Melinda's Journal

Sophia Ridley  That's wonderful news. If (rather than when) you do need surgery in the future, you'll be very well prepared.
Hope you have now something special planned for your non- surgery day!

Lynee Casper  wow, such good news! You know what you are dealing with and can enjoy the time to stay on track with your health!

Melinda Queliz  I can't even begin to explain the emotions I am feeling with this news. All of you are correct I will be so prepared in the future and not as scary! Back to work tomorrow for me :)

Lenore Mitchell  Melinda - If you're still on the site, wow - good for you, and it's so great that you went to CC and got their expert opinion. Best of luck in the future to you and your little child too.

Melinda Queliz  Lenore--It has been a few months since I have been on and I wanted to pop in and see how everyone is doing. Yes, I am thrilled that I went to CC. I still am doing great and will see them next year!

Mary K  Sending prayer, Melinda. CCF is the best.

The chest tubes are more weird than painful. If you are concerned, ask for pain meds before the procedure. Realy, it only takes seconds. There are internal EKG wires that just slip out, and another monitor wire in the neck that comes out pretty painlessly.

Advice: Stay ahead of any pain, this is not thhe time for heroics. sit up in ICU as much as possible, they can even manipulate the bed into a sitting position. When you get to your room ask for a heart pillow, hold it as a splint when you cough or sneeze. DO use the spirometer as prescibed. They have surgical bras if you ask, I found that breathing was easier with one on. Walk as much as you can. Miralax is your friend if the GI track is too sluggish. Unfortunately, my impression of the food was a 4 out of ten. Some meals are better than others. Ask the food liason. Ask about your iron levels, you my want to eat beef. There are graham crackers and ice cream in the coffee room. I brought my own bed pillow.

Dr. Svensson has a Reiki practitioner Sandy, on staff that is wonderful. Do not know about Dr. Gillinov. There is a nice solarium on the top floor, and they even have a channel on the TV with calming music and nice images. Make a Playlist of calm music on your phone for your room. Bring a charger. If you tend to be chilly, bring a loose cardigan to wear in bed.

I asked every believer that I could think of to pray for me.

Anna Thompson has a good pain control .mp3 on Amazon I think it is a dollar. Technomind has sleep programs, also a dollar.

You will get through this.

Whitney Nelson  Melinda I wrote you back on one of my post but you can also email me at whitnjack@gmail.com. I would be happy to tell you anything.

Steven A Husted  dont worry the lord will see you thru this he is the healer and the tubes coming out may only hurt for a second or two then you are glad they are out many prayers for your surgery and recovery

Melinda Queliz  Thank you everyone!! I don't think I could do this without you guys. I wish we could have one big family reunion and meet each other. I look forward to being able to post that I did it and I'm going home. Stay tuned....

Wanda Mroz  I never looked at the chest tubes. I was terrified of that and the breathing tube. They are not pleasant but they come out quick so the awful part is brief and very doable so don't worry. Hugs...

Emily Rowley  God will be there keeping you safe. As for the tubes+wires pulled out, the biggest tip I can give you is~breathe! Except when they tell you to hold your breath for a couple of secs. How are you feeling? I saw your name come up on upcoming Surgeries and I know you were feeling nervous before, I wanted to make sure you're okay and feeling ready. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I wish you all the very best!

Melinda Queliz  Emily--surprisingly I feel well. I am not nervous yet I know I will be the day of surgery. God has provided me with a lot of peace (answered prayer) with this and I know he will see me through. I am more worried about being away from my son for a few days but he will be in good hands with my Mom. I am beyond ready to get this over with, as I have made it very clear those chest tubes are my worst fear so I'll be happy to post once those are out. Thank you all so so much. I could not do this without you guys!!

Kelly Weisgarber  Melinda, You'll be posting it's over very soon! I had a good experience at Cleveland Clinic. I had Dr. Svennson, he repaired my Aortic valve and aneurysm. I am almost 3.5 months post op. I was very afraid of the tubes also, all of them! I was just waking up when they took out the breathing tube, I was relieved, then I threw up. It was tricky finding pain meds that worked without making me nauseous. Each tube that comes off makes you feel more like yourself.
One thing that surprised me was feeling very phlegmy after surgery, and having a suction tube (like at the dentist) that I was told to use if I coughed anything up. (I was worried because I never could)
Mary K is right about the food, its not the best.
Good Luck to you!

Linda Richards  We have our surgery on the same day. Best of luck!! I have been crazy the last two days. Can't sleep, etc. Just crazy nervous. : ) I am going to the Cleveland Clinic in Florida.

Tim Goff  Melinda, happy to hear you have the feeling of "peace" surrounding you. It came over me about a week or so before and was surprising given the circumstances, but quite welcome. I hope for you, as it did for me, last right up through surgery. You will do just fine and we will look forward to hearing from you post op.

Emily Rowley 
They will give you plenty of sedation medication with Anaesthetist by your side all the way and God too. I'm glad to hear you already have good career for your Son while you're away. Will yours be in a different city or state? Take your time, I wasn't feeling upto posted for awhile after Surgery. Ask if you could be sedated while they take tubes out (drainage one gets taken out second day post-op in ICU & pacing wires+stitches post-op day four. It depends on the Doctor & your Surgeon & your condition), if not remember to breathe (need to hold your breath for couple of seconds while pull them out) and feel free to scream if that helps (I screamed so loud! The Nurse even told me I was allowed to swear if I wanted as much as I wanted while it took place, in a Catholic Hospital!).

Angela Hicks  Hi Melinda, you will do fine with the surgery and feel so much better. I will keep you in my prayers. My incision was closed with staples.

Cheryl Bass  That is a great attitude, you will do great. I will be 5 days behind you and I have come to that same conclusion (with a lot of prayer to get there) but I do have peace about it now and know that God is in control.

