Fatema's Journal

Barbara Wood  It sounds like afib & that's very common after surgery. You probably went back to normal sinus rhythm spontaneously. I had afib a week after I came home & choose to go back to the hospital for a cardioversion, but that was because I stayed in afib & didn't respond to the iv medications they tried to get me back to nsr. Best wishes on your recovery Fatema, the first couple weeks are the hardest!

Ilisangela Flores oliva  I pray that you get it gets back to normal soon Fatema. Keep the Faith, strength And positivity up and this will pass😘. Thanks for sharing your story; it has inspired me a lot. I am still waiting for a date for a mitral valve and aortic valve replacement🙏🏽👆🏽👆🏽🙌🏽💪🏽We got this❤️

Carmel Power  Sorry to hear about the afib. I’ve had a couple of episodes but under control due to medication. Not sure that many people have an easy journey with this type of operation at least for a couple of months! All the best. C

Helen Daw  Hi Fatema, Glad you are ok. I had a couple of times were my heart was beating so fast that I got really scared. and was thinking of going to the ER. I had my son (who is a doctor) check it and he said it is not that bad so I didn't go to the ER. I know how you feel...Pretty scary. It is always better to be safe than sorry

Toni Z  Call your doctors and see if you can take slept aids. I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble sleeping.

Susan Killian  Glad to hear you are at home. Let me know if anything helps with sleeping. I read I may want to consider a wedge for sleeping.

Noreen Kitchen  I stayed with my parents the first week and a half after surgery as my husband had a terrible cold. I had the same troubles with sleep the first few days there. I got up one morning crying and so upset that I wasn’t sleeping my mom said to sleep when I was tired instead of worrying about following my normal bedtime hours. That my body had just gone through a major trauma and that it didn’t need a schedule just yet. I stopped stressing about it and slept when I was tired and was back to sleeping most of the night. We figure that our lives just go back to our normal routine when we get home but our bodies have been through a lot. It takes time. You need a lot of rest after going through so much listen to your body, sleep when you are tired and cut yourself some slack.

Bonnie Stone-Hope  Hello Fatema,
Glad to hear that you are now home. I used essential oil, Lavender, to put on my hands. Helped to fall asleep, as I had to sleep on my back, which was tough. Lots of pillows really help, and I used an electric bed for the first while.
Did not nap during the day ever, as I knew that would interrupt my night time sleep. Relaxed in the recliner in the daytime, walked a bit every hour to use energy.

Gina Fiorentino  Fatima, sorry to hear you are having trouble sleeping. I hope some of the suggestions from these oyher posts are helpful. I haven't gone through my surgery yet, but when I can't sleep I put on ear phones (or the little ear buds are even better), and listen to an Audio book that I've downliaded on my Smart phone or iPad. (There are free audiobooks on You Tube as well). It helps my mind relax from my thoughts, and focus on something new- then I slowly drift off and fall asleep. Works everytime.

Susan Killian  So happy to see everyone giving good advice. I have been having troubles sleeping and have not had surgery yet. I think it is good advice to just try to sleep when you are tired.

Gina Fiorentino  Fatema, so happy to hear you are doing well after surgery. I would love to hear more of your heart valve story if you feel inspired to write when you feel better.

Mark Wilbur  Hope you've fully recovered from the flu and are feeling well again. We'll be thinking of you as you prepare for your surgery and hoping that you will report a successful recovery!

Gina Fiorentino  Fatima, I am thinking of you as you are preparing for your surgery tomorrow. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers all day on the 13th and wish you success, support, and peace during your recovery process.

Catie B  Fatema, I'm so sorry you're ill. You need to call your surgeon's office Monday and let them know right away. If you have upper respiratory symptoms, they may need to reschedule you.

Mark Wilbur  Catie is right. It's better to let the surgeon know right away. I know of another case where surgery was called off at the last minute, during preparation, due to the patient having a cold.

Emily Rowley  Aww I'm so sorry to hear this 😞 right before both my surgeries I had flu symptoms and a bad chest infection in the month leading up to my surgery. I notified my surgical team, they examined me and thought it was all good to proceed with caution so the lovely Nurses placed me on saline solution through an oxygen mask. 😷 Has your local GP given you an advice or at least placed you on antibiotics? 🤧Antibiotics would be a sensible solution too. All the best, Em xx

Barbara Wood  Hi Fatema,so sorry to hear of your flu symptoms. I came down with a cold a few days before my scheduled surgery, called the surgeon & it was rescheduled. Seemed like a hassle at the time but in the long run I was glad to go into it at peak condition!