TakeStock
Well-known member
I've mentioned some of my daily status in random posts, but I thought I update everyone on where I'm at. I'll try to make the info helpful so I don't sound too self-centered. 
I'm now 6.5 days out from surgery and feel pretty good overall. I got lucky in many ways this first week, avoiding a-fib completely, apparently avoiding any excess fluids, and many of the common complications others have faced.
I've been using the spirometer about 6 times/day, adding about 100-200ml each day. I'm up to 2100ml, which seems pretty good. I occassionally have to cough, but the coughing pain is not too bad. Actually, burping pain is probably worst, especially if one pops out unexpectedly. I should probably drink fewer carbonated drinks. I've not sneezed yet and pray I never will.
My problems with gas and IBS continue although I've been cleared to take Gas-X which helps. I'll have nausea too on occassion, usually in the morning, although my nurse today said it was probably from taking vicidiin overnight on an empty stomach. I ate a couple crackers and felt immediately better, so she earned her salary for today. The nausea/gas tends to increase my HR which has been running a little high, 90-110bpm, sometimes 120bpm. This morning it was 119 before-crackers and 105-after-crackers 10 minutes later. My surgeon's nurse also gave me a script for reglan/metoclopramide which she thinks will reduce the stress in my digestive system, but we'll see if it helps. The IBS bothers me less than the affect it has on my HR. It also raises my BP a little, but in general it's stayed below 125/85.
I'm on 50mg of lopressor 2x day, so not sure why my HR hasn't come down more.
My scar has healed fairly well but it's still puffy and red along the top 2-inches. The scar is exactly 8-inches in total and except for the top and bottom is barely visible if your standing more than a few feet away. Whomever cut me open did a very clean job, even getting the cut in an almost perfectly straight line.
I saw the visiting nurse today, as I mentioned earlier and she checked my INR on her portable tester. Come out perfect at 2.5. My surgeon's nurse says Dr. Hiratzka usually keeps annuplasty patients on coumadin for 6 weeks, so hopefully I can avoid the INR problems in the remaining 5 weeks. I'm taking 2.5mg of wayfarin daily and they've kept me at that level consistently.
The nurse also noticed I have a skin rash around my stomach area. I don't know if it's from the stuff I've washed with or from the medications. I saw that lopressor can cause skin rashes but I never had that problem with metoprolol or toprol, so I don't think it's the lopressor. Anyone else have rash problems a week out?
I'm still taking vicidin every 4-5 hours. Pain never gets too bad, and it's mainly centered around the back of my neck down to the shoulder blades. The side of my neck is still swore and swollen but it's gradually improving. The only "chest" pain I have is the top 2 inches of the incision. Otherwise nothing on my front side hurts at all, not even around where the chest tubes were.
I think I'm finally over the extreme drowsiness from the anesthesia. I can stay awake for most of the day now. The past couple days I've taken lorazepam/ativivan at night to help my relax well enough to sleep for more than 1 hr at a time. I'm starting to have dreams again which is a good sign.
My goal is to be on tylenol only by the end of this week and have all my vitals down to more normal levels. I said a few weeks ago I'd do my best to give VR.com's future OHS patients positive reassurances, and I'll keep trying to do my best!
I'm now 6.5 days out from surgery and feel pretty good overall. I got lucky in many ways this first week, avoiding a-fib completely, apparently avoiding any excess fluids, and many of the common complications others have faced.
I've been using the spirometer about 6 times/day, adding about 100-200ml each day. I'm up to 2100ml, which seems pretty good. I occassionally have to cough, but the coughing pain is not too bad. Actually, burping pain is probably worst, especially if one pops out unexpectedly. I should probably drink fewer carbonated drinks. I've not sneezed yet and pray I never will.
My problems with gas and IBS continue although I've been cleared to take Gas-X which helps. I'll have nausea too on occassion, usually in the morning, although my nurse today said it was probably from taking vicidiin overnight on an empty stomach. I ate a couple crackers and felt immediately better, so she earned her salary for today. The nausea/gas tends to increase my HR which has been running a little high, 90-110bpm, sometimes 120bpm. This morning it was 119 before-crackers and 105-after-crackers 10 minutes later. My surgeon's nurse also gave me a script for reglan/metoclopramide which she thinks will reduce the stress in my digestive system, but we'll see if it helps. The IBS bothers me less than the affect it has on my HR. It also raises my BP a little, but in general it's stayed below 125/85.
I'm on 50mg of lopressor 2x day, so not sure why my HR hasn't come down more.
My scar has healed fairly well but it's still puffy and red along the top 2-inches. The scar is exactly 8-inches in total and except for the top and bottom is barely visible if your standing more than a few feet away. Whomever cut me open did a very clean job, even getting the cut in an almost perfectly straight line.
I saw the visiting nurse today, as I mentioned earlier and she checked my INR on her portable tester. Come out perfect at 2.5. My surgeon's nurse says Dr. Hiratzka usually keeps annuplasty patients on coumadin for 6 weeks, so hopefully I can avoid the INR problems in the remaining 5 weeks. I'm taking 2.5mg of wayfarin daily and they've kept me at that level consistently.
The nurse also noticed I have a skin rash around my stomach area. I don't know if it's from the stuff I've washed with or from the medications. I saw that lopressor can cause skin rashes but I never had that problem with metoprolol or toprol, so I don't think it's the lopressor. Anyone else have rash problems a week out?
I'm still taking vicidin every 4-5 hours. Pain never gets too bad, and it's mainly centered around the back of my neck down to the shoulder blades. The side of my neck is still swore and swollen but it's gradually improving. The only "chest" pain I have is the top 2 inches of the incision. Otherwise nothing on my front side hurts at all, not even around where the chest tubes were.
I think I'm finally over the extreme drowsiness from the anesthesia. I can stay awake for most of the day now. The past couple days I've taken lorazepam/ativivan at night to help my relax well enough to sleep for more than 1 hr at a time. I'm starting to have dreams again which is a good sign.
My goal is to be on tylenol only by the end of this week and have all my vitals down to more normal levels. I said a few weeks ago I'd do my best to give VR.com's future OHS patients positive reassurances, and I'll keep trying to do my best!
