Janis (Jan)'s Posts

Hi everyone, Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers, hospital and home visits, cards, flowers, and food. I am blessed to have such great family and friends. Open heart surgery on December 19th went well. I don't remember much about the prep and nothing at all about the surgery. Thank goodness. My first memories were of blurry visions of people looking down over me and speaking to me. I had no idea who is was or what they were saying. My waiting room family consisted of my husband, daughter, youngest son, sister, brother-in-law's wife, and several family friends. The heart tower (6th floor) at CMC in Charlotte was wonderful. The ICU staff had the most compassionate nurses. Two of the male nurses were my favorites. They were always looking after my pain and discomfort and were able to help me keep it to a minimum. Dr. Stiegel is a superb surgeon. After he replaced my aortic valve, he was able to repair rather than replace my ascending aorta. This allowed for a much shorter surgery, 1-1/2 hours compared to 4 or 5. I was in ICU for 2 days while they tried to get my heartbeat to normalize. I do remember having the drainage tubes removed - no fun there, but at least it was over quickly. I began doing all the things the doctor and nurses told me that I needed to do to have a faster recovery - lots of deep breathing exercises to keep the lungs from collapsing; walking to build up my strength; and stretching exercises to keep me from 'closing up my sore chest area like a clam'. I was worried about having the surgery during the Christmas holiday, but there were plenty of staff onhand to meet my every need. On Christmas Eve morning, I was released. It was good to be home for Christmas. I had decorated the house prior to surgery. I'm on a low salt, fat free, low sugar diet. Did I mention that I also quit smoking on Dec. 19th? I am progressing nicely and getting stronger each day - still doing all the breathing and stretching exercises as well as a good bit of walking. Pain medication is helping me get through the sternum healing process. I have cut it back once and tried to cut it back again even more. That was a mistake. I was warned not to let the pain get 'ahead of you'. I'll try again next week. I was also warned not to lift anything more than 5 pounds or to reach too far, etc. You definitely pay the price when you don't follow that advice. My daughter was my nurse during my first week home and my youngest son has now taken over. Both did a fabulous job. Hubby has been wonderful, too. I have a home health care nurse that stops by now twice a week, and I see my surgeon for a follow-up on the 18th. I will do cardio rehab at some point in the future to help me to continue to recover. I've been doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, reading, and 'getting to know my new laptop computer'. Looking forward to playing tennis again in the spring, doing some gardening, and getting back to my little building projects. Thanks again for all the support. It was and is truly appreciated.

All systems are 'go' for my open heart surgery on Monday morning, Dec. 19th to replace my aortic valve and ascending aorta. I had my pre-op last Tuesday and received a tour of the operating room, CVRU, and a private room. A cardiac nurse sat with me for about an hour going over what will be taking place during my stay. Additional tests were performed, and I was sent home to wait for the 19th. Last Wednesday, I finally decided to see a doctor to get some medication for anxiety. I gave it a trial run last night, and it works like a charm. I have to arrive at CMC in Charlotte by 5 am. They should begin prepping me between 6 & 6:30; the surgery will start at about 8 am and is expected to take about 5 hours if there are no complications. I will be in CMC's CVRU (ICU) for at least two days. Then I'll be moved to a private room in what they call "6th tower". It is estimated that I will be at CMC for 5-7 days if there are no complications, so I'm hoping to home by Christmas Day or the day after. I have done everything I can think of to prepare for the before/after surgery needs. I'm in a good state of mind, and I have full confidence in my surgeon, Dr. Mark Stiegel of Sanger Heart and in CMC. I have the support of family and friends. But when all is said and done, I'm ultimately in God's hands, no matter which way it goes, but will certainly appreciate any and all prayers. Please pray for my family, too. I don't know if anyone will post updates for me, but we'll try. Happy Holidays. Jan

I had an appointment today in Charlotte with my heart surgeon, Dr. Mark Stiegel of Sanger Heart & Vascular. After discussing the pros and cons of tissue vs. mechanical valves for people of my age and lifestyle, I'm ditching my original choice, the mechanical valve in favor of a tissue valve. The surgeon will also be replacing the whole section of my dialated ascending aorta. The pre-op is scheduled for Dec. 13th; the open heart surgery is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 19th. I have to be at Carolina Medical Center, Blythe Blvd., Charlotte at 5 am. My daughter and son-in-law have a break from FSU and will be coming up the weekend prior to surgery to stay for a while. My hubby and youngest son will also be here. I will be in the CVR (cardiovascular recovery) for 2 days before being moved to the 6th floor tower for heart patients for an additional 3-4 days; longer if there are complications. Hopefully I'll be back in Statesville for Christmas. My mammogram results were 'inconclusive', so I'm having another one done on Dec. 5th. If they find anything, this could mess up my OHS date. A colonoscopy is scheduled for Dec. 14th. I've had 14 doctor/testing appointments in November alone. I am just about 'doctored out'. I'm feeling confident that all will be well, but anxiety keeps rearing its ugly head, especially towards bedtime. My hubby bought me a laptop and a recliner (early Christmas presents) to make life a little easier for me during recovery. He's been absolutely awesome. I will ask my family to post occasional updates while I'm in the hospital for the first few days, until I'm up to taking over. .