Nancy's Journal

Marie Myers  You did the right thing going to the cardiologist. Could be a “bug” you picked up somewhere. I am sure they will figure it out. Feel better soon!

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  sorry guess I never came back. Nothing was found on those tests. After about 10 days the night sweats stopped. Hope everyone is doing well.

Rob Sparling  For me, I have been restricted for six weeks and had two more tacked on at the six week follow-up. Not exactly sure why except for conservative cardiologist. Just doin’ what I am told to do. 😀

Catie B  I had to wait six weeks. Remote chance, but I know they really don't want an air bag to deploy while the sternum is healing.

Dan Vechiola  Great news. Each week will get better and better. I am at 8 weeks and am at 95%. I mall walked as well today. Walking the lower and upper floors of the mall I was at was just over a mile.

Meredith Geneja  You are doing so well.....I'm encouraged just hearing about what you can do now. I took a 30-minute walk tonight. Still have some chest pain, (earlier overexertion) but was overall a happy walk. Noticing our improvements is so positive.

Jennifer McInerney  I am 4 weeks out and I’m really noticing improvement now. It’s so exciting to feel energy, normal breathing and a regular heartbeat

Nancy James  You are doing great.....I am just a little over a year after my surgery. I did gain about 15 pounds after my surgery and in the last few months I have lost nearly 30 pounds. had my 1 year post op appointment and they don't have to see me for 2 years. I feel wonderful at this point. Still have a little shortness of breath in certain situations but overall i feel wonderful. Good luck to you and keep getting stronger and better!!!

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  Today my husband took me to church. Then a bite to eat after. I took a walk with my friend around the block. After a long day I'm hurting. I've been having issues with my throat since the surgery. Keeps getting scratchy. Talking also makes it worse. Hope I sleep. Thanks for the encouragement.

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  My therapist came today. He put two pounds ankle weights on me. Did a series of exercises. Then walked around the block. Brought my water. Did really well. Much better than yesterday.

Nancy Luth  I bought an $80 post surgical bra which was so tight I was miserable. Ended up not wearing a bra for 21/2 weeks post op then cut the stays out of a couple of old bras and have been using them. Much better.

Jennifer McInerney  I have ended the tyranny of the underwire bra and I’m letting the girls hang free. It’s very liberating.

MARIE PICUN  I also was bra free. Until last week. Bought two bras a size up clips in front no wire. Very comfortable

Jennifer John  Nancy, ditch the bra for awhile. Check out my recent Journal post, “Braless Wonder.”❤️👏🏼

Jill McDonald   I am appreciating all the comments about the everyday happenings of bras, shirts, shampoo, and earplugs. These are all the helpful hints leading to calm and peace. Thank you! what a great site! You are all my heroes and inspiration!

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  I over packed. Wish I had gotten a longer extension cord for my cellphone. Had to keep bothering them to move it. Spent the night in bed and breakfast through dinner. In the chair. They had WiFi but it did not work well. I had to restart my phone often. I was able to text but couldn't make phone calls on my cell. A few times wifi calling worked.
There was a phone in the room and I was able to give the number to some relatives out of town. They had to ask for me by name and be transferred around. Otherwise I was able to make local calls.

Louanna Miller  The RNs told me that the movement of breast can cause soreness and discomfort of the sternum incision. They gave me a surgical bra that Velcro’s shut in the front. Once home I searched other options. One was wearing snug fitting cami’s. Not too tight, just form fitting.

I also found a bra that has hook/eye closure in the front. It’s very comfortable. Just don’t order the nude, it’s not nude, but an ugly color. Here is the name: Amoena
Women's Frances Front-Closure Leisure Bra. I purchased online at Amazon.

Jennifer McInerney  Recliners are the best thing ever. Mine is staying forever! Congrats on being home and enjoy your naps

Dan Vechiola  Congrats on being home. Time will really move fast now. Take it one day at a time and work hard each day towards getting your life back to normal.

Nancy Luth  Congratulations on being home. Renting a recliner was the best decision I made. Slept in it every night for the first 2 weeks after I got home. I have finally graduated to the bed and sleeping on my side. Worst purchase - the post op bra!

Rob Sparling  That lasix is magical stuff, eh? Keeps you on your toes, so to speak! Great to hear the scar looks good and that appetite is starting to return and improving! 👍

Dan Vechiola  Keep at it one day at a time. Its amazing what are bodies can tolerate and go through. The worst is over and you will notice how time will fly as you proceed with your recovery.

