What CAN'T you do with a broken sternum?

[ski girl]

T-minus: two weeks until my AVR. I live by myself and am very self-sufficient so I am wondering what sort of things are going to be difficult to do as my sternum heals? What did you find you couldn't do? Humourous responses very welcome too.

Oh and how far before surgery do they make you stop drinking wine? There is a very nice French champagne ON SALE (my fave phrase) right now and I am tempted to get a bottle to drink with a few friends the night before I go in . . . will I just be looking at it in envy??

Thanks everyone!!

 

[Cooker]

Well I had to stop tree swinging for a while:tongue2: ... the worst thing for me was not being able to sleep on my stomach followed by having to wait three weeks to drive ... it really was not near as bad as I expected ... you just have to be careful when you move ... take it slow and easy at first and listen to your body ... good luck!!

 

[Superbob]

It's ill-advised to lift anything heavy for several weeks -- not more than 5 pounds at first, best I recall. But your surgeon should give you guidelines. I found cardiac rehab helpful because it included monitored weight-lifting -- starting with very small weights -- so could be sure what a safe limit was.

Seems it was a good bit longer than 3 weeks before I drove -- of course The Chimp is a swinger, so natch he was driving more quickly. I'm thinking it was 6 weeks for me -- but again the surgeon's office no doubt will give you guidelines.

Since you are ski girl, I am deducing you ski. I would be very cautious about resuming that -- be sure the sternum is completely healed first. A collision would not be pretty.

All best to you -- bet you get a lot of helpful responses here.

 

[Cooker]

It's ill-advised to lift anything heavy for several weeks -- not more than 5 pounds at first, best I recall. But your surgeon should give you guidelines. I found cardiac rehab helpful because it included monitored weight-lifting -- starting with very small weights -- so could be sure what a safe limit was.

Seems it was a good bit longer than 3 weeks before I drove -- of course The Chimp is a swinger, so natch he was driving more quickly. I'm thinking it was 6 weeks for me -- but again the surgeon's office no doubt will give you guidelines.

Since you are ski girl, I am deducing you ski. I would be very cautious about resuming that -- be sure the sternum is completely healed first. A collision would not be pretty.

All best to you -- bet you get a lot of helpful responses here.

Remember ... I have been labeled, "non-compliant":biggrin2:

 

[ski girl]

AHHH SuperBob I would love to ski. Unfortunately, it has not snowed in Western Australia, since, like, well, never! Skis are the type of boats I paddle, surf skis - stupidly long, skinny, unstable fast things (mine is 21' 6" long!). I almost had a collision tonight - with a dolphin. And I gave myself a concussion last year colliding with the beach when I was unceremoniously dumped by a Very Large Wave. Skiing in the snow will be put on hold for a while, I guarantee that would lead to an extreme close-up with a tree . . . .

Thanks guys, keep it coming!

 

[Superbob]

AHHH SuperBob I would love to ski. Unfortunately, it has not snowed in Western Australia, since, like, well, never! Skis are the type of boats I paddle, surf skis - stupidly long, skinny, unstable fast things (mine is 21' 6" long!). I almost had a collision tonight - with a dolphin. And I gave myself a concussion last year colliding with the beach when I was unceremoniously dumped by a Very Large Wave. Skiing in the snow will be put on hold for a while, I guarantee that would lead to an extreme close-up with a tree . . . .

Thanks guys, keep it coming!

Oh come on, Ski Girl, now you are scaring an old fuddy-duddy. You are surf-skiing two weeks before your AVR? And you may have a Bentall's (as I did)? I would be very cautious about that -- in fact, personally I would stop it now and make make a schedule for rehab for a safe resumption after you have recovered. A hard collision could have bad results if you have an aneurysm.

I think a nice glass (or three) of that wine would be much preferable to skiing a la Perth right now!

 

[Lynlw]

The hardest thing about having the sternum broke. right after you get home, for some people is the lifting restrictions. It is usually like 5 pounds the first few weeks, which means you can't even lift a gallon of milk, -so we usually get 1/2 gallons, just because Justin gets frustrated if he has to ask for help for something like a glass of milk ,(sorry I realize you probably use metrics, I'm not good at changing and don't know how your milk comes)
So many things weigh more than you realize, until you start paying attention. The other main thing the first weeks at home is, you shouldn't stretch high /reach to get things that are over your head. So in your kitchen, before you leave for surgery things that you know you use alot that are stored say above your shoulders (plates food ect) it would probably be good to move them to the counter.
Will you have friends or family members that will be stopping by to lend a hand? Other things that you probably shouldn't do are things like laundry--I'm not saying you can't (you can take little piles to and from the washer/dryer instead of a laundry basket full) but it would be easier for someone else to carry it and move it from the washer to the dryer (especially if you have a top load type washer, its hard to get thigs out of the very bottom) Also Changing sheets on your bed, is too much and most likely your sheets will need changed often since most people sweat alot in their sleep in the beginning..unless of course you sleep in a recliner)

