Ride my bike daily, went on 8 kilometer trail hike with a friend the other day. Try to do as much of what you used to do.your body will tell you when you should stop or slow downlisten to your body. With Diuretic & Exercise, the Pleural Effusion seems to be shrinking on its own, (I will have another Chest X-Ray in Jan. for the Follow-ups w/Cardiologist & Surgeon) Around 4 weeks, Edema set in the feet/ankles (PA said normal), at 5-6 weeks , I moved from the recliner to sleeping in the bed with my legs on pillows, feet above my heart, (really worked, the best remedy!) Heart condition greatly improved and am running on a treadmill several miles after stationary bike ride for an hour. Wow! the only thing like i said i was doing a little yard work and it started to brun . So clinch those fist, and give em hell. I went back to work full time in June but even getting from the parking lot to my office is a struggle. Had 7 bypass surgery on may 7, 2019. I do have family history/gene with coronary heart disease , so, just gonna enjoy each day God gives me and try and be a blessing to others :). You will have over the shoulder pains after but it doesn't last long. I have had such an emotional and spiritual journey. Seek out company of those who support you. See a neurologist to evaluate the . Had single bypass August, 2018. Lehigh Valley, PA. Had my left lung removed in 2008, numbness lasted 5 years it ended gradually. I tire easily. No, it's not definitely go and see your doctor or the surgeon. walking) when you have the clearance to do so. This still puzzles me how the heck did a CABG effect my walking and change my vision so much. Sleep is still somewhat of an issue, because of rib and shoulder discomfort. I feel I am recovered like normal before But off-late suddenly I feel little bit of short of breathing (May be PsychologicalLike when you think of breathing then you try to breath faster)..Just around 15 mins I have this feeling in a day or sometimes when I turn towards my left side and sleep. The surgeon says that my hand should return to normal as the nerve regenerates over a few, perhaps six, months. Severe depression. I am hoping you and your readers can provide some useful information, either scientific or anecdotal. Cause of breathless was hearts LVF % was very low 15% just. 4 weeks now and ready to go back to work. 6. Its been quite a journey. Think of your leg feeling numb if you sit too long in the same position. The early days were traumatizing. The Meds also have my Kidney Function borderline, so I cant take any NSAIDS for the stiffness that I sometimes get from exercising, not really a big deal as I only took them 4-5 times/year anyway. I didnt find anyone on this blog who have had this condition. But a very strong heart. Many symptoms including difficulty sleeping, dizzy if I stand up too fast, high HR, and irregular heart beats. The scar tissue constricts the nerve which reduces the transport of critical chemicals that the nerve needs to stay healthy. I found a whole series of shoulder and arm exercises on medcircle dot com, which look achievable, and my physio is giving me very painful deep single finger massage of the affected areas (T2 T7). But on the short end, you're looking at 3 to 6 months before you regain full sensation to your nipples. Very fortunate for my loving Girlfriend, that was with me every minute of the way, she was there when I woke up, and has been the quintessential Nurse Ratchet ever since. Hoping knowing that pain issues after surgery are not uncommon and you are not alone helps:-). I can't find that dry shampoo anywhere, does anyone know where to find it? Neil. A lot of the pain and tightness comes when I try to roll over and sleep on my side. It makes the breast swollen, tender, warm, and red. I am 62 years old and had triple bypass surgery on July 5. You are young and should heal well. A few weeks later my GP stopped Furosemide and I had a heart attack late July 2019, it was Acute Pulmonary Oedema and Congestive Heart Failure and I was losing my eyesight and hearing was in and out, I have not progressed well until recently. I just couldnt get strong enough. My husband does all the grocery shopping. My concern is the top of the scar around and above the top of the incision is a big protruding lump. Its only 3 months so Im praying it will get better and I do keep myself going cause God did give me another chance with life and lost 45lbs in 3 months since surgery. Beverly, it's a matter of degree no-one should be suffering excruciating pain after surgery. and Blood work. 10 weeks in hospital overall. This resulted in further investigation which concluded I had a bicuspid aortic valve. I have lingering angina like chest pain and general soreness that is slowly dissipating. My BP medication was tweaked to minimize the possibility of hypotension and I have not had a significant presyncope in a few weeks, but the foggy head and feeling of light-headedness continue. Methods: A total of 37 consecutive patients with coronary artery bypass graft surgery (all with left internal thoracic artery graft) who were attending a cardiac-related exercise program underwent a thorough examination. Hi I had a triple 3 months ago, Im 52 and didnt see it coming, I feel good most of the time however I feel like I get little electric shocks running across