While in the waiting room

[Oilman]

Just wondering if anyone has experienced severe fatigue while wait on their surgery. I feel weak from head to toe and it is only at ease when sitting or laying still. I also seem to have very short breath while trying to move around. It's been 6 weeks in the waiting room and I find myself getting less mobile than I was weeks Prior. I took a trip up to the hospital yesterday as I felt very uncomfortable. As usual blood pressure was a little high on arrival, but all vitals seem to stabilize in the normal range within a couple of hours while I waited for the blood test results. They also took a X-ray of the chest for any enlargements, lungs seem to be clear right to the bottom. The blood came back negative, so all was good, but why the weakness, I mean at times it's had to stand in one spot. The cardio on call says he sees nothing as immediate trouble today. He recommends to stay as active as possible without over doing it. i agree, i try to walk an combined hour per day, but have had a few none productive days in the last week. But why this weakness. I'm wondering if anyone had this kind symptoms pre surgery.

 

[Jkm7]

I looked at your profile but did not see you yet have a surgery date.
You may wish to try and urge your surgeon to get you scheduled.

 

[karla]

Severe fatigue was my main symptom. Unfortunately, I attributed it to getting older and being out of shape. When I started getting short of breath, I told my cardiologist and he had me in the cath lab within a week. Surgery followed soon after. Since the surgery, I discovered the fatigue was NOT from being out of shape and getting older. It was all heart related.
I agree with Jkm7...it might be time to talk to a surgeon. My docs were much more interested in symptoms than they were test results once we knew I was down to around 1cm

 

[Freddie]

Yep, get on the phone and call your own cardio and/or your GP and get an echo scheduled.

 

[Oilman]

Jkm7, your correct in the fact I haven't received a surgery date. I have completed a echo 6 weeks ago now that show the leak is in the severe range, next day I was sent for the cath (angiogram ) and the cardios doing the procedure stated it was time. At that point all that info and data was sent to the University of Edmonton to the surgical department. I was then required to get a CT of the coronary area. This is all compleat now, and the way I understand now is that I wait for a call from one of the surgeons from the facility. I was unable to see my family doctor as of yet but did leave a message last thurs. I was followed up on Friday with a call from the cath facility stating that everything is over at the surgical department. Hence in the waiting. I will continue to push my GP again this week coming, as I'm sick and tired of being tired at the age of 49. Three years ago I was playing a 40 game season of hockey and riding a slalom water skis. This is all so crazy. I've been waiting for a date 6 weeks now. I know in Canada we have these wait times. Thanks your your input.

Doug

 

[Jeff Edmonton]

Unfortunate reality, I was told by my GP it will take 3 months before the surgery. There are others with multiple health issues that are waiting for the same surgery and I just had to be patient, not an easy thing to do.
I had SOB and I made sure my cardiologist was aware of this. They prioritize, they discuss each patients symtom's and health to determine who goes first. When I saw my surgeon the patient next door to me had SOB so bad that the nurses came and tried to get the surgeon away from talking to me, he stead fast and dealt with me and sent his assistant to talk instead. I really respected him for this but I am sure the other guy had his surgery before me, he was in worse shape.
Alberta health care can be frustrating; However, if they thought you needed the surgery now, you would be in the hospital preparing for the surgery today. Thats what I believe anyway. You have monitored yourself by having echo's done and they know who you are, they are just as frustrated as we are that they cannot get more people threw quicker. If you have had the angiogram, they know how severe it is and you will be in soon. Give your cardiologist good examples of when you experience the SOB so he has evidence to present to the surgical board.
Prepare yourself, when you see the surgeon you will have to select which kind of valve you want. My cardiologist would not discuss this with me, only the surgeon.
The waiting is the hardest part. I was just as frustrated, I phoned the surgeon's office several times and waited for my time to come.

Stay positive, get out for walks and spend time with friends and family.