Anna Jones  Hi Melinda. I would be interested in hearing your experiences as I also need my mitral valve repaired and am thinking of traveling alone for my surgery.

Jeff V.  Melinda - I had MV repair done in Cleveland in Dec., 2014, by Dr. Pettersson. You can check out my journals for more details on the routine at the Clinic. I would recommend staying at the InterContinental Suites on Euclid Ave. Very convenient, reasonable rate, and suite style rooms... having a separate bedroom is great if you have friends or guests visiting. You will be very impressed by both the Clinic and Dr. Gillinov! Good luck!

Melinda Queliz  Anna--my sister who is a nurse praticioner will be traveling with me and stay there during my time there. But I truly cannot wait to be on the recovering side and sharing my story with others. I know how others have inspired me and I hope my story can do the same.

Jeff--Thank you for the info. I have a hotel booked but not that one. I went with one that had a full kitchen because I will have other family traveling up with my son so he can visit and doesn't have to go so long without me. Plus I think seeing my little guy's face will be just the medicine I will need :)

Michael Meyer  Here you go Melinda. I had mitral valve repair surgery with Dr. Gillinov in July 2014. For another perspective and lady's perspective you might want to contact Jacqueline Cook. She had her surgery done by Dr. Suri with Dr. Gillinov assisting. Jacqueline had her surgery in the latter part of 2015.

I thought I would share some thoughts of this procedure based on my current recovery.

1. It is amazing with regard to physical function and capability four weeks post op open heart surgery. Although I still lack stamina with physical activity, I still think it is amazing what these health care providers have done to repair my mitral valve.

2. The robotic approach and various incisions was more painful than I anticipated. My wife reminded me that various physicians indicated there may be more pain but a shorter recovery period. Still not remembering those conversations.

3. Your personal health prior to mitral valve surgery is critical in providing you with more options. I was in good health with the exception of the mitral valve which opened opportunities for alternative surgeries.

4. Have your loved stay with you the first night on the floor. The transition from the ICU unit to the floor can be difficult and you need your advocate, I do not care how good a hospital that your are in.

5. Make sure have a sleeping mask and ear plugs for the potential noises from the machines and patients in ICU. Allowing you body to rest and heal is important.

6. No matter where you decide to have your surgery and who you choose as a surgeon, you and/or spouse must be well-educated and your strongest advocate. There may be some bumps in the road and you and your loved need to know the best options to challenge the nurses and /or physicians. Go to the local hospital librarian and review the literature on the subjects. I had to challenge my cardiologist and spouse about what procedure that I wanted to consider as they were "old-school" median sternotomy fans.

7. No matter how sharp you are, you will be taking some powerful medications. Many of these medicines dull your senses and response time and many of them make you tired. Although it may not adversely affect your decision(s) it certainly delays your decision making processes.

8. You are going to have some excellent nurses and patient care technicians and some mediocre nurses and patient care technicians. Set the expectations high for the mediocre crew so your needs are best met. You will quickly notice the difference between the high performers who are proactive and the "I have four other patients" and need to get through the shift.

9. It would have been great to have had this surgery locally in the St. Louis, MO region but the reality is that no hospital in the region would come close to the Cleveland Clinic expertise. That said, being remote to the Clinic provides some challenges in follow-up care even with a primary care physician and cardiologist. You have to be prepared and proactive to get the physicians to address the proper issues (as minor as they might be), especially when the option may be a >10 hr drive time to the Clinic. I still believe this remote surgery (away from home) was the best option for me and my family, but it required a lot of help and planning to ensure kids were cared for, parents could attend surgery, post recovery travel was planned. This work/planning needs to be done before the surgery or your caregiver needs to be able to complete these activities as part of their follow-up.

Don Hanzel  Had my double valve replacement surgery Jan 19,2009. The hospital itself is amazing and the staff is wonderful. Ranked #1 heart hospital 20 years running. My wife is a nurse, she asked numerous doctors for their opinion- everyone of them said go to The Cleveland Clinic. I had a difficult surgery ( they knew it was going to be) spent two days in ICU, four more in hospital. Back to work six weeks later. Been doing great. Adam picks book did help, spot on about what happens. You'll be in great hands.

Paige Rupe  Hi Melinda!! I just joined this website as per your request! It is so crazy to have a website so intuitively aware of these conditions... how cool!

Patricia Garcia  I drove on my second valve surgery to Ohio from Philadelphia and returned home 6 days later on an airplane, which only took an hour. My advice to you would be to take several stops and walk around and also stay hydrated. Sitting to long in a car could cause issues with blood clots, especially right after surgery. Make sure you talk to your doctor about traveling, since everyone is different.

Sophia Ridley  I'ld add... have a pillow between you and the seat belt and be able to recline the seat. Mine was an hour but speed bumps do hurt.
Could you stay at a hotel close to the hospital for a few days afterwards just in case ? (Appreciate you'll want to get home).

Emily Rowley  Post-Op full Sternum (after week in Hospital) was driven in a car home (couple of hours 3 hrs approx) & I didn't feel anything much, bit hard to get comfy though. I used my chest pillow (made of blanket, towel in a pillow case) the Hospital gave me all the way which helped alot. This time I will be going by train, same time length (maybe longer) so see how I go...

Michael Meyer  Melinda:

I traveled about 10 hr to CC. We stopped after about 5 hr. I did some walking. Got a hotel over night. This was also after a weekend recovery in the hotel in Cleveland. You will also have compression hose after the surgery, wear them and I suspect you may be on a blood thinner.

