Heather's Posts

Awesome. Lots and lots of tests in the hospital. You can almost set your watch to the schedule. I remember telling an orderly that the trip to x-ray from my room was the most excitement I had in a week. Getting the tubes out is a great step forward. Good luck and keep up the good work.

I checked out heart block on dr. Google and it sounds like a stage 3 block where a pacemaker is required. If i found the correct data sheet. Maybe not. Good question to ask doctor though. Questions are good. It makes them aware you are not a dummy or just a yes, doctor person. Wearing a pacemaker 24/7 is better than the alternative for sure. Sucks you are so young but who knows what some brilliant doctor will invent down the road that will make it not needed. Maybe working on it right now in his or her lab. Staying positive is a good thing.

It’s worth asking if any calcium or beta blockers you might be on post-op could be contributing to the heart block. If that’s the case, maybe an external pacemaker could be more appropriate until you can taper down on the blood pressure meds. I started tapering my beta blockers around Week 8.

Welcome to recovery Heather! So glad to see your post. Sending good vibes your way. I hope you do not have to have another procedure for a pacemaker but if so it should be a much simpler procedure. There are different types so be sure to discuss options with your doctor. Sending all the best wishes to you.❤️‍🩹

Like 6-7 when I wake up. I’ve been in the ICU for 6 days, and I know I’ll be here at least another 6-7 days :/ for monitoring, the heart block, waiting for possible pacemaker. my surgeon wants to wait so nothing I can do but sit in bed or the chair unfortunately.

Heather, I am so sorry you have to deal with the pacemaker possibility. You will get through this and before you know it, you'll be home and relaxing in your own bed and chair! One day at a time and slow and steady wins the race with this stuff. I agree with others in that you do need to ask questions and make sure you know exactly what they are planning, their expectations from what will be done and any possible future complications that you should look out for. Always advocate for yourself and never feel like you are being a burden or asking too many questions. You've got this!👍

1. Probably not, ask your surgeon. The risk is bacterial infection and if there are any complications, they want to keep your body free of obstructions. You can probably put it back in after discharge. Also, there is the risk of swelling from edema. 2. Probably not, ask your surgeon. The concern would be bacterial risk during and immediately after surgery. Some will even ask you to take your polish off. One day, I painted my toes after surgery to cheer myself up. 3. Cardiac rehab starts around 8-10 weeks after surgery. It's not required but it is recommended. It is mostly walking on a treadmill with a 3-lead EKG on. I used rehab to push myself harder on my exercise than I was at home because I was already in a hospital if I had a problem. At 12- weeks you should be able to start working with bands and light weights. Flexibility might take a while. I had pain in my ribs for about 4 months as everything settled back into place and got used to moving and stretching, but I also have psoriatic arthritis. Heating pads helped a lot with back and rib pain. 4.a. you should be able to wash your hair on your own before discharge. 4.b. You'll want to keep lotion away from your incision. You won't be able to reach your backside well for a long time. 4.c. You'll want to wear loose clothing for a while. Baggy Ts & button-ups are your friends. Google "surgical bras." 5. I could work at a desk at 6 weeks. I could work in the office at 8 weeks. I was golfing at 3 months. I felt 100% normal for everything but exercise at 5 months. But I'm much older and had an aortic aneurysm repair as part of my surgery. I think it has hindered my exercise recovery. i ran a 5k distance at 6 months, which was my main recovery goal. 6. there will likely be a very small closet in your room once they move you out of ICU. I don't think I even wore underwear under my hospital gown for a week (I was in for 9 days). But I'm not shy about my ass hanging out. A lot of people are discharged around day 3 or 4, but every recovery is different. I was 9 days. Some people are in for a month. It all depends on if you come out the other side with complications and how bad they are. I had chronic edema for 3 months. I battled it before surgery and it was much worse after. Stay positive. Your surgery is different than mine and you're younger and don't have the other chronic issues I do. Hopefully, that translates into a speedier recovery. Good luck.