Jennifer McInerney  Lasix- what a delight. I have redecorated the bathroom multiple times in my mind just to make the multiple trips more interesting.

MARIE PICUN  My surgeon told me that surgery could be cancelled for emergency. But, lucky I had it done on schedule. The waiting is the worst part. Prayers for you to be calm.

Meredith Geneja  Oh my! We are all advised of this, & you experienced it. The need was obviously huge for the other patient. Enjoy your week as best you can. Will be thinking of you all.

Rob Sparling  Wow! Difficult situation. Pray for them! They needed the assistance more urgently than you did! Friday it’s “game on”! In the meantime, I agree with Marie! Do something for yourself! 👍

Susan Lynn  That's a tough one, but it definitely creates perspective. Try to relax this week and you'll be ready to go on Friday! All the best to you and to today's transplant patient! ❤❤

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  Went home had a decaf and made myself breakfast. I was pretty hungry. Then I tried to take a nap. No luck. Going to pick up my grandson at 3 PM. He's always a joy.

Catie B  Oh wow, you were right at the cusp! Seeing your sweet grandson sounds good! I'm sorry this happened and that you need to wait again.

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  I actually read about someone in one of the groups I'm in that this happened to. They actually met the person at a follow-up. God timing. It was that person time I guess.

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  I'm ok. We were a little stunned. This was the second time I've been postponed. I realized it was someone's else's prayer answered. I pray they have a long life and successful surgery.

Dan Vechiola  I believe everything happens for a reason so maybe today wasn't the best day for your surgery. Distract yourself again until Friday and its game time!

Jennifer John  Well, crap! Happened to me as well because of an emergency case. I looked at it this way: grateful I wasn’t an emergency case.🤔❤️

Susan Lynn  Nancy - you're going to be just fine! I had the mini-t mv repair just over 10 months ago. I found it to be nearly painless. All you'll need are a robe and pajama pants because you'll be walking, walking, walking by your second day! You'll be a little tired for awhile, but rest when you can. You've got this! ❤

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  Sounds good Last time in the hospital I wore 2 hospital gowns since I don't like robes. Nice to heart you found it not very painful.

Jennifer John  I didn't get a real shower till after I got home. The hospital sponge bath was glorious, though. And I had to do it myself!

Judy S  I didn’t get a shower until I got home. Dry shampoo was doable, and having some wipes to freshen up were helpful as well.

Maryann Gomez  They gave me a nice warm sponge bath. They wouldn’t let me do it myself. It had a little bit of light soapy water. They washed my arms, legs, face, neck, the wound and then my private parts. It was glorious , warm and smelled great. They gave it to me every morning at 7:00 am. although it was a bit embarrassing. Nice nurses. I brought my own toothbrush but they had everything. I washed my hair the morning of the surgery. Left it alone. Brought a brush, dry shampoo and clean undies. They gave me special soft front closure bras. They put 2 gowns on me. I brought slippers. Went home in the same clothes I arrived in. Kept it all simple. I used my back pack.
I couldn’t walk a lot. I had retained too much water and was dizzy. I read. Magazines were good!
Good luck!

Jennifer McInerney  I remember the special soap. I had a very light sponge bath. No shower I had too many wires. Looking forward to first real shower tonight

Bonnie Stone-Hope  Dry shampoo, and facial wipes were great for the first 2 days. Sponge bath by the sink after that.

Rob Sparling  First two days I didnt care. I asked for toothpaste while in ICU and they knew I had to go — they just didnt have a place to put me! In step down I got wipes to use myself and a partial sponge bath while sitting in a chair in the shower. Two days later I got back to the hotel and showered w/ shampoo! Outstanding! I am so glad I took pajama bottoms with me. They pair nicely with the gowns!

Jill Mullikin  Bastian got the wipe things too. Did they warm yours up Rob? I knew Bash was feeling better when he wanted the pajama pants under his gown. He has quite a collection now!

Louanna Miller  I was not allowed to shower or wash my hair while in the hospital, 10 days. While there I had a sponge bath each day. The nurse aide helped. They mixed special soap with water to use with wash cloths. They also had nice wipes I could use. They gave me deodorant, body lotion. I brought my own toothbrush and toothpaste, hairbrush, hair clips and dry shampoo.