Wanda Mroz  I was driven in a car from hospital. Back seat only, and had my pillow to hold onto. Something to protest the chest area is a good idea. Bumps do make you feel sore but he pillow will help

Paige Rupe  I traveled 3 hours about 4 days after full open surgery and it was painful but my doctor recommended that I take a pain pill before taking the trip and that definitely eased the pain. I too used the heart pillow that I received at my unit to ease the uncomfortableness between my chest and the seat belt. I also had my favorite music to play and my mom helped keep me distracted by talking me through it.

Sophia Ridley  Everyone is different but for me I was surprised. I was off IV fentanyl and on oral pain meds, take them regularly. A few days after op I was down to taking just paracetamol (same strength as I buy at supermarket).
My kidney infection that I had in hospital was far worse pain (multiple times) that my open heart surgery and so they had to up my meds to cope with it.

It was the lack of energy that got to me rather than pain.

Melinda Queliz  Well that is encouraging to hear Sophia. I know I am much tougher than I am making myself out to be and I also know that I make things crazy in my head so I am imagining just lying there in agony and I'm freaking myself out worried if I have to sneeze because I'm sure that doesn't feel too good.

Clare Auten  There is definitely pain and discomfort. Just finding ways to sleep can be a challenge some nights. I took pain meds regularly when in the hospital but by day 10 post op had switched to tylonal as the pain meds were causing nausea. Vomiting post op was not fun. Sneezing and coughing were also unpleasant. They were not excruciating. There were some muscle aches from positioning during surgery, specifically back and shoulders. Ice packs, heating pads, moving to a better position all helped. I just saw a memory on facebook that said I did 2 laps around the floor on Jan 11, 2014. That would have been 2 days post op. I had a full sternotomy.

  I agree with the others. The pain was tolerable. I had a mini sternotomy so I can only speak to that. It was not fun and it hurt, but the pain I felt each day reminded me to take it slow. Pain meds took the edge off. On a scale of 1-10, in the hospital, I would have given it a 6 (on pain meds) and at home probably 7-8 in the beginning and then dropping quickly to a 4-5 and now, 6 weeks out, very little. The first day after surgery, my pain meds ran out and I felt horrible. That was about a 9-10. I never woke up to the vent tube so didn't feel that. The drain tube was uncomfortable while and it felt better once removed, but again, it wasn't horrible. The worst was the noise it made when it was being removed (mostly because I am a germaphobic. The pacing wires and neck IV were sutured in place so they didn't hurt. More than anything, it was awkward having all this "stuff" on me. They will test your blood sugar a lot so expect finger pricks hourly for the first few days. My fingers were bruised from all the pricks. I was discharged after 72 hours. The first two weeks home, I slept a lot so the days passed fairly quickly. More than anything, I was sick of sitting and sleeping in the same chair (although thank God for my recliner). I was frustrated that I had to go slowly and felt silly carrying around my heart pillow. My support network was important. My kids brought me blankets and supplied endless kisses and "gentle" hugs. My mom came and cooked dinner as I didn't feel like cooking for several weeks. Every day is better. You will do fine. Focus on the fact that you're getting your heart fixed and all the things that you will be able to do when better. Dr. Gillinov operated on Robin Williams! He is the best!

Sophia Ridley  Keep the nurses informed if you have any pain. I was told it's best to take pain meds at regular intervals rather than when you feel pain.

I've read somewhere that some hospital wait for you to ask so check the policy before op.

Sounds like you have the right surgeon so that's most of the battle one already!

Melinda Queliz  Thank you everyone. You don't have to worry about me because believe me I will be asking for every possible thing they can give me. I too have always heard to keep the pain away and don't let it come on strong because it is harder to get away once you feel a lot of it.

Wanda Mroz  You will be sore. However, I had shoulder joint replacement 3 years ago and that I found to be far more painful. Everyone tolerates pain differently, and the nurse in ICU who was male told me female patients seem to tolerate the pain better. It is nothing you can't tolerate I don't think, but it will hurt at first. I came home after 10 days with pain meds I never used at home... Just regular Tylenol. My biggest issue was back pain across the shoulder blades rather than chest pain. They gave me muscle relaxers and hot and cold packs for relief. Like it's been said, ask if you need pain relief... They will do what they can to relieve it. Don't be afraid to ask. I found sitting in my chair all day easier than lying in bed... Easier to get to the bathroom, etc. good luck to you!

Clare Auten  Mine was glued. No stiches or staples. Ask your doctor what he uses. I bet each doctor does it a little different.

Pat Bluemel  Each doctor is different, but the trend is internal stitches that dissolve and glue on the outer (which I had).

Sophia Ridley  Mine was the same as Pat. No staples. You're likely to have a dressing on it for your hospital stay.

The drains may have a stitch done when they are inserted (you'll be asleep) and then once the drain is removed they are tightened. These are clipped a week later - Total non-event really.

  I had the same as the others. They coated my incision with dermabond and it peeled off a few weeks later.

Jacqueline Cook  I had robotic mitral valve repair. They used dissolvable stitches. The did not dress the surgical site with anything. My wounds are healing remarkably well.

Enrique K  Mine was glued and i'm sure it got stitches internally. My surgeon did an excellent job on the incision and its healing very well. As Pat said each surgeon is different.

Meredith Bray  I had glue and tape (dermabond ? maybe, nobody told me, I never asked). There were a few stitches holding the drain tubes in. The nurse cut those just as the tubes were removed. The nurse (nurses really are angels in disguise!) brought me pain meds about an hour before the tube-removal team showed up. I really didn't care what they were doing, and it didn't hurt.
-Meredith

Emily Rowley  I think I had dissolvable threading/stitches (or possibly glued like Meredith)-I didn't get anything pulled out (that I can recall), only bandage taken off. However to tie my Sternum together I have permanent medical grade stiches bit like staples which I can't feel and they come up on X-rays/CT Scan (I can show you if you like 😊). I wonder what they will do with those stiches once they open me up again... It's good you are thinking ahead.

