Byron's Guestbook

Byron, I was fortunate not to have to sneeze until after two weeks after surgery, but I still felt it a bit. I had quite a bit of back and neck pain early on due to fibromyalgia and injuries, so pain management was tricky. I hope you are feeling much better. You are 18 days ahead of me in recovery, as my surgery was Feb. 28. You are indeed blessed to have a job that you love and even more so to have a girlfriend like Manda. I am sure she has been a support and so much more over these weeks. My husband has been wonderful, too, even through a post op hospitalization that turned out to be a bleeding ulcer and required 7 units of blood. I am tired but feeling much better now. I hope this finds you feeling even better than your first post. Remember not to try to do too much. You don\'t want to undo any of the good work your surgeon did that could delay your recovery. Give yourself time to totally heal! Take care! Tia P.

Byron, Yes, my first sneeze—which happened soon after I got home—threw me to the floor in a fit of gasping pain. It passed, but I tried hard not to sneeze any more. Coughing and laughing had a similar effect, though not so intense. I found that I was tired way more than I expected, even though many people had warned me in advance that I would be. I found out you have to be careful of trying too much too fast. Your body is working hard to heal itself, even if you are not aware of it. It was hard for me to do, particularly as I started feeling better, but you have to pace yourself and not overdo things. Good luck. Jim Anker

I remember my first sneeze and my first cough all too well. The first sneeze wasn\'t as bad and the cough because it came while I was in ICU. All the blood and sputum that came up was gross but my nurse was there to take care of it. The pain does get better but since I had minimally invasive my incision was much smaller. Don\'t rush yourself getting back to the grind. I remember thinking at 3-4 weeks post-op that I was ready to go back to work and it didn\'t take me long to realize that I wasn\'t Superman like I thought. The main thing is--take care of yourself. Be ready for a set-back or two along the way because they will come. Tim Greensboro NC

on sneezing, use your tongue to tickle the top of your mouth, and it will stop u from sneezing. it may help. Glad u r feeling better, but don\'t overdue it. Talk to ya soon Fred Shaffer, Jr.

Byron, I am glad to hear you are home. That\'s a big step in the recovery process. I am almost six weeks postop and I can tell you it is a slow process, but very nice to be doing it at home. Pace yourself (I have overdone it a couple times) and it should go well. All best, Jim Anker

Byron, I\'m glad to hear you are home and on the road to recovery. I will keep you and Mandy in my thoughts and prayers. Take care! My surgery is scheduled for Monday 2/28. I hope to join you on the road to recovery soon. Tia P.

Byron, Thanks for your message in my guestbook. It\'s nice to hear from you. Regarding Percocet, yes it gave me the sweats and yes (to a lesser extent) it gave me bad dreams. When I was in stepdown they were giving me two Percs every four hours. That helped a lot with the pain in my chest and also helped me sleep. I would wake up, however, drenched in sweat. I asked a nurse about this who said that was a common reaction. After I got home I was taking fewer Percs, but even then it would make me sweat. Once I stopped the Percs, the sweating stopped. As for dreams, I do not remember having any bad ones in the hospital. I know I had dreams, but my sleep was so disrupted I don\'t really remember what they were—good or bad. After I got home and had longer periods of sleep, I did have bad dreams for a while—not exactly nightmares but not good. Once I stopped taking the Percs, those bad dreams disappeared. You probably saw in my journal my own experience with the breathing tube. It is not a fun thing and I think a lot of people react badly to it, mostly without even being aware of what they\'re doing. Getting that out was a great relief. I am glad to hear you are doing better. The whole experience is traumatic and everyone reacts differently, but everyone pulls through it and is better in the end. I\'m sure you will too. Good luck, Jim Anker

Byron, Hey I have been reading your posts for a while. I am six months out from my AVR and don\'t get on very often these days but know the worst is behind you and CONGRATS on your new ticker. As for coumadin my advice as someone who takes it everyday is manage the coumadin according to your lifestyle not the other way around. Before you know it will be just a normal part of life. Make sure you do the spirometer and stay ahead of the pain with the meds. You shouldn\'t be in serious pain, Discomfort yes, but not pain. If you have any questions drop me a line. Jerry H Louisville, KY

Dear Byron and Manda, I\'m glad you are on the road to recovery, Byron. It sounds like you had several rough days. I am glad those are behind you. You both remain in my prayers. Tia Phillips

We are so happy you have had your surgery and you are on the road to recovery. There are only better days ahead. You have so many guardian angels watching over you. (one special one to all of us) Still continuing to pray daily for you and your boys. Love You Monnie (Thank you Manda for yours posts.)

Thanks for keeping us updated on Jr. (Byron) I have known him since he was a young boy. Monnie is my sister. Our younger sister, Kayla was one of Jr.\'s best friends. We are so thankful that the surgery is over and pray things keep going well. In Jesus\' Mighty Name! Once again, thanks for keeping us updated about everything. I know u have so much to tell him but if u think about it please tell him me and Monnie have been checking on him! THANKS!!!

Byron and Manda, I am glad you have made it through today. Take one day at a time. I am 1 month out as of today. Recovery has been good........I agree it is much more difficult on those around you.... concentrate on positive thoughts!!

Dear Byron and Manda, I am so glad to hear that surgery went well. I continue to pray for a speedy and great recovery. I will check your posts often. Take care of yourself, too, Manda. I have my surgery on Feb. 25. You are both in my prayers. Tia Phillips

Byron, I am in continual prayer for your abnormally (2nd percentile, shall we say?) fast and better-than-ever recovery. Manda, I haven\'t met you yet, but pray for your continued strength. You are a champion to back up Byron on this. And to you both: when things get their worst, remember that this too shall pass!