Ellie's Journal

Ellie H  Thank you Richard. I’m very grateful that my surgery was successful and i feel like I’m doing good. I guess I’m feeling the pressure of some people telling me i should be back to normal in 4-6 weeks. 

Margaret Fielden  Hi Ellie, I am 81/2 weeks post mitral valve replacement and tricuspid repair, 7 nights I CU, 4 weeks in hospital. I think I'm doing better now but I'm not pain-free and still have afib and lung issues. We are all different and 5 weeks is a very short time for recovery. You will get there in the time your body needs to heal. Take care

Jill Reeder  Hi Ellie. I’m 6-1/2 weeks. 1 night in ICU and home at day 6. I don’t understand why they said 4 to 6 weeks. Other than that’s when you can start doing things. I talked to my brother who had this done six years ago and he said it’s several months before you really feel good. So I’m adjusting my expectations. I’m healing as expected. But I still can’t sleep in my own bed. Hang in there. Like they say, it’s different for everybody. I just take every day as a win that I feel a little bit better. 

Richard Munson  Ellie, 4-6 weeks is a pipe dream. My cataract surgery took longer than that to heal. Margaret is correct when she says we are all different regards our healing. Hang in there. Better days ahead

Ellie H  Thank you all for your kind words and advice. I going to take one day at a time and stay positive. It’s nice to have so much support and understanding. 

Rita Savelis  Every body and every heart is different. Don't compare yourself to anyone else. I'm sorry that people are pressuring you to be instantly fine. Why would anyone do that? Sadly many people consider that once surgery is over you should be "normal" again. You may never be that old "normal" again, whatever normal might mean. You will heal at your own pace. 5 weeks is still very early. You can't see your heart like you could see a broken leg but it needs to slowly heal from surgery as does the rest of your system. Discomfort and exhaustion can come and go and last for awhile. Take care Ellie.

Rose Madura  God bless you on your journey. We. Please let us know how everything goes once you feel like posting.

Deena Z  Ellie, just said a prayer your successful surgery and ease in recovery. The stats are so, so, so in your favor. You will wake up super exhausted, but know that your recovery after the first two days will be amazing. Dont psych yourself out. God bless you.

Lisa Silverman  I’m absolutely praying for you. My mitral valve repair was 8 days ago, please reach out if you need anything.

Ellie H  Good morning. I am 5 weeks out of my open heart mitral valve repair. My doctor said the repair went well😁
I had to stay in ICU for 4 days because I developed AFib and than 3 days in a regular room. I still feel a little tired and I have some discomfort in my sternum. The right side of my chest is numb. Is this normal in recovery? Any advice?