The thing that you will find frustrating is that the recovery protocols are not written for people who are young or active, or otherwise healthy. They aren't the typical patients. I'm in my 50s. I have some chronic issues but was still doing 3.5 mile runs less than a week before my surgery. There will likely be times where you feel like you can do more than the typical protocol. You need to listen to both what your doctor is telling you and what your body is telling you. Message your doctor if you have questions about your protocol. I did it a lot because I was arguing with his PA about my meds and what I felt like I could do. This is what is great about rehab: the physiologist watches what your heart does in real time under stress. They can tell you if you are doing too much or (more likely) tell you that you can do more. I was running intervals at 3 months to the envy of a couple rehab patients. One guy was so angry about it he would change equipment if I got on a machine next to him or leave early.

Heather - 1.No. 2 No. 3. Optional to get a framework then you can take over. 4. Doubtful. For sterotomy, give yourself 4-6 weeks and expect to ramp up slow. 5. Definitely unlikely, you will be in a hospital gown and bring some slippers. Remember, it hard to dress as can't overextend sternum. Loose button up shirts are the name of the game and sweats. Number one rule - give yourself plenty of grace and succumb to the ritual of surgery. You will be amazed at your inner strength... The toughest acting job ever and the result will be great!

Definitely no piercings . Metal conducts electricity, so piercings can lead to burns, since electric cautery is used in surgery to seal bleeding blood vessels. At least 2 gel nails need to be removed (one on each hand) since oxygenation is measured by pulse oximetry using a device over the finger tip. You don't want incorrect oxygen values due to gel nails. You will probably not be worried about skin care for a few days, as you will be post MAJOR surgery, with tubes and drains everywhere.. the exhaustion after surgery was the most surprising thing to me. I didnt wash my hair till a day or two before discharge.. I didnt get dressed until my discharge day, 6 days later. You will not need extra clothing during the time you are hospitalized. I started cardiac rehab 3 weeks after surgery, and it was 3 days per week. I felt well enough to go back to work part time (in the operating room) at 8 weeks. But i needed a nap when i got home for a couple more weeks. And everyone's recovery will look different, depending on the extent of the surgery and any complications that may happen. I was pretty wiped out for the first 2 weeks at home, but after that, my energy was returning and i started cooking again. Hope that answers some of your questions.

A lot of great advice. I would add bring a good pair of walking shoes, functional not fashion. Slip in. You will be able to walk on the floor and the more walking you do the sooner you will get out. I would bring something comfortable to change into. I got out of the hospital gown and went in to comfortable sweets and an front button shirt. They were down right ugly. Surgery Thursday, walked 5 plus miles around the hospital recovery ares (87 loops) on Saturday and out on Sunday. You are in great shape and should be able to walk soon after surgery. This is a functional time and bring things that are functional. the more walking the sooner you get home.

My team allowed me to keep a plastic stud in an ear piercing I was afraid would close. They put tape over the plastic stud. You will just have to ask if that would be permitted on belly button. You probably won't be able to shower until discharge day. This will usually occur around 4 days post surgery if everything goes as expected, but can certainly vary. A nurse will help you. I brought dry shampoo to use in my hair before I was able to shower. My nurses brought warmed wet disposable towels to use as a sponge bath before discharge. Until you have most all "tethers" removed you will probably be discouraged from using other clothes unless they have the same ease of access to your iv, chest tube, temporary pacemaker, EKG wires etc. These will come off as you progress and then you can transition to your own clothing. You will want to choose loose clothes because likely you will experience some swelling from fluid weight gain, which is normal. You will shed this fairly quickly but probably not completely by discharge day. Button or zip front(if zip placement won't rub against incision) shirts or dresses will work well. Once you are up and moving on your own and can show staff you are steady on your feet you will be able to do most anything on your own as far as dressing, going to bathroom, and self-care. Generally they want you to be up and walking a few steps within 24 hrs of surgery. It's a bit of a roller coaster as to getting back to normal. Some days you may feel really well and then the next day spent and not as well. Definitely you will tire quickly the first several weeks.