my chest, I have been told that this is due to the nerves joining back together, does anyone else have this? Recovery took longer than I anticipated, but was slow. You say "it's only burning toast" without checking, at your own risk. Expert Opin Biol Ther. I was told I had a congenital heart problem at 63 years of age. CABG X 4 - Nov.2013. The recovery process is much slower than people realize and I know that it will be a daily struggle for the rest of my life. I started getting angina pains in 2018 when I was on a fairly hard bike ride. Some ways you can help ease swelling, bloating and stomach discomfort are: Gentle mobilisation (i.e. Alsoyou say you made it 14 yearshow much warning / degradation did you have & for how long, prior to this 2nd surgery? While I am exercising 5-6 days a week, can keep up with 20 year olds on the basketball court and can steal bases in my baseball league, routine breathing is still a daily challenge. Hello everyone, my name is Layne and I had my OHS this past June. I believe in time this will only improve. There are other battles I contend with, but mostly I feel blessed by God Almighty to have this second chance. I think Im tired of it!! Suddenly this March 2019, I had Shortness of breath and admitted in Hospital. it's nine weeks, is this normal ? Numbness is a serious condition that should be treated as an emergency if you: Numbness typically improves dramatically as anesthesia wears off. Symptoms of Numbness and Tingling in the Lower Back. Im glad to be alive. All went well. Helpful to wear soft bra @ all times & still use pillow to splint @ night. This is one of my biggest fears. Any thoughts would be appreciated. A small 2019 observational study examined rates of sternal healing at midterm followup after open heart surgery. Hang in there everyone! Soreness. My leg pain and swelling continued through October and up until December 20 when I was washing dishes and suddenly felt chest pain and exhaustion (the exhaustion was included in my initial complaint in May 2019). The PC assumed it was an equipment malfunction but she never did anything, too my knowledge to rule out that it was machine malfunction or that I may have to go for further tests to determine if it was my heart. I just have done the aortic heart valve replace last 2 months. By far the hardest thing for me has been anxiety and depression. Her grip strength went from negligible to normal. Now I am 8 months away from the surgery and mostly doing fine. Good Day to everyone out in heart disease land! Its been close to a month since I had quintuple bypass surgery (Nov 18, 2019). Hi everybodynice to read your stories of recoveryI am 56 y/o from Philippinesgoing 6 months after single vessel open heart bypass surgery using left internal mammary arteryfeeling better and stronger day by daysometimes feel back and shoulder pain and fatiguesometimes feel discomfort from chest incision when stretchinggenerally I feel great..stop smoking and trying hard to eat healthy foods more on veggies and fish..less fat and saltfruit once a dayregular exercise like walking and jogging at least 2.5 hrs a week or 3-4 days a week.always give thanks to the lord for a new lease of lifehow are you there?specially those who are now on 3 years or more from recovery?pls share againhave a nice day to all. Hello, I had OHS via thoracotomy couple of months ago. At56 in Dec17, I had a double bypass. But the outcome is sweet. You may know how this feels. This really bothers me. I have had pain, numbness. I went to a hospital 3times, walk-in center twice and an orthopedic dr and they all said same thing cause my EKG came out fine as well as my heart monitoring and BP was all normal. You hit the nail on the head brianm depending on the skill of your surgeon (and whether he was something of a speed demon!) I have been told get used to it that is what often happens after open heart surgery. It has been great reading everyones progress after OHS. That landed me on IVs 2x daily and wound vac since then. June started driving. My condition was geneticborn biscuspidtwo cusps instead of threecaused problems I thought would be resolved once the op was done. i have stopped smoking and trying to eat healthy as possible. Pretty much SOP whenever they spread/crack the ribs. This group of medicines is used to blunt pain and sensation during surgery. Things get better but, slower then anticipated. I pray God will guide and protect us both. I will nr 4 wks post op May 24. Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. Fortunately did not have to be hospitalized. It was Aortic Valve aneurysm and also Aortic Valve replacement. Have had 4 stents. It didnt and ended up after 4 months causing dilated cardio myopathy and a lower ejection fraction of 35%. Handb Clin Neurol. I had no risk factor, no blockage, no cholesterol, nothing. I start cardiac rehab very soon and walk 4-5 days a week. My all day stamina is slowly returning, although I have to work on being able to stand for longer periods. I am 60 years young, recovering from quadruple bypass surgery about 1 month ago. I have to keep my head above water & just keep trying to move forward regardless of how slow that may be. I needed both valves replaced and I have been given an internal pacemaker. I provided some thoughts for Sean below, but Im curious to know if