Anna Jones  Melinda, I'm a worrier too. In 2006 I had the heart cath through my leg. The room was very cold. They brought me a blanket fresh from the dryer to keep me warm. There was a monitor in front of me. I was told that if I wanted to I could watch the procedure. I chose not to watch. I was given versed (I think) and something else. Then I felt a very small prick. I was told I said "ouch". I don't remember that. I was told I'd feel some warmth as the dye entered my blood. I do remember feeling some warmth and it felt nice. Then what felt like 5 minutes later a person was pressing down on my leg and telling me not to move until a blood clot formed and that it was all over. I think the very worst of it was I was supposed to have it first thing in the morning but there was an emergency and I didn't have it until later that afternoon and I was starved.

Of all the things I worry about, this is not one of them any more. It is really very painless and quick.

Jennifer Lorenz  Hi Melinda!
I was really worried about the heart cath too but let me tell you, I was worried over nothing. It went so quick and I felt absolutely nothing. No worries over this!!!!

  I had a heart cath back in 2010 and it was not too bad at all. I was awake during the cath (although not sure if they will have you awake if you are going to have surgery right after). I think I annoyed the doctors because I kept talking and they gave me medicine to keep me quiet. :) I had mine in my leg and I had to sit at the hospital with someone holding my vein closed and every time I sneezed or coughed really hard, you are supposed to put pressure on that area. Apparently they got a really good picture of my heart during the procedure and you could hear all the doctors and nurses giving cheers to the doctor performing the procedure (I think she was a fellow and a little nervous about the procedure herself). It seems wise that your doctors would want this as it will give them information that will determine if they need to do anything else to your heart. My surgeon mentioned that with minimally invasive surgery, he can't see all parts of the heart and he was very interested in receiving my cath results prior to my surgery (even five years out).

Barbara Adams  The heart cath I had 3 weeks ago was very easy! I too was anxious but even though I was awake, I felt nothing.

Courtney Kerfoot  I had a heart cath done about a month ago. I worried myself sick over it, but in the end it was very very easy. I nearly pass out at the sight of needles and this really wasn't bad at all. The room is cold, but they cover you in as many blankets as you want. They put a sheet up so you can't see what's happening. The meds they gave me honestly didn't do a lot. They definitely weren't "happy" meds. I just got to a point where I stopped caring and laid there and watched the screen. It goes so fast! It bruised pretty bad but heals fast. I started to anticipate the results more than worry about the procedure.

Meredith Bray  I've had two, both through the groin artery. The first one I was in twilight, I felt drunk but was also scared, so I didn't move a muscle. I did feel a little movement in my chest (or I may have been imagining things). The weirdest part was when the dye was injected - I suddenly felt very flushed, very warm, and weirdly warm between my legs. I thought I had wet myself! The tech laughed and said everyone feels soemthing different, and no, I didn't pee on the table. When I went for the second cath a year later, I told them I was anxious about it (a different facility) and didn't want to feel anything. The tech said, "OK. Do you like mai tai drinks?" and after he put the IV in he said, "Here's your first cocktail" and I don't really remember anything after that, except opening my eyes and asking, "Did I just wet the bed?" Everyone laughed, then shushed me, and I went back to sleep/twilight. There was no pain per se with either one.

Sophia Ridley  I was really worried about the angiogram as you'll see from my journals. Mine was through my groin, they gave me something to relax me and I was so chilled out that I started asking questions and they turned the screen so I could see my valve. I'm usually quite squeamish! There was no pain from the entry site.

I was the last patient so stayed overnight. I'm not sure what happens for wrists but they put a belt on me to exert immense pressure on the site. You will bruise afterwards.

Big tip: breath normally. I was so chilled out I wasn't breathing properly so ended up with low sats results and had to have a lung function test which involved clipping my ear (which hurt more than the angiogram!)

Melinda Queliz  Thank you everyone!! Meredith I hope I don't remember a thing, and I do NOT want to watch anything on the screen.

Enrique K  Dear Melinda, I had my cath through the wrist, Seriously, it was a none event I was not totally sedated like the TEE. It was pretty sureal watching the screen and looking at my arteries in my heart. The procedure was really quick. The worst part was getting ready for the procedure, but after it was a piece of cake! You will do great.

Beth Kelly  My husband had a heart cath recently and his only real complaint was having to lay flat for two hours afterwards. So, if you can't do that easily, due to back problems, that seemed to be the real discomfort.

Liz Burroughs  I had a heart cath (in September) through the groin. I fell asleep shortly after they wheeled me into the procedure room. I remember waking up near the end of the procedure & looking up at the screen. Right after that they wheeled me back to the recovery area. I had to stay there (lying down) for about four hours. I slept a lot during that time. The only thing that hurt is when the nurse kept pressing down on the incision site to either stop or prevent bleeding. I did have some bruising for about 2-3 weeks. All & all, the cath was not that big of a deal & I went back to work the next day.

Wanda Mroz  I had my pre surgery heart cath through the wrist. I was terrified and worried! I was awake but they do give you something to calm you. You feel a rush of a warm feeling up your arm when the dye gets injected but other than the pressure of the cath going up the arm I felt no pains in my chest at all. It's pretty quick then you stay for about two hours to make sure the bleeding has stopped and you go home! No worries... Even though I did worry big time again because it was the unknown... You'll be fine. I promise.

Emily Rowley  Not bad at all. Had mine down through my esophagus (throat). The numbing spray in my mouth tasted yuck+throat felt strange but I was quickly sedated. 💉 I woke up for split second with it down my throat, saw the monitor & gagged little (didn't feel anything)before falling back to sleep. Couple minutes (felt like two minutes) I woke up when they were all finished. My Cardiologist was present and when I felt okay to sit up, he gave me (came talked to me & my family) the results. I was back up on my feet fairly quickly, although bit unstable so try not to walk too much afterwards. I was bit sick cause I didn't know what to eat. Hope it goes well for you hun.
Let us know the results.