I know this has been asked a couple times, I think Pat might have been the last person. IF I see her threads, I'll post the link here

 

[Michelle D]

To add to the previous suggestions, Reaching over your head will be difficult at first so make sure everything you need for your first two weeks home isn't too high up. Getting wet clothes out of the washing machine will be difficult so do all of your laundry and maybe buy some extra pajamas for sitting around recovering. You'll be limited to what you can do not only by your sternum. I sometimes would feel overwhelmed in busy noisy places, I'd get overwhelmed by talkative guests, my lungs weren't to full capacity for a couple weeks and I'd get winded if I talked too much, and my vision was not quite right for a few weeks. You will also probably need a lot of naps. Most of us have trouble sleeping after surgery.

Wishing you the best of luck.

 

[Bean Counter]

I started driving 3 weeks post op and noticed it very hard to steer the can when it was moving very slowly (like backing into the garage). As far as drinking, I had my surgery on a Monday morning and had several beers the previous Saturday night. I also found that I had to sleep on my back for the first month or so.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

You may want to ask your Surgeon for a Lifting / Pushing / Pulling Schedule following surgery.

Intially, most surgeons (USA) recommend No More than 5 Pounds Lifting / Pushing / Pulling for X weeks (I don't remember how it ramps up, sorry). Note that a gallon of water (and probably milk) weighs 8 lbs.

Numbers I do recall are that the sternum is healed to 80% at 6 weeks and takes 12 weeks to reach 100%.

Many surgeons recommend Not Driving for 6 weeks but will often relent to Limited Daytime Driving after 4 weeks, mostly to allow patients to come for follow-up appointments with Doctors. Most Surgeons recommend not returning to non-physical work for 6 to 8 weeks and waiting 12 weeks to return to physically demanding jobs.

For the first 2 weeks, you will probably feel like you have been run over by a Big Truck and tire easily.
Many patients find they can't sleep comfortably on their side for several weeks and use either body pillows to lean back against or sleep in a recliner.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Freddie]

Cut your toe nails before surgery, it might be a while before your able to that.
Lifting a liter of milk is one thing, the other is opening the fridge door, that too can be a challenge and pain full.
Lyn is absolutely correct about kitchen items - reaching for a simple coffee cup might be more difficult than you think.

If you can, try have things below shoulder height and above the waist and within 1/2 an arms reach for at least the first week of being home. Putting on socks would be another challenge, best to have a good pair of slippers.

 

[Country]

i know that if it were not for my GF i would have had a real difficult time after surgery. and yes it is the simple things, that you wouldnt expect, that give you the most difficult. just putting a shirt on was practically immposible! and the socks also!! you really need to have some slippers handy! once i got home and started sleeping in my own bed, it was difficult to lay down even.... not to mention getting up. and you can forget about getting down to the ground for several weeks.... so if you drop something then that is prob where it will stay for a while.

i highly recommend having someone stay with you for a few weeks after surgery. if it were not for my wonderful girlfriend, my recovery would have been pretty tough!! hope it all works out for you!! good luck!

 

[Superbob]

I was so focused on the surf skiing I didn't pick up on what you said about living alone and being "self-sufficient." As others have said, it would be a very good idea to have some help when you come home, at least for the first week or so. Being self-sufficient is great but OHS and the recovery are times we need some help from others.

 

[pat45750]

I had a minimally invasive surgery with about a 4-5" incision, so my complete sternum was not cut. I still had the same lifting restricitons, but my recovery was suppose to be 2 weeks faster than someone with a fully cut sternum.

My problems was I stayed in the hospital 8 days with a-fib, so I did not hardly get out of bed. Was very dizzy from it and the meds. If you get on strong meds, you often are dizzy and very slow. I simply could not have gotten along without a friend who stayed with me at night for almost 4 weeks post op. I was so tired and dizzy, I could hardly get out of my recliner to the bathroom. I would sit at the table and have to rest to get energy to lift the fork. Maybe I am just a slow healer, but had no idea I would need so much help. I had a hip resurfacing and could easily have taken care of myself. So you might want to have Plan B set in case you encounter problems as I did. I also had 9 dogs to feed and care for, so I could never have done that. I was able to at 4 weeks.