I wore one hospital gown and my own pj shorts underneath. I also brought a stack of lightweight socks. After I got to the step for unit, I didn’t want to wear the hospital socks in bed after walking on the hospital floor. My family would put my own socks on and when I got up to walk they put the hospital socks over my own socks. Then took off hospital socks when I got back in bed. The hospital floors were dirty and so were the bottom of the socks after walking.

I did not take anything but a book and small notepad to write in after I was feeling better.

Susan Lynn  I didn't take a shower until i got home. I was able to use the warmed wipes by myself while in the hospital. Might want to have a shower chair or take shorter showers when you get home i was also told not to use really hot water because it drops your blood pressure. I often felt weak after taking my long showers.

Rita Savelis  You actually don't need that much.... and the hospital will give you what you need. As I've said before - a hair elastic to tie back my hair was all I really needed... Take care and best wishes for your hospital vacation!

Phyllis Petersen  When I had mine in CC Cleveland, they gave me body wipes as soon as they thought I was able to clean myself up. They cleaned my teeth with a non-rinse toothpaste while I was in ICU, which was a real blessing. If you have a longer charging cord for your cell phone, that would be good. One thing I felt helpful was a pair of slip on sandals with good gripping soles (Earth brand) so I could slip my feet in with the hospital socks on. I also brought loose pajama pants and a comfy jersey robe. There wasn't much I needed in the hospital. When I was able to shower, the hospital had soap, shampoo/conditioner combo and lotion, but you may want your own. My sister stayed in a hospital on the campus and so could have brought me anything I needed, including my clothes for going home. If there's anything you need and don't have, ask the nurse, care assistant or housekeeper. They can and will supply lots of things, such as hot packs if your back is bothering you, surgical bra (if you're full-breasted, ask for this early), face mask, ear plugs. They really do try to make you comfortable, which helps you recovery more quickly.

Debbie Moriarty  These are all things I have been wondering about!!! Thanks so much for all the info. It’s the little things..... I’ve seen ear plugs mentioned a couple of times. Why are they needed??

Jennifer John  That’s right, Debbie. What I found most annoying, other than being awakened from a sound sleep for bloodwork, was the noises other patients made. Talking, snoring, coughing, loud TV programs ... Ear plugs are a must!👍🏻

Debbie Moriarty  Thanks for this great info! Ear plugs are on my list!! Should I get my own surgical bra? And do hospitals have the plastic shields to cover your scar with or should I look for some?

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  So I had a MRI on Wednesday because they saw a lesion on my liver. Its only simple cysts so this is good and we can move forward with the surgery on Monday.

Marie Myers  I remember several stories on here about having to postpone due to a "bug" of some kind. You want to be in top shape for surgery, so it is best to postpone if you are coming down with something. Wishing you all the best!

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  i'm feeling much better today. Wed i have pre op I'll cancel if I don't feel good Tuesday. My throat stopped hurting and my nose isn't stuffed. Taking it easy the next couple of days.

Kathy Sansone  take care of yourself! This was my fear too I was so scared I would get sick and it wouldn't happen. As luck would have it I got a sore throat about two weeks prior, that was because of post nasal drip. I took Claritin for a few days and it went away and I was healthy for the surgery. Hope the same happens for you

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  The hosp;ital called me and the doctor has to go out of town. They canceled all his surgeries for that week. Im not the only one.

Nancy Surprenant Takahashi  I had the Di Vinci, incision was made just below my right breast and there we several puncture incision, about 6 and also one pretty nasty one in my groin. When I tell people I had OHS they look at the middle of my chest and obviously they can't see anything.

Jennifer John  On 5/31 I had a right thoracotomy, mainly because there was too much scar tissue from a previous OHS via sternotomy that hindered my surgeon’s view of the right lung and heart. Very painful incision. Nerves and muscles take long time to heal. (See my journal for a pic and details.) But I’m all fixed and certainly grateful.❤️💪🏼🌺

Susan Killian  I had the full sternotomy and the incision is healing well, was 16 weeks ago and the got a really good repair, I am in rehab now and allowed to push as hard as I can, I am 64 and very happy with the out come!

Susan Lynn  I had minimally invasive mini-thoracotmy - about 2 1/2 inches long along the side of my right breast. It also requires a femoral cannula placement as Nancy mentioned, so I have a scar in the crease at the top of my right thigh. That being said, recovery was easy. No driving restriction, minimal pain - only took Tylenol as needed. Good luck in making your decision.

