So…about driving. I’m assuming all the 3 to 4 week timelines I have read and heard are for slush boxes. Both of our cars are sticks, so that’s an entirely ...Read more
So…about driving. I’m assuming all the 3 to 4 week timelines I have read and heard are for slush boxes. Both of our cars are sticks, so that’s an entirely different level of upper body engagement. Any members out there who drive MTs? How soon could you drive?
Yumiko Ishida I was told 6-8 weeks. My surgeon would have allowed me at 6, except my wound healing was slow, so I s ... Read more
Yumiko Ishida I was told 6-8 weeks. My surgeon would have allowed me at 6, except my wound healing was slow, so I started driving after 7 weeks. Stick or automatic, I don’t think it matters. It’s more about the impact on the chest. I think the main concern is possibility of hitting the steering wheel or airbag exploding. I drive a stick myself, but have been borrowing my partner’s automatic because of foot pain (pre surgery) and shoulder pain (post surgery). If it weren’t for those injuries I will be driving my own car.
Thomas Brusstar I first drove my stick kind of soon after my surgery (with sternotomy). Like 3 weeks, for a very sho ... Read more
Thomas Brusstar I first drove my stick kind of soon after my surgery (with sternotomy). Like 3 weeks, for a very short trip. It was fine, to be honest. But the stresses I could feel were nothing to do with the stick, more with the effort and movement of steering. The random risk of an impact into the wheel due to a crash or an airbag deployment is the real problem: too soon and I imagine it might be more likely to disrupt/ re-break some of the healing sternum.
1 presurgery interview-ie choosing a surgeon. Months before surgery.
2. Presurgery office visit. Week of surgery.
3 presurgery. Day of/hours before surgery.
Dan Fouratt One time and he said that at the time. We had a 45 minute meeting and I asked all the questions I wa ... Read more
Dan Fouratt One time and he said that at the time. We had a 45 minute meeting and I asked all the questions I wanted to. He did say I could meet again if I wanted to but I saw no point in a second meeting. Committed to Surgery Jan 19, had Surgery 3/21. Surgery went well. I really was out of it by the time the doctor showed up to the operating room.
Dan Fouratt Sorry I forgot we had a second unscheduled meeting. He was in the hospital the day of my cat (day be ... Read more
Dan Fouratt Sorry I forgot we had a second unscheduled meeting. He was in the hospital the day of my cat (day before surgery) and my cardiologist was also there. My cardiologist did the CAT and there was a grey area we needed to make a decision. three of us met for about 3 minutes to make the decision.
Rita Savelis Once or maybe twice. A cardiologist is not a surgeon. And you will see your cardiologist forever but ... Read more
Rita Savelis Once or maybe twice. A cardiologist is not a surgeon. And you will see your cardiologist forever but your surgeon just for surgery and maybe a follow-up visit. Surgeons are much more knowledgeable about heart surgery and will probably give you much more precise information. But they spend their time in the operating room more than seeing patients.
Susan Lynn Consultation and a few minutes before surgery.
Deena Elani Twice. Once for the consult. Second the day before surgery to answer any additional questions, etc. ... Read more
Deena Elani Twice. Once for the consult. Second the day before surgery to answer any additional questions, etc.
Daneen Douglas Once in November to verify surgery was necessary and discuss options, once in March, and will see him ... Read more
Daneen Douglas Once in November to verify surgery was necessary and discuss options, once in March, and will see him before my surgery on Monday. I was in contact with the surgeon’s office in between as well.
Yumiko Ishida It would have been twice if I wanted to have the surgery sooner rather than later, but I saw him thre ... Read more
Yumiko Ishida It would have been twice if I wanted to have the surgery sooner rather than later, but I saw him three times before the surgery because I started looking for a surgeon months ahead of time. First was a longish consultation / interview. Then I had another consultation about a week and a half before surgery, because insurance required that I meet with the surgeon within a month of the surgery, but we didn’t discuss much. And then a brief check in right before the surgery. I will echo what Rita said about cardiologist vs surgeon. They play two very different roles. I rejoiced when my surgeon told me I don’t need to seem him again!
Any T1Ds here? What effect did your surgery and recuperation have on your BG? Husband is religious about exercise and BG control and as a result tends toward ...Read more
Any T1Ds here? What effect did your surgery and recuperation have on your BG? Husband is religious about exercise and BG control and as a result tends toward lows. But when he's sick, it runs higher. It's gonna be hard for him not to be able to do vigorous exercise for so long, but hope he will be able to scale up the walking as soon as possible. Also, he uses Omnipods and a Dexcom CGM, both of which require placement/insertion of devices on his body. Wondering if the sternum situation will make that hard for him to maneuver and if I might have to assist or do this for him at first!?
Husband will have MV surgery via sternotomy on 5/22. So hoping home from hospital around 5/29. Will he likely need someone with him 24/7 for at least the first ...Read more
Husband will have MV surgery via sternotomy on 5/22. So hoping home from hospital around 5/29. Will he likely need someone with him 24/7 for at least the first phase of home recovery? Or can I expect to be able to run an errand here and there as needed? Trying to figure out how much I need to stock up on, etc, in advance.
Anna Ma Everyone is different, but I think a patient should be well enough to stay home by himself for a few ... Read more
Anna Ma Everyone is different, but I think a patient should be well enough to stay home by himself for a few hours to be discharged from hospital. I was fine to stay at hotel for a couple of hours by myself while my husband went to run errands. Though very weak for the first two weeks after surgery, the therapist taught me to walk, climb stairs before they discharge me. There was even a fire alarm and we had to evacuate one day at the hotel when my husband was out! I walked out by myself fine.😀
Dan Fouratt For reference, I am now three weeks out. You should have no problem running errands. My wife did from ... Read more
Dan Fouratt For reference, I am now three weeks out. You should have no problem running errands. My wife did from the day I got home. She might be gone the entire afternoon. If I needed here it was a phone call. I never had to call her. I think as time went on she enjoyed the errands as it gave her some well deserved me time.
Yumiko Ishida Discharge could be anywhere from 5-10 days post op for a sternotomy. Your husband will need to be abl ... Read more
Yumiko Ishida Discharge could be anywhere from 5-10 days post op for a sternotomy. Your husband will need to be able to do some basic things, like go to the bathroom on his own, before the hospital will discharge him. Like Anna and Dan, I was able to be left alone for hours at a time. To reduce your own stress, I would stock up anyway. There are always things to get or do at the last minute.
