Yes! Yes yes yes. I was moved from ICU the very next day after my surgery and indeed you feel as if you have been blindsided by a bus, although again I suspect my robotic experience was a little less traumatic than full sternotomy. But you are put into a 2-person room (at least with my insurance) and the nurses are VERY inconsistent. Some are okay, some are LOUSY, many are NOT educated in heart issues and in fact I knew more than they did, and I was constantly keeping my eye on what was going on. To top it off, on my second day after surgery I went into atrial fibrillation and had to tell my nurse and she thought I was just having a hot flash! I insisted and they then put my bed up, put the leads on and lo and behold realized I had converted into afib. At that point a private room came available (UCLA does not have enough private rooms) for $300 more a night (I put it on thecredit card!) and I was moved. It was easier to rest and deal with the afib, which converted the next day. Even in the private room, the nurses were inconsistent. One of them, a very nice young woman, had too many fluids going into my left arm. It was swollen to above the elbow! I told her not to do it, but it took the charge nurse coming in on her rounds to say “Hey! Take that off! Too many fluids!” My arm was purple and took two weeks for the pain to go away in it. It was swollen like a sausage. The girl was simply inexperienced. This is why the patient needs to be vigilant and educated, and why the patient needs an advocate and a loved one at the hospital. I will say that UCLA does offer advocates and they do come around to your room and will do whatever you need done.
My advice, take NO medication until you know what it is and they have read the number on the order and the number on your wristband. Question everything someone does when she or he comes into your room. If you arer unwell or sleeping, your family member should do this for you. Good luck Gary! Sounds as if you are doing great!
Best, Leslie
now one month out, driving, walking, no pain killers, thrilled with my robotic surgery, 3 1″ incisions, that’s it.