you experienced this heart surgery complication. Are any of you taking this drug and if so how did it affect you? My recommendation: listen to your heart because its usually right and go seek out another doctor. I still have to relay on my family for help. I feel a hieghtened sensitivity in a good sense but it brings me overwhelming emotion. She does 30-inch box jumps in CrossFit and is planning on competing in a bodybuilding competition! Aches between your shoulder blades, over the ribs, in the back of the neck, chest or leg incision. Im becoming really concerned. Mostly, however, Im just so grateful to be alive. The patient should go for a cardiac rehabilitation program when the doctor recommends . The discomfort radiates right across the chest and through to the back and under the arms. So, thank you everyone for sharing your stories! I guess the discomfort never goes away. Continued to have mini strokes, migraines, and numerous other symptoms, treatment was basically its in your head. Dizzy, Vertigo, and I live in a brain cloud. I fought in WWll with my dad in Germany and so forth. My second one was this past August 2014. So tired of being sore, how long still??? I performed the ultrasound-guided nerve hydrodissection with orthobiologics procedure a total of four times over the course of a year. I just finished Cardiac Rehab, and that helped me to improve physically. Putting my shoes on took forever, and it rendered me breathless. I hope it is better now. It is great to know I am not alone with worries and concerns about what stage should I be at with my recovery. The other thing no one warned me about was how long the after effects of the deep anaesthesia last. Im 49 years old and have had 3 open heart surgeries 30 Xanthoma sugeries and now own over 50 cardiac, renal and peripheral stents. Im on new meds, i have anxiety, but qlways did.. can someone tell me possibly why i shake. There will be good days and bad days. Had to go to A&E because my pulse rate got over 100 .. normally, prior to OHS, at 50 sitting at rest doing sudoku or tv watching. Heres hoping that it passes soon. I am 76 but had a very active lifestyle pre op and I am hoping I can get back to normality in due course. Finding some comfort, ease, in reading your posts. The Prayers & Positive Thoughts from my Family & Friends have carried me through another trial of life, I am truly Blessed! I have many issues resulting from liver, kidney, lung, and brain damage but lets focus on my heart. You can walk outside or indoors at your local mall or shopping center. Yes Joanne. Ive had no swelling in my legs or anywhere. Your experiences are invaluable to me in my second month of recovery from aortic valve replacement. Always exercised and never drank a lot. I cant seem to warm up then Im so hot I need to fan myself. . I notice that currently I still feel tired (almost faint sometimes. Other than the lack of energy I feel good. I had a quadruple bypass on March 12 2019. NO WAY I could stay at home, so I went straight OUT in Mother Nature, so I walk every day between 5,000 and nearly 10,000 steps, if I take 2 walks, which is equivalent of 2.5-5 miles a day. Wed like to know other seniors (70+) experience, which I cannot seem to find via online research. I am 42 years old. I just had the bovine about a year ago, so I know the 2nd operation is in my future. NOTE: This blog post provides general information to help the reader better understand regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal health, and related subjects. 1 J Arthroplasty. My sleep pattern has not been good. To complicate matter, I had to stop the various medications I was given for the pain (Vicodin, Percoset . Alas, I had to inform her she would not be so luckY..!! And it may be unavoidable. I have also changed my diet and yes mine is also hereditary. It is common for tiredness to last for months after treatment is over. There is a Graft (Tube like) in my Aorta and also St.Judes valve replaced. In the end, the breastbone is wired shut, and the skin is either stapled, glued, or stitched. Fortunately mine did and others I know say it just took time. This is after 5 years of struggling with high blood pressure, then low blood pressure, over 15 cardiac catheterizations and 8 stents, an MI and TIA. In this blog I will follow my everyday journey of living with familial hypercholesterolemia (or FH). Yes we may never be the same again we all of us appreciate life a lot more. This all came out of nowhere- now understand it is certainly genetics Im doing pretty well. Had a heart attack got rushed to hospital where they saved my life .Now 6 months down the line .went to physio for a few weeks because had a stroke as well they got my left side moving again .then went to cardio rehab twice a week for a few weeks that was also a great help .now all healing up nice still get a lot of tingles in the leg from vien remove scar .and the chest gets a few light stabbing pains on the left side and ever now and again on the right .get out of breath most days and other times Im ok .it is all like a new learning curve .Im very emotional and I never was.i no I will never be the same again but least Im still here and pleased of that and once a week toast every ones health down the pub but do not smoke. Changes in the weather appear to make it worse. So, there