Emily Rowley  They call it TOE (short for Transoesophageal Echocardiogram) here, I'm unsure what it is called in other places, so it might be something completely different 😲 Here is a link. http://cag.org.gg/site/?p=191
So what's a Heart Cath than?

Meredith Bray  From the mayo Clinic website:
"Cardiac catheterization (kath-uh-tur-ih-ZAY-shun) is a procedure used to diagnose and treat cardiovascular conditions. During cardiac catheterization, a long thin tube called a catheter is inserted in an artery or vein in your groin, neck or arm and threaded through your blood vessels to your heart. Using this catheter, doctors can then do diagnostic tests as part of a cardiac catheterization. Some heart disease treatments, such as coronary angioplasty, also are done using cardiac catheterization.

Usually, you'll be awake during cardiac catheterization, but given medications to help you relax. Recovery time for a cardiac catheterization is quick, and there's a low risk of complications. "

Wanda Mroz  Yep the TOE is a TEE here. I had that but was totally sedated for it. The cath is the above procedure you are awake for but given something to calm you. Got through both with no issues.

Cheryl Gregory  I had the cardiac catherization 3 weeks ago and they went through the wrist. I am probably worse than you when it comes to worrying but hindsight tells me I wasted my time worrying. First they gave me a valium and benadryl pill an hour before the procedure. Once in the surgical room they gave me valium in my IV and covered me with a warm blanket because I was so cold. I felt a pinch in my wrist as the doctor told me he was giving me a numbing shot then I didn't feel anything. I actually think I fell asleep but I do remember the doctor asking me to hold my breath which I guess I did because he said ok, you can breath now. Then I remember him telling me they were going to insert the dye and I felt my whole body get warm which was wonderful because I was so cold. Then I don't remember anything until I was out of the surgical room and back into the room I started in. I can honestly say if I had to do this again I wouldn't give it a second thought. Which is why I'm trying not to freak out about how it will be after my valve repair because it probably isn't going to be worse than I'm already making it out to be. Maybe a day or two of some unpleasantness
but then it'll be fine.

W. Carter  The only way they can work on your heart is to stop it for a couple hours. It is routine to stop it and restart it again after they are done. The only bad thing about the heart lung bypass machine is it will deplete your red blood cells and cause anemia after surgery. Iron tablets will fix that and you will feel brand new. :-)

Tim Goff  It is certainly a surreal and daunting thing to comprehend, but when you recognize that it is done so frequency with success the fears subside a bit. To be honest, in my case, most of the tube & wire removals were not a problem. Pain meds kept the discomfort to a minimum. The medical teams are excellent and will work to alleviate your fears and discomfort. Hang in there

Steven A Husted  the stopping of your heart and the use of a heart lung machine has been done over and over again for years they will take very good care of you and the chest tubes being removed let your doctor know of your fears and they will keep you on meds so you will not feel it very little coming out and my doctor did it so fast it was only a couple of seconds and it was all over and if you think you may vomit they will be ready for it your stomach will be emty and any vomit will be clear liquid so it is not to bad hope this helps you a little your heart brother steve (popeye)

Sophia Ridley  I asked about how I was restarted... They warmed me up and it started on it's own! Wow!!

I remember reading about valve surgery a bit too early on in my acceptance but by the time the surgery came close I was able to read it and became fascinated at modern medicine. This surgery will give you back the rest of your life.

I found discussing fears with a CBT trained hypnotherapist extremely useful as you need to picture and articulate the fear. For mine, I found that all the research didn't rationalise it until I had to address what the fear actually was. They will provide you with visualisation techniques too for distraction.

The nurses will talk you through the removal of the tubes. Take your pain meds beforehand (psychological rather than needed) and follow exactly what they tell you about breathing techniques, you will feel a slight tug and it's out.

Eddie Patton  For me the tubes being removed wasn't painful, felt a bit weird though. Actually it was a great relief to have them out.

Sophia Ridley  I agree with Eddie. Great relief to have them out, your mobility is much better without them and it's a good clear sign of a step closer to leaving hospital.

Enrique K  Dear Melinda, I explained this in detail in my letter sent to your guestbook last month. Yes, you feel a great relief when they pull them out but for me the chest tubes was the most discomfort not even pain meds helped me. Thank fully, they pulled them the second day. They will collapse a lung and stop your heart so they can work on it as everyone has mentioned this is the only way to work on your heart and that is why you have the chest tube to drain the fluid from your lungs so you don't get any infection. Make sure you use your spirometer to bring the lungs back to normal. Try to have positive attitude and stop worrying because eveything will be fine let them work on you so they fix you up.

Sophia Ridley  Melinda, please visit Anna Jones' journal posting regarding support. Lilly Black provided a really good link for surgery preparation as did others (including I) report on the support that they sought. Talk to the hospital too, you will probably be able to speak with cardiac nurses and familiarity of surrounding and procedures will help. I attended a pre-surgery seminar which was very useful.

Facing this positively is hard, I have two girls (3& 6) and my driving focus has been to give them a positive experience. I owed that to them. Pull together your network for practical support pre and post surgery - people will want to help, take their help; talk to people locally and you'll find, as I did, that heart surgery is more common than you think. It made it very real to me when friends, colleagues and associates whom I would never have guessed had had OHS told me, they were just getting on with living. We are all survivors on this site, and you are too.

Rhonda Rawles  Like you one of my biggest fears was all the tubes and the intubation. Honestly for me I was pretty out of it and don't recall them pulling the one out of my throat which was the one that freaked me most. I actually had it inserted/removed three times due to complications and don't recall much about any time they did this. I do somewhat remember the chest tube which was not painful or even uncomfortable. It's funny, the things you worry about the most won't be what bother you in the end.

