Maggie’s Heart surgery.

[Porksboy]

I Had Pectus excavatum repair surgery one year ago. It went well and I was up and about Immediately. walked a mile around the floor the second day post-surgery. I am having heart issues again. Pectus repair was to take pressure off my heart and was successful. Trouble is the pectus caused damage to my heat. Bad enough to cause heart issues.



Got better for a while post-surgery but now I need open heart surgery to repair the mitral valve and the septum. Not looking forward to it. Good thing is I am otherwise healthy as a horse and a good 20-30 years younger than most of my docs’ patients. This is the only major health issue I have ever had, aside from a ruptured appendix when I was about 12.

Any experience with recovery times? When were you back to full strength? any lasting ill effects?

 

[Ravenworks]

I feel for you

 

[Flyinghunter]

Prayers up for a complete and speedy recovery.

 

[acudaowner]

welcome back to the land of the living prayers you stay here for a long time .

 

[Vaportrail22]

I had open heart surgery 8 years ago. Just sent you a pm.

 

[7.62willdo]

The hard part for me was all the coughing they wanted me to do immediately after surgery..

 

[ShootnFool8]

Prayers with you!

 

[footsteps]

This is my Experience. I had a tumor in my Tricuspid Valve. Found secondly while having a gallbladder attack. The medical term was "A" Papillary fibroelastoma. Dr.felt it may have been due to my time on duty downtown Manhattan after 9/11. My unit was only 5 nlock fron the towers i survived only due to being in Long Island that morning doing training. Twice a year we head out their March, Sept that faithful day was i lucky. so my gallbladder was acting up headeto the trauma hospital in Cooperstown, the chief of thoracic surgery from Columbia Presbyterian uptown in NYC was their teaching cardi surgical students for 3 months....Luck was with me again...Tumor removed saved my Valve, just an O-ring to seal it up...Waking up after surgery is difficult!! A large line in my neck hurt several weeks after. Throat sore, breathing tube down my throat, drain tube in my chest and the stiff tube in me penis..... take a deep breath when that puppy is removed. Take it slow don't cough or sneeze..... I has a "HEART HUGGER" to squeeze its like a vest with grips yo grab, pull together to keep your sternum snug till it heals...Getting out of bed a chair standing is very hard till you figure it out...... Be strong, let people help you, you will be yourself in time. And yes thats my heart Foootsteps. Ps my tumor was so rare they wrote a paper about me....

 

[Porksboy]

Well the day is almost here. Doc wants me at the hospital Sunday with surgery on Tuesday. No visitors due to covid, not even my wife.

 

[Jscb1b]

Well the day is almost here. Doc wants me at the hospital Sunday with surgery on Tuesday. No visitors due to covid, not even my wife.

Good luck and GOD bless you and the medical team.

 

[Not a Sniper]

Well the day is almost here. Doc wants me at the hospital Sunday with surgery on Tuesday. No visitors due to covid, not even my wife.

You will crush this. It is what we do as humans.

Be strong.

 

[502Chevelle]

You got this man!

 

[Vaportrail22]

You will be fine. You are at one of the best hospitals in the country and you are confident in your doctor. Everything will be alright.

 

[squishee]

Bless and good luck !

 

[Wulf]

Wishing you a Fast and healthy recovery

 

[oneshot86]

you got this

 

[Hobo Hilton]

I had a 5 bypass, open heart surgery 11 years ago. Took my brain about a year to clear up. Was put on the Pfizer drug Lipitor to lower cholesterol.... I never felt great after the surgery and just figured it was due to surgery. My muscles started getting charlie horses after 9 years on the "statins"... Got so bad, I could not get out of my car without picking my legs up with my left arm and swing them out. Cardiologist loved the very low cholesterol numbers. I told people my shoulders were worn out and I was going to need shoulder surgery... Met a man who became disabled due to muscle damage from statins. I got off statins 18 months ago. Over the past year I have felt better than in the previous 10 years. My shoulders are back at 100%......Your body needs cholesterol to properly function.... The magic number on how much cholesterol comes from Pfizer. Pfizer spends more money on advertising than research. The CEO of Pfizer is a Greek resident. He is a veterinarian doctor... As Pfizer was anouncing the roll out of the Covid vaccine the CEO sold $6 million of his stock... Yet, Pfizer advertises they took no money from the US Government to develop the vaccine...

