John 's Journal

Nancy Bukowski  Hi John, my surgery date is the same as yours.  I completely understand.  I was feeling pretty good up until now- trying to stay positive.  Someone that I work with had the same surgery that I will be having- he called me today to give me a pep talk!  I am grateful for him helping me understand all of this.  He said the first week is absolutely the worst although he had minimal pain.  He did get very nauseous though and did not have much of an appetite.  He made daily progress (walking) and slept whenever he could.  Hope that helps!

Robert Miller  The biggest thing for me going into surgery is that I couldn't eat or drink before it, had to get up really early, etc. There is nothing to be concerned about the surgery itself. You will have an an anesthesiologist during surgery and two surgeons plus surgeon assistants. Anything doesn't go as planned, you have everybody right there. Same goes as long as you are in the hospital after surgery. I never felt more secure. Also, your heart will be better so you have many more years.

What you have to prepare for is the physical challenges after surgery. Check this forum and the learning center, in particular the "The Recovery" section. If you have question, ask here.

https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/learning-center.php

Rose Madura  John, expect to be extremely thirsty when you wake up. You'll have your own nurse in CICU (at least I did) and he/she will take good care of you.  I had a morphine pump in ICU that I could operate when I had pain but I didn't have a lot of pain. It's best to stay ahead of it and get into Tylenol as soon as you can.  You will be in good hands at the CC. God bless you.  

Grace Mason   I told myself, your surgeon has done many of these operations. This is "just another day in the office" for your highly skilled surgeon. He is going to do his best work, while you get to "sleep in"😉❤️‍🩹.
You will do great, John 👍🏼

Valerie Allen  John, Cleveland Clinic is a well oiled machine. They will tell you what to do in recovery and be in your room often. Just trust in these skilled individuals.

Sue Maize  Isn’t this community awesome! This helps all of us facing surgery so much! ❤️‍🩹🙌🏻
John, do you have help at home for when you’re discharged or will you be able to convalesce in a rehab of some sort? I live alone and mine is 2 weeks away, so I’ve got a rotor of friends coming to stay with me for the first bit after I’m discharged. We won’t be able to manoeuvre a whole lot at first so it’s important to have people on hand who can help. I’ll be praying for you! Lots of wisdom in these replies. Trust God and trust your team! Your new and improved life awaits. ❤️‍🩹🙏🏻

Pam Dahl  Listen to what they tell you to do when you get home.  Don’t compare your recovery to any one else’s.   You will do great and be happy to be on this side!

Darrell Malone  The anxiety is normal before.
Post Surgery has its ups and downs but does get better each day. Like most have said listen to your team and listen to your body. All will be great on the other side of this. 👍🏻
Yes @Rose . I was so thirsty . I remember asking for water after so many times and commenting how good the water was. My son was laughing so hard I was still just coming around from waking up.  

Kathy Ozio  Thankful you found this site before your surgery. You can ask everyone here anything.  I didn't find it until a few weeks after my surgery and especially since I had some complications,  I was so frustrated because it seemed like everything I looked at, people recovered great and no problems. You get the real deal here- super recovery to problems and know you're not alone. Best of luck. CC is definitely a fantastic place! They were wonderful.

Deena Z  Pain is more controllable than you would imagine. Don't fret over it.  Just ask for meds as soon as you feel uncomfortable.  Do not delay the ask.  The level of exhaustion is beyond what one would imagine. Getting out of bed, getting to the bathroom is a major feat.  Just know that every day will get better and that the first two days are the hardest.

Suelynn Hanegraaf  Well said, fellow ❤️‍🩹 friends! Think “the day after” and if you are spiritual, place your trust in Him. He’s got this. 💕

John Wendelken   I am so grateful to all of you for your positive, inspirational advice!
I will be back soon to tell you how well everything went!

Teressa Phillips  Mine left a scar and still looks worse than yours does now. I hope it heals quickly. Mine was tender for a LONG time.

Rose Madura  A lot less invasive than mine which was thru the groin.  Your pictures indicate you are in good hands all around. God bless you.

John Wendelken   Hello Teressa!  I've noticed that when I keep my arm immobilized it doesn't hurt as much as when I forget and lift or squeeze. I had one seven years ago in the arm and it didn't go as well.  Thanks for commenting. It means alot!  Surgery is Tuesday morning...

John Wendelken   Hello Rose!  I've learned that the groin is more difficult. They prepped my leg before I was sedated.  I'd be interested to know why they choose one over the other?

Rose Madura  John, I had my surgery almost 7 years ago and they were not routinely doing them in the weist at that time.  

Grace Mason   Sounds like CC is taking good care of you John. Wishing you well in your upcoming surgery and recovery ❤️

Grace Mason   John, I think you seem to have the number one thing covered, which I believe, is a positive outlook. 
Everyone's recovery is very individual, but I believe a few things most helpful for me in my recovery was practicing an exercise program presurgery (I  was walking and/or light jogging several times a week for 1/2 hour or longer) and adding in some simple resistance exercises. I was concerned about being too weak to go to the bathroom on my own post surgery, so I started doing 10-15 squats a day, and practicing standing up without using my arms in various activities around the house. I added simple sit ups and leg lifts to strengthen my core. I also practiced using sternal precautions sitting up in bed. Doing these things before surgery, helped a lot post surgery, in recovery.

After surgery, I believe the most helpful thing is, once the physicians and physical therapists give you the ok to walk, do it as often and as much as you are able, while keeping your HR and BP in an acceptable range. The physical activity, even if it is laps around your house, is important for a quicker recovery.
My doctor's advised a high protein intake post surgery and I believe choosing the food to fuel your body is also important even if you don't feel like eating or your taste is off. Some excellent advice I received was using a protein shake, if other things are less palatable. 
My experience was that the surgery and recovery was not nearly as difficult as I had expected it to be ❤️