It is diffiuclt to predict what kind of recovery you will have. No way to do that. So you plan for the worst and expect the best. I did not drive for 5 weeks. I never got to do a lot of walking except into a store or resturant. Too tired and dizzy. Now I am off part of me meds, I am not dizzy and getting much more active.

The a-fib really slows you down and so do the meds you take for it. I have heard about 40 -50% of people get it. Maybe you will be in the lucky group that doesn't. They will tell you not of lift. I could not even get the top of one pill bottle off - it is amazing what muscles your use for certain movements. Who would have guessed that!

Good Luck.

Pat

 

[Cherries4life]

My weight restriction is 10 lbs and will be for another month in an half or so. My wife pointed something out to me that I didnt even think about, I went to pull the coffee table closer to me and well its a lot heavier than 10 lbs! It took me just thinking more before doing something. Another bummer for me is that I cant pick up my kids. But you living alone, I would just recommend listening to you your doctors instructions and if its 5, 10 or 15 lbs LISTEN! If you need help with something, you just need to ask someone for a little help. I noticed you mention you live alone, have you considered having someone come live with you for a while or at least stop in daily?

 

[nate_c]

Oh and how far before surgery do they make you stop drinking wine? There is a very nice French champagne ON SALE (my fave phrase) right now and I am tempted to get a bottle to drink with a few friends the night before I go in . . . will I just be looking at it in envy??

I like how you think. I had a bottle of great Chilean Cabernet I'd been saving for a while (spent several months wondering around the region they make it in in Chile at age 18, so it had a special significance for me). I opened it two nights prior to surgery. I would've had a glass the night before too, but they made me check in to the hospital the afternoon prior to my surgery date. Not sure what the nurses would have done if I'd popped open on bottle in my hospital room. I have no idea if alcohol prior to surgery is frowned upon, but it wasn't on my list of no no's, so I figured it was fine. On a side note, I woke up from surgery with a funny craving for an amber ale (my favorite beer), but haven't had any drinks since my surgery four weeks ago. I'll probably give it another month or so.

As for restrictions afterward, they told me no more than 7 pounds (odd number) and no driving for 6 weeks. Also, they should put sneezing on the official list of "do NOT do this" items for at least a couple weeks after surgery.

 

[malibu82]

I wouldn't drink the night before you go in! Bad idea for a number of reasons I think. But get it anyhow and celebrate a few nights before going in! You can drink after surgery too so if it's on sale, I wouldn't pass it by.

Things you can't do....for me it was a lot of things because I had 5 month old and 17 month old babies at that time so I couldn't lift them which was MAJOR. But I would say if I didn't have children, the thing that was most annoying was no driving. Steering the car hurt. Even after you are given the okay to drive, looking over your shoulder to check blind spots in the car hurts your sternum for awhile. I was able to do dishes,meals,laundry and light cleaning immediatley and even vacuuming by 3 weeks.

 

[Greg a]

After I was told that I had to give up Pro Football and after the concert I gave in the patient common room I was told NEVER to play the piano again

But here is a list of sternal and post op restrictions

Many questions arise as to what you should do or should not do after discharge. The following are answers to the most common concerns and questions.

While the sternum (breastbone) is healing, avoid lifting greater than 10 pounds, or pushing/pulling activities with your arms.

Showers are permitted but tub baths are discouraged for 4-6 weeks or until your incisions are healed. Avoid extremely hot water which may cause you to feel dizzy or weak. You may gently wash (don't rub) your incision with soap. Do not use creams or lotions on incisions until they are healed.

Avoid driving a car for 4-6 weeks after surgery. Your reaction time will be delayed due to weakness, fatigue, and/or medication. You do not want to risk hitting the steering wheel and reinjuring the sternum. When riding in a car for long distances, stop every 1-2 hours to stretch your legs. This will improve circulation in your legs and help prevent swelling.

Do not cross your legs while lying in bed or sitting. This puts pressure on the veins under the knees and slows blood flow. If your legs or feet swell, you should put them on a chair or stool while sitting.

Avoid isometrics: straining to move your bowels, pushing/pulling heavy objects, or working with your arms overhead. These activities disproportionately elevate blood pressure and put an added strain on a healing heart.

It is important to space and pace your activities to minimize fatigue. If your feel tired, STOP, and rest for a while. Don't push yourself to finish a task.

A rest period should be taken at least once a day for a few weeks and, initially, preferably twice, morning and afternoon. Napping is not necessary, but resting is. Be sure to dress daily in street clothes. You are on your way to recovery!

