I underwent aortic valve and a double bypass on September 2,2014.
Now home for one week and feeling like my body is going backward in the healing process rather ...Read more
I underwent aortic valve and a double bypass on September 2,2014.
Now home for one week and feeling like my body is going backward in the healing process rather than forard!
I was hospitalised for 12 days,with the only hope in that my messed up heart performing well under it's rebuild and that I WOULD return home to my husband of nearly 47 years and my loving menagerie of two wonderful small rescued dogs and a 42 1/2 years old Gang Gang Parrot named Charlie. Charlie talks a lot,regularly telling me,amongst other things, "love you Jennie". Also 4 cuban finches,the parent birds,theitr son and his new wife. All these chores were left to my dear husband during my absence!!!!
We have 3 adult children who all were very attentive and caring,one even returning from working overseas to be my support. To wake slowly from a deep anaesthetic to find this darling son trying to spoon feed his mum was just magical.
Since my return home, I have found the days becomming more tedious,painful and difficult. Guess lots of this is caused by internal bruising as my chest is very tender.
How amazing is it that surgeons in 2014 can perform and service an aging old woman (72 years old) into,hopefully in time, that regular,overly energetic person again.
The strange thing with my diagnosis is that there were no obvious signs of problems.
I was born with a heart murmur,that was checked regularly and presumably now after this massive surgery slowly rebuilding me from the inside out!
I believe healing does take many many month, so I am having one good lesson in patience just now !
I am blessed by one very special dog lying alongside of me on the couch,never letting her human Mum out of her sight.
Every 'body' handles these medical stresses differently ,and I am just one of them,anxiously awaiting the day that this old frame returns to the pre- operation feelings and energies of days past.
Tom Elliott It sounds like you have a great support system there, Jennifer, with lots of loving human and other-t ... Read more
Tom Elliott It sounds like you have a great support system there, Jennifer, with lots of loving human and other-than-human people. I'm not quite two weeks post op, and it's becoming clear just how long this recovery business can take. But we'll get there!
Yay your at home well done you. Time is the greatest healer keep positive and keep walking a little g ... Read more
Yay your at home well done you. Time is the greatest healer keep positive and keep walking a little goes a longer way. All the best take care Kels
Liidia Wootten Hi Jennifer - Your story has so many things similar to mine. I am 9.5 weeks from surgery and everyda ... Read more
Liidia Wootten Hi Jennifer - Your story has so many things similar to mine. I am 9.5 weeks from surgery and everyday is a test of patience for a non-patient person. The body is so smart - not allowing me to overdo, by reminding me to rest, especially in the afternoon. Your animal friends are the best "healers" you can have. I have 4 cats and after 3 weeks of being away, they would not leave my side, which was a comfort to me. I had to put a pillow on my chest while laying down on the bed so my kitties could curl up on top of me. Their purrs ans meows were such a joy, which helped me get over some "poor-me" moments. Everyday is a lesson is changing and patience - perhaps I'll learn . I am doing better because of this site and all the wisdom, thoughts and positive energy from all the hearties here. Good luck to you and enjoy your four-footed children.
Eleanor R Hi, Jennifer. Do not despair, you will get back your strength and will feel good from the surgery. ... Read more
Eleanor R Hi, Jennifer. Do not despair, you will get back your strength and will feel good from the surgery. I am now about 11 weeks post surgery, I'm in cardiac rehab, driving myself, cleaning the house again, and able to do a little gardening. I still get tired and then I just sit down, but it is amazing what your body can do after getting a new valve. I'm 68 and a half, and before the surgery I could no longer walk long distances, certainly not up hill, and even going up stairs left me a little bit breathless. With the new aortic valve, all of this is possible. Healing happens progressively, we hardly even notice it, since we are still focusing on what we cannot do. Who will notice your progress more are your husband/caretaker, and you menagerie of animal friends, as you can allow them more and more to come onto you. I had a hard time keeping our Havanese dog off my chest. Still do to some extent, for although the incision is healed nicely, I fear ten pound paws. I wish you the very best healing. Eleanor