are three good days a week. I spent many nights rocking back and forth from severe pain in back and shoulder, then April 30, 2018 called my brother at 11:30 at night asking him to take me to the hosp (a different one from the one I was going to) cause I couldnt breathe from the pain. Im Marc. . The device tells your care provider how the heart is beating while you do your daily activities. My situatuion at 68 was very similar. I want to ask a question of anyone who has had open heart surgery and watched the Barbara Walter's special . I am 8 weeks after aortic valve and root replacement. Family hx of cardiac disease (his dad died of a massive heart attack at age 65), so hed been seeing a cardiologist since he was 50, taking prescribed meds, exercising, etc. I now feel worse then I have ever felt in my entire life. What Im reading in some of these comments is that they are never the same after the op? I take homeo remedies for such acute problems. I am lifting 30 plus pounds, but not over doing it. Must say I fell very good physically. However, newer nonsurgical nerve repair techniques may be able to help. My doctor said try it and see what happens? After heart surgery, you may have side-effects or complications that make your recovery progress less fast than you and your medical team had hoped. ASRA practice advisory on neurologic complications in regional anesthesia and pain medicine. Hi. What used to be delicious tasted like old peanuts. I hear you Maryann. I had 5 bypass surgery with 95% blockages done last November a week before Thanksgiving. She say's " just take, I am not sure where I am to go to talk about this as I have never joined a group beforeI am hoping this is sort of a support group for those of us with open heart surgery. The time it takes to fully heal will depend on the person's age and overall health and the complexity of the operation. My blood pressure is usually 156/92 (not good), but my heart dr says just monitor it for 3 months I am thinking of changing Drs. Feels like a burning scratching feeling inside. I am grateful for the surgery and to be alive, but the recovery is a royal pain in the butt. Just taking it day by day. I am going to try to get back to walking and watching what I am eating. I am walking some everyday but have not been able to increase the time as anticipated. All of this is very good right? But when University of Toronto cardiac surgeon Dr. Bobby Yanagawa pondered the same question online recently, he received a surprisingly wide . I had quadruple bypass after care flight got me to the hospital on Christmas Eve of last year. Im 7 months past OHS- heart valve replacement, (bicuspid to tri- cuspid) aneurysm on the ascending aorta. working daily 5 hrs, sleeping like a baby, BP Good, Colesterol not so good. since you had a good relationship i think it would be good for you to see him but also realize that that it may be tough for him emotionally. They feels like in the joints they need to be scratched inside and no mater what I do it doesnt stop. For example, a severe cut on the lower leg could potentially cut through nerves. Your blood pressure is dangerously high! doi:10.1111/tog.12064, Azizzadeh B, Mashkevich G. Nerve injuries and treatment in facial cosmetic surgery. they can do damage to the connective tissue. Wish you all well. Incidence and risk factors for postoperative lingual neuropraxia following airway instrumentation: A retrospective matched case-control study, ASRA practice advisory on neurologic complications in regional anesthesia and pain medicine, Postoperative numbness: a survey of patients after hip arthroscopic surgery, Nerve injuries associated with gynaecological surgery, Nerve injuries and treatment in facial cosmetic surgery, Acute loss of bladder control in a stroke of the frontal cortex, Transient delayed facial nerve palsy after inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia, Surgically induced neuropathic pain: understanding the perioperative process, See or feel your face drooping, especially on one side, Feel severe numbness below your incision site after back or spine surgery. so live and love and know God loves you. Four months I thought Id be better. Best thing is to exercise a little bit by walking at least a mile a day for at least 5 days a week. The lack of a good night sleep is driving me nuts. Regrettably, she developed complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type 2 with pain so severe that she couldnt have anyone touch the hand most days. Theres a blood thinner, a beta blocker and metformin to control sugar. I guess, for me, it was a hereditary thing. 12 days later my GP cleared me to go back to Gym. There is probably more. Just like my brother and sister, im sure you would think nothing of helping your son but it may be tough for him, especially if he has been fairly independent. I am currently doing Cardiac rehab 3 days a week along with walking most every day. This burning sensation worsens at night and it keeps me up for hours. I dont feel quite so alone reading your stories. Of course sex has been off the table ever since. Pains in 2018 when i was given for the pain ( Vicodin, Percoset care provider the! Been great reading everyones progress after OHS Im curious to know i am truly blessed and... 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