Nancy Surprenant Takahashi  @ Nancy - my recovery was slow but I had a bump in the road, I went into Afib, after I was released from my surgeon I was under the care of my cardiologist, who happened to be retiring, I had a problem with getting in there when I needed to and believe that postponed some of my recover, had I not hat that issue I think my recover would not have been that bad. I got tired of having those issues with his availability and seek out another doctor, I'm doing much better now. I would say my incision was not a problem at all, maybe only needed Tylenol for a few days. I did have driving restrictions for 6 weeks for the incision in my leg, I would say that for me that was the worse of it, but certainly nothing major.

Debbie Moriarty  I’m so glad to hear the scars after sternotomy are minimal! Do you have to schedule a plastic surgeon? Or is that just how good it looks?

Bonnie Stone-Hope  Hi Nancy,
I wore a loose cotton button down top and also, a loose bamboo poncho. Key word is "loose" and natural material is nice.
The poncho was my favourite as it covered all the tubes/wires but had easy access for nurses to adjust/check.
I also had a nice bright-coloured shawl which made me feel good (cosy), having it draped over my shoulders.

Ruth Coleman  Button down shirts might be easier for you at first. Within a few weeks you should be okay with slip over shirts, too. I am swimming again and look good in my swimsuit and my scar has faded. Best wishes to you to keep growing stronger.

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  Thanks I still have time. Don't expect to have surgery till Late August or September. I figure I should prepare. Any other suggestions appreciated. I bought 5 tops and I want to pick up some pj's that button down.

Kelly Stoll  Yes. But make sure the buttons are backed with a good fabric so it doesn't rub. I bought shirts 1-2 sizes too big to be on safe side.

Anna Jones  I bought really soft high neck sun dresses and didn't have any trouble putting them on over my head and they didn't rub my surgical wound.

Joan Lyons  my OT suggested soft cotton slip over shirts, put your arms out in front of you, gently slide the shirt up, tuck your head in and slide it down. No need to pull and easier than pulling your arm back to get the second arm into the button up.

Rita Savelis  Loose is good. One usually already has some loose t-shirts around and this is the time to pull them out...

Rose Madura  I wore loose t-shirts for a while and large button down shirts as well. Pajamas that buttoned in front bothered the incision when sleeping though.

Susan Killian  I just wore stretchy shirts over the head, button downs were hard because of trying to reach arms back to go in sleeves.

Phyllis Petersen  I just saw this. Tomorrow will be my second anniversary of my robotically-assisted mitral valve repair at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. I found that as long as the shirt was loose and stretchy I could wear it without a problem.

Lewis Garlisi  Hi Nancy.
Mitral repair surgery is something that seems to be much more common today, and there are a lot of good surgeons who can do it. Before my surgery, I had researched the Clinic and read some good reviews about the hospital and the surgeons. I choose not to go there because of logistics as I live on tbe west coast of Fl. Given your family health situation, having surgery locally may be something you will want to consider. Best Wishes.

Marie Myers  I had my surgery in Lake Worth, FL at JFK Hospital. Had a great surgeon who did his Fellowship at CC Ohio. Not sure if MV repair is his thing , though. You need to research the doc who does a lot of them with a good success rate. Wishing you a smooth journey wherever you have it done. There are great doctors everywhere; you just have to find them...

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  I'm looking at this doctor https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/surgeons/dr-Edward-Savage-Weston-Florida.php But I also am going to ask my Cardio doctor.

Marie Myers  Would be great to hear from someone who works at CC Weston to see what the "insiders" think about this doc. Wish I knew someone there to help!

Chris Purvis  Hi Nancy! Lots of great friends on this site that should be a great foundation for you to continue the education and have a support group as well.

Mark Wilbur  Welcome, Nancy. I'll echo Chris' comment above. This website has a wealth of information at the Learning Center link at the top of the page. In addition, you've found a gold mine of first-hand experiences shared by the wonderful people here (like Chris) who have been through the process, from diagnosis to healing. They will answer your questions and concerns as time goes along. Our best wishes for you as you continue your heart journey.

Debbie Chatzky  Welcome, Nancy. This group has amazing people with knowledge and compassion. Has helped me greatly. I’m sure you will get support and information here.

Nancy LeClair Gottlieb  Thanks hope your all doing well. It seemed I was going on forever without surgery. My husband was a little in denial at first. But he did some research on the internet and now he is on board.