Gesyciah's Journal

Gesyciah Thompson  They said they echocardigram from Friday shows significant improvement from December. I went from severe to moderate

Gesyciah Thompson  So far what i see on the results is mitral regurgitation went from trivial mild to moderate. (Not good)

Mitral stenosis went from severe to moderate. Which is good

Left ventricular fraction went from 65 to 70 which is good

Kimberly Eisenhut  What do you think made it better? Are you doing anything differently? Just wondering, as it would be great to be able to have this happen

Susan Lynn  That's great 
news!  I'm sure you're relieved.  I honestly didn't know that stenosis could improve - good for you!   You must be doing something right. 

Gesyciah Thompson  Im gonna to be very mad if I find in the next year I need to have this surgery especially after pulling kids out of placement that it took 6 months to get.

Susan Lynn  Timing for surgery isn't an exact science and has been discussed by several surgeons on this site over the years.   If you're concerned,  you can always get another opinion. You want to have surgery before your heart starts to show signs of being overworked, but not until the benefits outweigh the risks.  Good luck!   

Deena Z  At. 37 your recovery ought to be way faster and easier than most of us.  For most,  the hardest part is the incredible level of exhaustion. The pain is way better than you would assume and very manageable with meds.  

Gesyciah Thompson  I hope that is true about manageable with meds biggest pain is my biggest fear since I already in a lot of pain. How long is the exhaustion? The bp meds have made me constantly exhausted since December does that go away?

Robert Miller  My first surgery I can remember waking up and someone saying that I am awake now and then they pulled the tube out. No pain whatsoever when they did that. Second time I can't remember anything. After that, they gave me pain meds for the first day. That seems standard procedure. After that they told me I need to ask for pain meds if I feel pain and I should not try to be a hero. But I really didn't have any pain so didn't ask for meds. The biggest issue for the first few days is all the tubes you have connected and not being able to take a shower. Once the tubes are out, the biggest issue is sleeping. You pretty much can only sleep on your back which results in your muscles stiffing up. You need different sizes of pillows for optimal support and I would recommend a small cherry pit pillow that you can heat up and put around your neck. After about a month you should be fine but you are still limited in how much you can lift. The wires for your rib cage most likely won't be an issue. I seem to have one wire on one rib that sticks out a bit. Once in a while it's uncomfortable but no pain. Your biggest issue might be being a single parent. I am not sure how old your child is but if he/she is very young, you won't be able to lift her/him. If that's the case, you really need some help. If the child is older, she/he might actually be able to help you. 

Check out the learning center for more info. https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/learning-center.php

Gesyciah Thompson   My kids are 7 and 9 but I sent them to a place for kids for medical emergencies at least till I feel functional

Gesyciah Thompson  They would destroy my house which will put me in panic mode while trying to recover. Ptsd and anxiety not good fellas to live with.

Yumiko Ishida  I concur with Deena that exhaustion is the hardest part. Pain is manageable and it fades relatively quickly. They will make you walk pretty much as soon as you’re off the ventilator. Just a little bit at first, and then increase the frequency and duration every day. Glad you found a place for your kids while you recover. Sternotomy is a very safe procedure, but even when it goes smoothly, it is still a big shock to your system, so it takes time to recover from it.

Susan Lynn  I was up and around the day after my surgery.   Once I had some tubes removed,  I walked multiple times a day around the unit, but it was tiring.   I felt pretty good by the third day,  but the exhaustion did linger for quite awhile.  Your body is working hard to heal even if you feel good,  otherwise. Residual anesthesia and drugs also contribute to that feeling.

There are days you'll feel very energetic, but don't overdue it.  One day of overactivity can set your recovery back.  Napping helps.  You'll quickly find what works for you.  You'll do just fine! 

Gesyciah Thompson  Thanks you guys honestly I have been very scared but hearing everything you guys are saying is making me less scared. So I appreciate you guys sharing with me.

Gesyciah Thompson  For anyone who is a single parent like me here in cleveland they have respite places for kids that can be used for up to 90 days called Safe Families and Providence House. You can use these places for stuff like emergencies (like heart surgery and recovery), or say you want to go to college or get a job and your waiting on a daycare voucher, or something happens to your housing and you need a safe place for your kids that isn't a homeless shelter. Or even for mental health break.

I know Safe families is also in other states. 

I am stating all this because a lot of people do not know about safe families or providence house.