Stair climbing is not discouraged. Avoid pulling yourself up with a handrail, and go slowly.

Use your elastic stockings during the day and remove them at night. You should wear the stockings for at least 2 weeks after discharge or more if your ankles are still swollen. The stockings aid blood flow and help reduce swelling in the legs. It is easiest to put the stockings on before you get out of bed in the morning for the day, however most people put them on after a morning shower. They should fit snugly.

Your may notice a swelling or lump at the top of your chest incision which could take several months to disappear.

Most patients experience incisional discomfort in the sternum. This discomfort will decrease in time, but may reoccur when there is as adverse change in the weather or when you overextend yourself. Do not hesitate to use pain relieving medication as you need it.

It is important to distinguish incisional discomfort from chest pain (angina) you may have experienced prior to surgery. Contact your physician if you are experiencing chest pain.

If your chest or leg incisions do not appear to be healing (i.e., redness, drainage, swelling, or tenderness is present), notify your physician.

Take your temperature every morning for one week after discharge. Notify your physician if your temperature stays above 101 degrees F for more than a day.

Check your weight every morning for the first two weeks. If you notice a sudden weight gain, notify your physician.

When you are upset, your heart works harder. It is best to anticipate and avoid situations, people, or topics of conversation that make you tense or angry.

Remember that your diet, medications, and exercise are prescribed specifically for you. Do not expect your friend or neighbor who has a heart condition to have the same prescriptions.

Keep a record of your medications and medical history with you when traveling

when ever posssible ride in the rear seat of a car to avoid the deployment of air bags


NOW IF ONLY I HAD A STERNUM

 

[Marguerite53]

You've had great responses so far. I'll try not to repeat. If your surgery is "textbook perfect" (mine was close!!) then by the 3rd day you really won't need anyone around (but it is nice to have someone call or check in on you daily for at least 10 days). However, those first few days, you might ask some people to hang out with you during the day. Here's why. You laugh, but you may not even be able to open the refrigerator door those first few days! Weakness like you never knew! Also -- forgetfullness. You're gonna be buzzing around mentally on the aftereffects of all those drugs they put in you. You may have trouble remembering if you took the pills you need on schedule. Nice to have someone around who is dispensing things for you -- who has a level head on their shoulders. I agree -- get all your laundry done ahead of time. I was not allowed to do laundry for weeks -- the pulling and reaching of wet, heavy clothes was a no-no. Leaning over and reaching are no fun for several weeks. As was mentioned, gather all that you use daily, or might want and put it close at hand on a counter (or fill up all your counters). Pillows. I bought a ton of extra cheap pillows. Then I sat like a Queen with them all propped around me to sleep. Very helpful. (I even had my family bring me some extras while I was in the hospital to help make me comfortable). Food. Cooking is no fun. If people want to help you, have them bring you meals. having someone else to cook for my family was wonderful. Don't be shy in asking. People really love to help. ALSO. You will have these bursts of energy and think that you can walk outside for a good long time. NEVER Leave without your cell phone! You will have no reserve energy. Once your energy is spent, you will have to rest for a long time before you can venture on. Don't get stuck! This will pass, but for me, it was the most difficult thing about recovery. I just couldn't gauge how much energy I would have for a project, or an outing, or an event and invariably would poop out too tired to move before I had hoped. It resolves itself, of course!! But tiredness and weakness can be very trying of our patience.

By all means.... buy that bottle!! And drink with your friends!! Maybe not the actual night before (you may need something even stronger to calm nerves!), but if you've got an okay from your physician, enjoy!!

Best wishes and good luck!

Marguerite

 

[Jkm7]

My husband made arrangements for help for me during the day while he had to be in his office but I really didn't need the help. Because I like the person, she was with me a few days until I finally said it wasn't necessary. I was able to do light cooking, make a sandwich, serve meals friends brought in for us. I did the laundry by removing wet clothes from the washer a few at a time and not lifiting a full laundry basket. I carried things in small batches.

I was able to put on my socks, dress, pull jerseys over my head, shower and wash my hair (it's short), and sleep in my own bed from day one home from the hospital, both of my OHS.

Everyone is different and what was reality for me certainly might not be for others but I carefully observed the weight restrictions on lifting and followed all doctors' orders and had good recovery both times.

The best thing you can do for yourself is be as active as is comfortable for you without overdoing it and walk as much as your particular hospital instructs. Most give specific time schedules that incrementally increase as you get stronger.

I agree it might not be a good idea to drink the night before your surgery but a few glasses of wine two nights before shouldn't be harmful, all else being okay.

Best wishes.