Kimberly Biddick  The tubes are not painful at all when they are removed and actually things start to feel a lot better inside after they are gone! As for the heart lung machine, I found that there were no comforting words that would take away my fear of that. It seems so scary and unnatural and is definitely the most nervewracking part of this, in my opinion. The only thing that brought me a little peace was talking to other people who had been through it, reading survival statistics and my faith that everything would be ok. It's one of those terrifying things in life that we have to face and just pray that all turns out well.

Liz Burroughs  I was also very scared & sort of freaked out about having my heart stopped and being on the heart lung machine. I just tried not to think about it too much. I was on the bypass machine for about two hours. Everything went fine. My heart started again almost immediately. Don't worry; the surgeons and medical team know what they're doing. I had my chest tubes out the day before I left the hospital. I was scared to have them removed but I couldn't see what the doctor was doing (which was a good thing) & it wasn't bad at all. I was really glad when they were gone.

Emily Rowley  I too was terrified to hear my heart would be stopped, but try think of it this way: You're whole body including your other most important organ called the brain (which also keeps you alive) is fully taken care of all throughout your Operation. Your heart is restarted to give you a second chance in life, like reborn enabling you more time to spend it how you please 😊

As for the tubes: I didn't feel a thing. Maybe ask for them to pull them out when you're asleep?

To be honest what hurt was when they slowly pulled off my Sternum dressing, it didn't hurt when they ripped it off fast like a BandAid!

  As scary as all of this sounds, it was not nearly as horrible as I had imagined in my head. i agree with What others have said. Talk to people who have been through it and seek extra support from a trained professional if you need it. You will do fine!! Best wishes.

Sophia Ridley  Emily - hopefully your hospital will have the honeycomb dressing I had. It allows them to look through the dressing to see how it's healing. Best bit for patients... it stuck very well and waterproof, and the moment they started to peel it, it felt less than a post-it note coming off, no pain at all. Magic! (Smith+Nephew)

Charles Haas  I was on prilosec immediately after my surgery for 30 days, presumably to eliminate nausea issues, and it worked like a charm.

Melinda Queliz  Thank you to everyone for taking the time to respond. I know I sound like a broken record asking the same things over and over (when I worry that is my nature...it is kind of my way of getting reassurance that it will be okay) I know I am much tougher than I sound, quite honestly I sound like a wimp on here and my worst enemy is my mind and over thinking things. I try to focus on the fact that I have been through many things that have terrified me and they were all much worse in my mind. I have a very supportive family behind me and an amazing God who will carry me through not to mention the wonderful support from all of you. Happy New Year to you all!!! I don't know you all personally but I think of you all often.

Enrique K  Dear Melinda, you are not a wimp everyone in this community have their own personal opinions and honest with each other. No question is a stupid question we are in this community to help each other out and provide feedback on our own experiences. Happy New Year to you too!

Gerald Schaffer  They have to stop the heart to work on it. Most of the time it restarts on itself if not they shock it but you'll be out so you'll never know. The tubes being pulled were not that big of a deal for me. It lasted seconds and may have been uncomfortable but not painful.

Emily Rowley  You are definitely not a wimp! We all fear the unknown and get sacred. I get sacred too and have wondered about this question you asked. Our Surgeons are highly experienced, I have alot of faith in them and in God. When I had light anesthetic for my TOE I didn't worry because I knew it was like a little sleep then I would wake up but I worry with full anesthetic having major surgery cause I really want to wake up just like you. I've heard good reports from others about my Surgeon how she performs valve ops often with great results. I know if we both don't get it done then the outcome wouldn't be pleasant. So soon we will be on our road to recovery 😊 Any more questions or anything you are worried about, please feel free to contact me. I will be praying for you.

Melinda Queliz  Thank you all so so much! I experience (as I am sure you all have too) so many emotions, I have my good days and my bad days. Each and every one of you and each unique story gives me so much comfort. I thank God I found this site. I may never meet any of you but you all feel like close friends. I also fully believe God is using each of our stories to help one another out.

  I agree completely, Melinda! This site has been invaluable to me and normalized this whole experience. There is so much to process out before a surgery like this!!

Terrie Syvertsen  Melinda-Now that you have a date it is typical to have the emotions gathering but you have plenty of time prior to surgery to work on a plan whereby you can gather as much information, love and support from people you know and care for you(especially those of us who have had similar feelings and/or surgery)who are involved here in seeing that people like you are able to ready themselves for surgery and the future that awaits you and your Son. Whatever your circumstances, I am sure you will find people who's lives mirror yours in ways that will help support positive thoughts and ways to keep fears at bay while still dealing with the truth of surgery. I hope you and your Son will have an excellent Christmas and the Happiest of New Years looking forward to a day where your health will improve by having a surgery to mend a heart that needs it to watch that Son of yours grow up and share many happy years with you.(By the way, prayers will be with you now, as you wait, during and after your surgery...please continue to BELIEVE!

  Best wishes to you, Melinda. Just know that you are going to the most respected hospital in the nation with one of the most respected surgeons! In addition to this, you are having a very common surgery where the statistics are very much in your favor. The hardest part is waiting in my experience. Now you have time to tie up loose ends. Talk to your son. I have two boys ages 6 and 9 and it was very stressful for them when I went to surgery. We made pillows that we could "hug" while I was away and also I wrote them letters to read the day of my surgery that were filled with positive messages that I feel/think about them. My oldest in particular said it was really helpful for him. While I waited, I finally put together wills, POA, etc as these were things we didn't think about before my surgery. This website was invaluable to me for encouragement and education on the surgery and what to expect. There are great people on this site. Take care of yourself.

