barrett's Guestbook

One more note - my Dr's handbook advises women to get special bras that open in the front. Guess you got to miss out on that challenge. How did the clothes work out for you in the hospital?

One more note - my Dr's handbook advises women to get special bras that open in the front. Guess you got to miss out on that challenge. How did the clothes work out for you in the hospital?

Hi Barrett, Well, if you're like a lot of us, you'll probably be too low-energy for a while to need much stimulation. And the caregivers will give you plenty of things to do--walking in the halls, your spirometer, small exercises, etc. I wound up for days just staring at the TV and wondering, do people really watch this stuff all day? Took lots of naps too--but be careful: if you sleep too much during the day, you may find it hard to sleep at night. Also, let your visitors know politely that you might not be up to really lengthy, highly chatty visits. Visitors will want to keep your spirits up, but you might not have the energy to keep up with it. Clothing tip: don't bring pullovers for your trip home. You'll want the button-up kind. The reason, of course, is your incision and keeping your arm movements as "close" (not stretchy) as possible. The nurses and P.T.'s will help you master the right technique. One last tip: my own worst experience was constipation, because I waited too long to deal with it. As my nurse said, "Hospital time is different from regular time"--and the days just went by "vaguely" for me. Before I knew it, I'd gone a week without a solid BM and it was horrible! So: if you haven't had a BM in two days MAX, ask your nurse to give you something. S/he may not ask about this (mine didn't), so it's up to you. Every day will get better and better (with perhaps a little down-bump now and then). Best, Artie

I'm just wondering what size is your aneurysm and what is your valve measurement? I'm interested because I have the same diagnosis and this coming Tuesday surgery was scheduled. Even though I have a peace, I still have a bit of "is it really time." Thank you..

Oh yah. And the scar isn't so bad. I did have the full sterno. I really resisted it for about three months. Wouldn't even look at it but now I'm cool with it.

Hi Barrett. Yes, was hoping for the David procedure but my valve was too far gone when they got in there. Make sure to get a second opinion on surgery. Both of my opinions recommended surgery and I was measuring just about the same as you. Try not to worry about the surgery too much. It's not a walk in the park, but it's not anything you can't handle. Let me know if you have any other questions. I went with the trifecta valve.