 

[Oilman]

Thanks Jeff, I know exactly what you mean about the process, your very right, the hardest part of this so far is the wait. The past two days have been better for me physically. I have been walking and staying a little more active which Is very comforting. The past couple weeks where not so pleasant, I was experiencing a lot of SOB & fatigue that really enabled me to even move and times. Frankly that had created a lot of fear and anxiety. I am unable to contact a cardiologist at this point to let him know about me experience with the SOB, as the one that order all my testing and referral to the surgeons was a LOCO doctor, move all over the place, didn't get his info, my bad. But I have notified my GP with this, and he was to email the surgical department. I have came to the conclusion that all I can do is keep people up to date if my condition get bad, and try to keep busy for now. I just wish that I didn't suffer such bad fatigue after my Afib attack. To be heathy enough to work would have occupied my mind. I will stay positive going forward and it will work out just the way it should.

Doug

 

[Oilman]

Well just dropping by to pass on some info with my progress. I have good days and bad days as far as feeling strong in the waiting rooms goes. I think I get a little stressed out that ive been off work for 2 months now, and probably another 4 months to go, which brings on a little arrhythmia that is a bit uncomfortable. I am coming to terms with the time thing tho. I did get some progress today receiving a letter from the surgeon for a meeting on Dec 10/12 in Edmonton. I hope he can do the install before Xmas, but if not, oh well. I'm just glad to be going forward. I've learned so much from everyone here, that has armed me with a lot of questions for the surgeon. Thanks again for being here for me, people on the outside don't understand nor like to hear of such a serious procedure.

 

[lance]

Good morning Doug and welcome to this very informative site
When my valve was replaced in 1999 my surgeon offered me the choice of banking my blood. If so one unit is taken per week for three weeks.
I tried unsuccessfully to reply to another of your threads. I probably didn't do something properly.
For me the waiting was the hardest with many cancellations. Once after I was pre-sedated. Everything worked out in the end though. Like yourself I was short of breath and even standing from a sitting position left me breathless.
My PCP was great seeing me every week--that was very comforting.

 

[Oilman]

Thanks Lance, your absolutely right about the wait, it's been a long two months of not being as active and not working as I was use to. I am managing a lot better with the shortness of breath and fatigue now, I have been walking the treadmill, due to our heavy snowfall at home from 15-30 min each day and have been tagging along with the wife shopping. I will be seeing my GP again tomorrow and will ask about banking some blood, seeing how I am on warfarin right now, for the past 30 months with arrange of 2.0 - 3.0 for stroke prevention. I'm not sure if I can stock, secondly my surgery is in a different city. The local cardiologist has called this week to see how I'm fairing and that is comforting too. My biggest complaint now is I experience a lot more arrhythmia than I ever did, since my AFIB attack at the end of Sept, where I was cardioversioned back to normal. That event really beat me down. I will chat with doctor tomorrow about these issues as I don't want my arrhythmia condition to cause any further damage.

Thanks
Doug

 

[lance]

Hi Doug
You will probably have to discontinue warfarin for 4-5 days prior to surgery so maybe it's a no-go for the blood bank. Although I was on several drugs prior to surgery (not warfarin though) none were discontinued. You're fortunate you already have experience with it and have an XS.
Minor surgery in May left me in congestive heart failure--not fun. I had mitral valve surgery at the end of January--it was a long wait. Wait times in Ontario are shorter now.
It was well worth it though.
As for fatigue I was in denial and the excuses were many--getting older, less active, gaining weight, etc., etc. anything but the real reason.

 

[JiFaire]

As for fatigue I was in denial and the excuses were many--getting older, less active, gaining weight, etc., etc. anything but the real reason.

Oh, how well I know that story ... it's hard to look into the eye of the problem, isn't it? Eventually it was the SOB that convinced me, along with a little arrythmia after shovelling some snow too aggressively.

Once I saw my GP and he had one listen, the jig was up; no more hiding. An Echo told the rest of the story.

I just want to go shovel snow again. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but the idea of being active again is really appealing. As you say, well worth it.