I drafted a lengthy response but decided not to post it because you are concerned about belly piercing, gel-x nails, doing makeup, wearing cute outfits, etc. If you confirm you really have open hear surgery (I mostly can just talk about OHS, AFib, Maze, etc) I will do my best to respond.

My initial instinct was that you are trolling but apparently you are serious. So here are my answers to some of your concerns. * Reset your expectations and focus on the actual procedure. * Create a list of questions written down on a piece of paper and ask those questions to your surgeon. * Make sure you talk to at least 2 surgeons if not 3 or more. * Make sure you check out the learning center on this website. It gives you a lot of information. * Do what they tell you. Most importantly don't eat or drink anything 8-12 hours before your surgery. I did gurgle, took a Ricola and took a very small sip of water. Nothing else. * You won't be able to take a shower and wash your hair 2-3 days. Even taking showers is difficult. Going poop probably won't be an issue because the medicine will make you constipated. For going pee, you will have a pipe inserted that automatically drains the liquid. I am not sure how it works for females. For me, a male, it went right up my member. It was annoying though it made things more convenient. * You will look just the same 1 day after surgery. Just add the scar and wires. * Cardiac rehab is where they get you back up on your feet when you get home. I never did this so I am not sure what exactly they do. But the goal is to get you back to where you were before (and better). Considering your age, I don't think you need cardiac rehab. BUT(!!!) you need to respect the healing of your chest bones which will take some 3 months. Do NOT go beyond what your surgeon says, even if you think you can do a lot more, especially at your age. Don't do it. It's 3 months out of your life. It's nothing once you look back. * You probably won't be able to bring a suitcase or have a clothing rack in your room. Just a backpack with a phone, phone charger, cloths for when you leave the hospital, toothbrush, etc. Most likely you will have to wear a gown that is solid on the font with some hidden holes and a pocket where wires go through for temporary pacemakers, etc. On those gowns, the back is open but you/nurses close them with strings. When walking, you might also have to wear socks with sticky nibbles so you don't slip. * Regarding the belly button piercing, for surgery I had to remove my necklace that my mother-in-law gave me and that I never remove unless absolutely necessary (for x-rays I pull up the necklace by holding it in my mouth). They do insert tubes in the neck so I guess it makes sense that I had to remove my neckless for my surgeries. Maybe you can keep your belly button piercing during surgery. But if not, I suspect the hole won't close for several weeks so you can put it back after surgery. * I have no idea what gel-x nails are. Probably ok but ask the staff of your surgeon. Ask the physician assistant and not the surgeon. The surgeon might not take you serious anymore if you ask a question like that. I am not saying this in a negative way but from a surgeon's point of view, there are a lot more important things to be concerned about than cloths, nails, piercing, etc. * For the procedure, since you have open heart surgery, you probably will have to take a shower, wipe yourself down with special wipes and get shaved. For men your chest gets shaved, possibly arm as they insert a tube into your arm, and pubic area. Then you get put on a bed and rolled into the surgery room. * Since you are into modelling, this might be a good opportunity to show something unique. But you really need to reset your expectations. The hospital most likely won't allow you to do some fashion thing. Instead, I would concentrate images on what is really happening including wires, monitors, walking down the corridor with a pole with bags and wires.

Heather, i bet the nurses will help you do almost anything to make yourself feel more like yourself. and they'll tell you if something has a medical reason why you cant. i am sure they understand how to speed the healing process by improving your mental health. Grace, thanks for the "nothing nice to say"reminder. i was going to leave this alone but just can't. thanks to all for great, positive, encouraging posts here. with that said, i can guarantee that those in their last 1/3 of life (many on this site) look at OHS very differently than those in the first 1/3. i live this everyday! Let's all strive to keep this community supportive and helpful.

I'm not sure what kind of surgery you're having. You do say open heart. It took me about 4 weeks before I felt good again. I started walking right when I got home from the Cleveland heart clinic. I was told I didn't need cardiac rehab that I was in too good of shape to begin with. I started working my legs with weights pretty quickly and now after 5 weeks walking is getting much easier.