Lenore Mitchell  Hi Melinda - I wrote a lengthy note to you - it's in my guestbook and in response to your questions to me. Take care!

Mindy Currence  Melinda, every fear, every question is completely normal! We have all been through or are going through the same emotions. I am 21 days out from aortic and mitral valve replacement and I can tell you I was a hot mess before surgery! I went through bouts of crying, anger, frustration, and questioning the future. The good news...your heart will be stronger than ever! My heart is beating like a champ! There are good times ahead for you and your son! You will be able to do so much with him, just focus on that. Please feel free to ask any questions either on the site or you can post on my journal. I will be happy to discuss anything you want. Right now focus on a very Merry Christmas with your son!
Many blessings, Mindy

pino correale  Melinda, you wouldn't be normal if you didn't fear in my estimation. Having said that go in with an open mind and try to pay a little more attention to the post operative psychologic side of it. I am 4 weeks post operative AVR, and that's the area i had most trouble with. However we can also say that everybody is so different. But i am recovering better right now. Wish you good luck.......

Cathy Slipski  I am praying for you and I completely understand how you are feeling. Have a merry xmas and spend all your time with that little one

Tim Goff  Melinda,
Anxiety is normal for most of us, but the realization that without surgery a normal life, or one at all isn't possible. The Dr answered that for me by saying "have a nice life" in that I should be all set. We are all in a different situation, but getting our valves repaired beats the alternative. I'm about 9 months out now and feeling great. Plenty of support here on the site so take advantage of it.

Melinda Queliz  Thank you Tim!! Yes I am so thrilled to have found this site. I hope you continue to have a great recovery.

Clare Auten  I am almost 2 years out fron aortic valve replacement. I have no restrictions form the surgeon and am expecting to live a normal life. I do just about everything at the house including mowing the yard and shoveling snow. I have done 3 half marathons post surgery. I have a full time jib, a husband and 3 kids ..... you have this!

Michael Meyer  Melinda:

The journals & data shows normal mortality if one does not wait too long to have the surgery. It is important to get the mitral valve repaired so your heart is not damaged (enlarged, etc).

Liz Burroughs  Hi Melinda, I had my mitral valve repaired 5 weeks ago. I had the surgery because I didn't want to risk getting any permanent damage to my heart. My mitral regurgitation wasn't going to get any better. Now I'm expected to live a normal life. Your best chance for living a normal life will be to have the surgery sooner rather than later. Then you won't have to worry about it anymore. Take care. Liz

Emily Rowley  I had Mitral Valve Repair (+other heart things) done 5 yrs ago-I'm still alive & very active. They say Repair is better than Replacement long term but hey either way you have a bright fulfilling life ahead of you, it's what you make it. I'm younger so I need more operations. Well said Doran! If you don't get it done, there would be complications.
You may need support in looking after your Son and you for alittle while Post-Op.
I'll be praying for you.

Wanda Mroz  I had mitral valve repair 16 weeks ago plus a tricuspid repair and a maze procedure. I'm doing well and can feel a vast difference in the way my heart beats... The alternative to not getting this fixed is heart failure and other damage. If you get it fixed befor it starts to damage things the prognosis is good... I know you're worried... So was I. You'll be fine.... Trust in God. He will get you through your fears.w

Mary K  Sending prayer for you, Melinda, my mended heart goes out to you. I too am planning on a long life. Does your doctor know about your anxiety? This is a major surgery, and a psychological intervention before hand is certainly a good preparation. Sometimes we just need to let go and get a little extra help. A counselor or some medication might just be a very kind help for you right now. Many people are willing to help you. Please ask for God"s guidance. Bless you.

Melinda Queliz  Mary K- thank you!! And yes I have already doing both speaking with a counselor and have meds for when my anxiety gets too much. I have a very supportive family and church family as well. Everyday I ask God to just take control. I'm going to worry I know that but I hope to get control of all the emotions of it.

Artie Rubin  Hi Melinda, it's very natural for you to feel anxiety and dread. And I'd guess the reason for this is everything is a big Unknown for you. (And when something's unknown, we humans tend to imagine the worst.) So the key is to get very familiar with it beforehand. There's so much good stuff on the web (including this site). If you go on youtube and search under "Heart Surgery," you'll find a lot of great, personal, step-by-step video journals by patients. As for your specific questions, in my own experience, I was "out of it" when they had the breathing tube down my throat. By the time I was really conscious again, it was gone. So was the bladder catheter. The tube in my neck stayed around awhile--but, would you believe it, I never even felt it. And no, I wasn't drugged up. I asked to stop all pain meds after three days because I didn't need them anymore (big surprise for me!). The chest wires are, I believe, pacemakers (I could be mistaken). I didn't even feel these either. Your body's different from mine, of course, but just wanted to let you know how it CAN be. Perhaps the greatest suggestion I can make is to make friends with everyone who cares for you. Be really interested in their lives--ask questions about their work, what they do for fun (after all, they have very stressful jobs), etc. This will make you feel reconnected to life, and every caregiver I've had appreciated the interest I took in them. You may not believe this (I didn't, pre-op) but your surgery is almost definitely going to be easier than you think right now. Best wishes to you.

Doran Herritt  Mine were taken out day two postop. I still had the option of pain meds. My pace wires and chest tubes didn't hurt when removed. Didn't really fill much of anything when pulled out. The tape that holds them hurt more coming off. Take care. Drn.

Kimberly Biddick  When you wake up from surgery, you will have several drainage tubes, pacing wires and several lines/ catheters in you. You are so heavily drugged you don't even notice and they all serve very important purposes. You also cannot see them, which I am sure makes it alot easier :) For me, the tubes were removed on Day 2 and the pacing wires on Day 3. Both removals were done with me awake and NO pain at all!

