospital is no place for sick people.
I have Vioxx for the periocarditis, atenolol to keep the heart rate down (25mg, 2xday), Ultram pills for pain (not on one now, but good to have in the evening, when pain and symptoms seem to increase), a stool softener (I guess so you won't pop a rivet), prevacid for the stomach (I'm not sure why on that one) and an iron pill to bring my blood back up. In a couple weeks, I'll be off of most of them.
I opted not to have the morphine, and had a Fentanyl (sp?) patient-controlled pain relief unit instead of the morphine one. I always felt the narcotics make it harder for you to fight for yourself. That made it bearable, but didn't leave me out of control or drugged feeling.
The second night, the periocarditis and the chest tube played off of each other pretty badly, but they gave me a shot in the thigh of something that began with T (Torinol?), that is a very strong anti-inflammatory they use on "young patients." They did mention that some older patients have had hallucinations on it, but I guess my chest anguish pretty much used that up. Anyway, it made it bearable in less than two minutes, so I finally got to sleep in time for them to come in for my next BP, pulse-ox, and temp reading.
Those are the drugs I had/have. They are all once a day, except the atanolol, which is twice (25mg-25mg) My arteries are completely clear, so that probably put me at a great advantage as far as variety and amount.
Best wishes to all.
I also took the iron pills for 12 days until I went for my 1st post-op visists. Don't be surprised if you look like you're making "coal" when you go to the bathroom, mine were black as coal. 
