Michelle 's Journal

Rose Madura  Michelle, I did not have mitral valve repair but had aortic valve replacement and ascending aneurysm (among other things) but did have Afib for about six weeks after surgery some people, like me, are very symptomatic to Afib.  You may be one of them.  I do know that you must be your own advocate.  I would continue to reach out to your cardiologist.  Sometimes I think they minimize things since it's routine for them.  I'd call again or maybe go see your PCP and see if he can advise you.  Don't give up!  Hang in there. 💪❤️‍🩹🪖

Klara Čičić  Dear Michelle, I hope your Afib will soon go away for good. You are still in those 3 months post-op period when Afib is still possible despite having MAZE or ablation done at the time of surgery... My Afibs were awfully symptomatic, all I could do is lay down and do nothing cause of shortness of breath and palpitations. Regarding your throat, it could be some temporary post-intubation damage... I don't know, but I wish you strength, I hope everything will get better with each day. It is still early days, your body has been through a lot! Your heart is still healing... Hang in there! We are here for you and understand how you feel. 

Richard Munson  I can see how you might feel hopeless when you experience the stress of heart surgery and expect that you will then be 100% right after. It does take time and based on what i read here, it varies from person to person. I started to feel more like myself after about 6 months post mitral valve surgery. Rose is correct however that you need to keep the pressure on your cardiologist or find one that will listen to your issues. You certainly had a top surgeon so maybe you should start there. 

Susan Lynn  Michelle- I'm really sorry you're feeling this way. If you haven't attended cardiac rehab, I would highly recommend it. The nurses on staff are very well versed in all of the symptoms a heart warrior might experience in the months following surgery. It's also beneficial to interact with other patients. You're still early into recovery. Chances are good, your symptoms will resolve in time, but remember to be your own advocate. If you're not getting enough attention from your cardiologist, reach out to your surgeon. Best of luck to you. Better days are ahead.

Abhishek Sharma  Well , most of us feel the same. 2.5 month is not a long time.  All these symtoms goes away over time.  Just be positive and try to divert ur mind to other things. It will help u to cure fast..

Kathy Ozio  I feel for you! I did not have problems with Afib but I understand your feelings. Heart surgery is a big deal. It takes awhile to heal physically and i think for some of us, longer mentally. I still find it hard to believe what I went through sometimes. Take the above advice from everyone- be your own advocate, ask questions, go to cardiac rehab (can't recommend that enough). And reach out to anyone here at anytime

Rita Savelis  I hear you . It's hard. Feeling down is common as one expects to feel great and instead one just feels different. To a doctor, you are okay, because your procedure went fine, but you don't feel better. Perhaps you can lower your dose of betablocker or stop it (with doctor's consent)? I haven't heard of them causing nasal drip or throat irritation, but I didn't like the way they slowed my heart and all of me down. I know it's no consolation but it's still very early for you and despite patients who say they feel great right away, I don't really believe them. Everyone has some kind of side effect/after effect. They do go away, but no one tells you that they are the norm. Take care.

Jill Porter  I did not really start to feel better until 3 months after my MV repair. I had issues with Afib for weeks after surgery (about 5 weeks). I was on metoprolol and amiodorone (small dose) to get it back to sinus. I am in sinus and am still taking those meds. Just having Afib from time to time can be stressful. And anxiety can contribute to some of the issues you mentioned. I agree that you should talk to someone who can explain things to you until you feel more comfortable. Also I'm saying that at three months I just began to feel better. I kept thinking about people who were great at 6-8 weeks. That was just not me at all. I don't think it's uncommon to feel lousy for months after surgery.

Michelle Higgins  Thank you all. Your comments really help. I did cardiac rehab for about 5 weeks. I stopped going because I was not accomplishing anything. They kept slowing me down or even sending me home because of afib or my heart rate being too high ( around 140) but the cardiologist was unconcerned and did not adjust my meds.  I felt cardiac rehab was causing me more stress. So I have been walking my dog and using my Peloton bike. 

Susan Lynn  Michelle- I'm sorry to hear you didn't have a good experience at cardiac rehab.  I suspect the staff was trying to limit your level of exertion to keep your heart in the appropriate bp/hr range for your level of recovery.  You might feel capable of a more challenging workout, but your heart seems to be telling you otherwise.  The staff is trained to increase your level of activity when your heart is ready.  Be careful with your own exercise regimen,  you might be putting too much of a strain on yourself.  Take your time.   Recovery is a long process.  Patience is difficult,  but necessary.   Wishing you the best!  ❤💚