Gary Stripling  My temporary pacing wires from the OHS were not actually permanently removed. The surgeon's PA came to my hospital room the day I was discharged. I already have a permanent pacemaker. He pressed down on my stomach to expose more of the wires, snipped both off then they disappeared into my abdomen when he stopped pressing down. They're attached to heart tissue so they don't want to pull them out totally & risk damaging the heart muscle. Amazing what they leave inside you!

Emily Rowley 
I woke up with all tubes and wires coming out of me, but I was so drugged/sleepy/sedated I didn't feel them. Then they placed me to sleep when they pulled them out so I woke up without tubes or wires, besides the one cannula. Which I did not feel it in me, only couple days Post-Op when I was low on Sodium and Potassium. So no need to fear them as much-No Pain :D Only tube that might annoy you is the large breathing throat one but that's removed about 2hrs Post-Op (90% of that time I was asleep). Take care,
Emily.

Steven A Husted  mine hurt very little after they removed it then the one from my mouth made my mouth very dry and they gave me a few ice chips wow i never tasted any thing so good as ice chips what a blessing

Guy Blachman  wires and drainage tubes dont hurt at all. The ventilator tube is the worst, just hope you wake up with it out of you.

Tim Goff  Pain was minimal post surgery. a little discomfort with removing tubes and wires, but not bad at all

Ericka Carlson  The tubes and wires really will be the least of your worries, there will be so much going on and you'll really just be worried about laying most comfortably and moving around as soon as possible. I can't remember having any distress over them at all, just relief when they came out.

Paul Taylor  Wires, tubes, catheters were not so bad in my opinion. Odd sensations when removed but mine were not "painful." The worst part about them is moving your position with all that stuff dangling off you.

Wanda Mroz  Pacing wires... Those were the easiest. It's an odd sensation when they are pulled but I had no pain. Breathing tube was the worst but it comes out fast and it's out. Yes you will have wires, tubes, catheters, but you will get through it! I know how you feel... I was in that state of mind too but now I'm proud of myself for getting through it all. You will too.

W. Carter  I didn't even notice either one when I got out of surgery. The urinary catheter, dry mouth, and chest pain was the worst for me right after surgery. The 2 tubes didn't hurt coming out. When they pulled out the heart pacing wire my chest and shoulders hurt. The port in the neck hurts like crazy coming out.

Judith Collins  None of the tubes I had hurt when they took them out. Maybe I have a high pain threshold or the pain meds they were giving me worked.

Gary Stripling  I had 3 drain tubes right below the bottom of my incision. A nurse pulled 2 out at one time then the 3rd one out next. None of them hurt at all coming out. It just felt weird and, quite honestly, I was shocked at how long they were all tucked up in my belly! But no pain. When they pulled the mainline out of my neck it was a little uncomfortable, but not painful - probably because they gave me pain meds beforehand.

Sophia Ridley  IV in neck I didn't really notice, bit like an annoying dangling earring while in. I was still on the strong stuff so didn't notice that one come out.
You'll know the drains are there but to minimise any uncomfort I always made sure they weren't restricted. Three came out whilst on Fentanyl so didn't notice those and the fourth came out fine too half an hour after taking my pain meds, I was told to hold my breath for each those and the pacing wires. I had had drains removed previously so knew what to expect. The nurses are all experts at doing this, they will want to make it as easy for you.

Kelly Weisgarber  Hi Melinda,
I had my surgery 16 days ago, like you, I was so fearful of the chest tubes and the IV and the breathing tube... open waking I was mostly aware of the inability to draw a deep breath, and I was very nauseous. I became aware of the tubes late on surgery day, whenever pain would creep back. (I had an issue with pain meds making me vomit) As the tubes came out, I became more comfortable. There is some pain with the tubes being removed but it happens very quickly, it's bearable. The IV in the neck came out when I was released from ICU about 20 hours after surgery. It was an annoyance but also bearable. You can do it!

Clare Auten  my surgery was 23 months ago and while it was a big deal at the time, I don't really remember which ones hurt, which ones were just bothersome and which were no big deal.....time erases all those memories. Good luck.

Melinda Queliz  Thank you all so much! I am so glad I found this site. I am just in the beginning stages of getting this all set up and am waiting for an appointment with the Cleveland Clinic. I just pray I can be as drugged as possible through all of this. I am literally making myself sick thinking of it all.

Liz Burroughs  I think they took out the IV in my neck the day after my surgery. It was a little painful but not too bad. A doctor took out my two chest tubes & the pacing wire the day before I was discharged. Before that time I didn't even try to look at the tubes or wire. I just remember that the nurses came around quite often to drain the tubes. When the doctor started the process of taking out the tubes & wire he did everything very slowly and explained what he was doing. He let me know when he was getting ready to pull them out & told me to take a deep breath. It hurt a little but it wasn't too bad. It definitely wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Doran Herritt  5 weeks post-op. The neck iv comes out so soon after surgery, your still in a daze and won't remember by the end of the week. I remember them mentioning they were gonna pull it. That's about it. The pace wires and chest tubes came out two days post-op and again not painful. Don't b scared. U can do it! Take care. Prayers for peace heading ur way. Drn

Mary K  Melinda, if you are going to Cleveland, you will be pleased. The tubes and the wires coming out are not fun, but it is all bearable. I am thinking that maybe your anxiety about the surgery has grabbed ahold of the tubes and wires removal issue? I really wished that I had availed myself of some psychological assistance before the surgery. This is one of the biggest surgeries that one can have, and it is reasonable to have fear and anxiety about it. This site is great, because there are those of us here who have been through the experience. Having a person with a trained compassionate ear is very helpful, too. Might be something to consider.

Wanda Mroz  Chest tubes came out the 2nd day... Not comfortable but it feels much better when they are out. The neck cath goes in when you are sedated and it doesn't hurt when it's pulled out... One of the easier things.