You will come through the operation with flying colors.... Beware of the prescription meds. They could allow you to die a painful death.

JMHO

Hobo

 

[Alphatreedog]

Top of my prayer list .

 

[benchmstr]

I’m not a surgeon or anything..but if you are desperate I’ll give it a shot.

my wife’s a cardio thoracic surgeon, so I’m practically an expert!

 

[Jigstick]

I do anesthesia in a large university medical center with one of the biggest cardiac programs in the country. Are they replacing or repairing your mitral valve? Mitral surgery really comes down to the surgeons skills. Aortic valves are easy for all CT surgeons.

id be happy to answer any of your questions. Assuming everything goes as planned I’d imagine you being in the hospital for 3-5 days. Are you have any shortness of breath?

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I remember the elastic wrap on my chest and the cough pillow I had to hug when coughing. CABGx4, Christmas Eve 2004. Helluva Christmas gift, getting your life saved. They did some interesting things, like using the mammary arteries ((veins?) for some of the bypasses.

I was diagnosed as terminal. They inserted an aortic balloon pump. Then they did stents. Eventually I had pinked up enough to risk the CABG. The diagnosis was Ischemic Heart Disease due to AO exposure.

My Brother had the same conditions, but he was x5, due to AO exposure at Ft McClellan. The Covid took him last January, at age 85.

Benchmstr, Your Wife has my highest regards...

...And, or course, prayers..., Porksboy

Greg

 

[thejeep]

listen to and do everything the staff says. Keep your spirits high. It’s like an oil change. No worries as long as they put the cap back on.

 

[sjoliat]

I had minimally invasive mitral repair back in April. 48 and physically active prior to, they almost make the minimally invasive procedure sound like out-patient surgery. Had myself convinced I would be back at it in a few weeks. Between everything being shut down and the reality of my recovery, I fell into a state of depression for two months. What helped with my turn around was the pool where I swim opening back up, and accepting that full recovery would be a LONG process. Accepted that it might take a full year to recover, and stopped doing things like monitoring blood pressure and heart rate multiple times per day. Now I only check those things every month or so, or if I feel off. Much better to see numbers improve each time versus what seems like zero improvement day after day after day.
The no visitors issue sucks out loud. They let my wife come back with me while I was being prepped. It was rough when they wheeled me away, knowing it would be days until I saw her or my kids again.
For whatever reason, after surgery they had to keep my chest tubes in for almost 5 days. This was the worst part for me. Was extremely miserable in the bed, they let me try the chair after half a day, and that is where I stayed for the remainder. Pulled the dining tray up when I wanted to sleep and just leaned forward on a pillow. How long each patient keeps their tubes in varies, but you will feel much better when they are removed.
This is the important part - do not, under any circumstance, agree to participate in any pain medication trials. I agreed to a study for pain pump medication. During the explanation of the program, my brain latched on to the mention of better medication and then tuned out. The pump log showed that I hit the button like thirtysomething times the first day, and only 4 the second day - it just wasn't helping. They came and removed the pump on the third day, at which time the anesthesiologist told me my pump had placebo, not better medication, or any medication for that matter. So avoid at all costs.

This is nothing you can't handle. Make sure you walk when they ask you to. Do your breathing exercises. The food sucks and the anesthesia will make everything taste bad for a while. Was told by a nurse that Lemonheads help, and they did.
The biggest mistake I made was setting ambitious expectations. Don't do that, just let the healing happen. Gradually you will notice something that doesn't hurt anymore, or realize you can do something you haven't been able to.
Good luck and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Scott J

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Healing is, and must be, a gradual process. It took me over a year, each time, to recover after treatment for Lymphoma. It got to be something of a habit, clawing the way back. The key part is to listen to your body; it will tell you when you're pushing too hard.

When are you done recovering? When you reach the point for which you'll settle. The difference between dragging along and walking briskly is a decision.

Just remember to pace yourself.

Greg

 

[Porksboy]

I had pectus repair in November 19. No pain meds for that, we dont get along. I have a high pain threshold. I have told them no mechanical valve, Bio valve only if NEEDED. I dont want blood thinners and all docs know and agree. I have no other issues, No high blood pressure, no high colesterol, no diabetus, 5'11" and 180lbs so no weight issues.
Sitting in hospital quaranteen as I type. When negative covid comes back I can walk the floor.
Pre pectus surgery. 3.5 inches deep.