Lori's Posts

Hi Lori...I have 2 months next Saturday and I barely have pain...just soreness... I try to lift small weight 10 ponds and the muscle pain was sharp and painful. ..so I decide give a 1 month or more to lift weight. Beside that episode. ..I'm great. ..so I fell like 6 months should be no pain at all...for me...but any body is different, some cases after a year still sore... Good luck to you. Ask your surgeons.

Hi Lori, it's good to hear from you again, but I wish you were not having this problem. I'm at 9 and a half months post op now and I haven't had any sternum pain for several months. I know everyone heals differently though. I would probably ask your doctor about it just to make sure. Prayers and best wishes, Tammy

Lori, I meant to add that I'm still pretty careful not to do things that might cause inflammation in my chest wall. I hurt myself around the 4 month mark by pulling myself up using one arm into my son's truck. Ended up going to ER with pain in and around my chest. They said it was inflammation. I took high dose motrin for a couple of weeks and it went away. Hope this helps.

For me it is only 6 weeks and I would have to say that is my biggest struggle right now. They did use my mammory glands for bypass and I'm very full busted. I think those two things are contributing in my case. I just have a lot of soreness and tenderness aching and pulling! I hope it subsides for you soon ! 💕

Thanks everyone for the comments! My Drs did say that taking Alieve everyday would help with the inflammation, but I find it hard to remember to take it everyday. I am still sore when doing some of the everyday things, and really feel it afterward. I do have breast implants, which Im sure has contributed to the tugging and pulling of the scar (which is also still painful). You don't realize how much you use your chest muscles for everyday things, like sliding clothes across the rod to hang more clothes! Pulling open heavy doors, or like Tammy, pulling herself up in her son's truck. I think the sternum is the last place to heal, just because of the cartilage and such, and I know some bodies heal faster then others. All your comments and encouragement are comforting! Thanks heart brothers and sisters!

Congrats on being home. It makes such a difference. In regards to your question about feeling the beats all I know is I'm 6 weeks postop and I still hear and feel each beat. My kids get a kick out of putting their hand on my chest/clavicle and feeling each beat. I know the sound will be there forever but I wonder if the feeling goes down over time....

Welcome home! I have that same feeling...that my heart beats so forcefully that I feel it radiate my body and even feel it in my back left shoulder area. When I'm laying or sitting still I can see my whole body shake with each beat. It's crazy! The only thing I can think of is that the valve is now allowing proper amounts of blood to flow and my left ventricle is now working at normal function...something it hasn't done for a long time! We got used to the feeling of a clogged and stressed heart and now it's healthy! :)

I had aortic valve replacement with a bovine valve on Dec. 11th. I also had the heavy beating in my chest, neck, head and ears. Especially annoying when I tried to get some sleep. I can now say that it is subsiding quite a bit this last week! I think it might be due to the fact that I am in cardiac rehab now for 2 weeks and I am starting to feel my strength coming back, (I lost a lot of weight and muscle post op). Hope that helps.