Rebecca's Journal

Day 2 post surgery- out of ICU

Day 3 post surgery- retaining fluid: got a pleural effusion with 850ml removed from the left side and 830ml removed in the right side (3.7 pounds total). Locally anesthetizied. No pain. Feel much better after. Later in the day A-Fib develops.

Day 4-get the shock treatment in the morning to get me out of a-fib. No memory of those minutes. It worked! Back in sinus rhythm. This lasts all day. Got up and walked the halls many times. Feel myself. Clear headed and energetic. Plan for discharge the next day.

Day 5-A-fib returns. With it headache and shortness of breath. Fluid is gone from ankles and fingers, still so heavy around my waist. Hard to ambulate well, very effortful. Have chest x-ray. All vitals (minus a-fib) are good. Will be released in the afternoon. Realize even the big and comfy clothes I got for discharged in are waaaay too small.

Back at the hotel (since we travelled to Indianapolis for the surgery and added in the incredible totality) from out of town. I see my discharge weight is 15 pounds higher than my admittance weight 5 days ago! 15 pounds! How is that even possible in 5 days?! No wonder I can barely move and nothing fits.

Day 1 post discharge (Day 6 post surgery) - Toss out my underwear and trade for my husband's for some comfortability.     He went to the Kroger’s across the street and bought me a mumu. I feel good enough engage with my phone and get a GOOD shower that is totally refreshing (hair washed, the works), thanks to the shower chair. We get the rhythm of pill taking, walking and breathing exercises a minimum of 4 times daily. I crush it on the spirometer and take up “controlled coughing” to help the bit of fluid left on my lungs. Was discharged with bilateral atelectasis and small pleural effusions, both slightly improved from 2-days ago. THIS is what is making it hard to breathe and move. Apparently being on the heart/lung machine was harder on my lungs than my heart. Gotta get them fully re-inflated and without liquid.
Fortunately there is no fluid on my heart.

I can engage with my phone and had some great conversations. There’s still no pain, but continued discomfort without Tylenol. Looking forward to getting fluid off so I can move more freely again, like two days ago. Otherwise I feel like a body-sluggish version of myself.

Thus far:

*clear headed since out of ICU.

*good appetite, fluid restricted and low sodium diet.

*day 1 of no bowel movement; otherwise GI track doing much better, I tolerate the medications well with food on my stomach! They didn’t do this for me in the hospital but it makes a lot of difference. I have no more diarrhea or gassiness, and thank goodness for Preparation H from 3 days of diarrhea (unexpected consequence).

*11 medications to take through the day (have never been on routine meds and looking forward to next week as they start to taper.

*understand now why people sleep in recliners. Breathing is so much easier at least semi-upright.

*plural effusion with some atelectasis (lungs still slightly collapsed)

*very effortful to walk.

*no dizziness-only labored breathing, oh and yes in heart surgery recovery.

*feel like a whale. Have one mu-mu to wear and my own supersized underwear now. Still uncomfortable in my own body.

*what looked like a lizard growing out of my chest (mini-sternotomy) has flattened and all other incision sites are in good shapes. Some bruising at IV site on my wrist.

Looking for small daily improvements. Very grateful for modern medicine and all the support and prayers.