TRACIE's Journal

Daneen Douglas  Oh no Tracie!   That does seem rather comical, but not, lol.  How did you end up on your knees?😬🫣🤣

TRACIE H  Was trying to get out of low chair and lost balance while tightly holding my pillow. I quickly checked to make sure everything was good. BP, Heart rate etc.

Richard Munson  Am i reading this correctly that your surgery was 5-13-24? Today is only 5-20-24. Thats only 7 days after open  heart surgery. It all sounds simple on paper, but make no mistake, there is no simple open heart surgery. You might be expecting too much, too soon. I am betting as each day goes by, things will get better and better as long as you don’t push the envelope. We all heal at our own rate. Give it some time. Your body needs to adjust. And it will. When i got home after almost 2 weeks in the hospital i never thought that a month later i would be doing as well as i was. And i was 79. Yes, i had minimally invasive but the key word is invasive not minimally. I wish you well. 

J Alexander Lassally  Oh - the comedy of errors in the first days of surgery. I wish there was a rule book  for the first days post discharge! 

Kevin McCarthy  Tracie, I'm glad it all worked out for just some comic relief. I think they should push squat exercises before the surgery. I've tried to elevate some of my sitting surfaces. Before hand, I went to Joanne's Fabrics and got a square of extra stiff foam that I put where I sit on my couch. The couch is getting old and a bit sunk down, I don't think I could get up without that foam.

TRACIE H  Thanks for the responses all 💜 Took a nap..took a shower feeling alot better and cleaner.Visiting nurse will visit couple times a week for me too. Mom making me homemade soup. All is moving along😄

Rose Madura  Homemade soup sounds good.  It's still very early for you. Don't expect too much yet each day will get better.  

Kathy Ozio  I feel for you. You are only at the beginning of recovery but I remember those days. It's normal and in a few weeks, you'll look back and see how much you've progressed. I expected to be all good in a month (minimally invasive ) but Richard is right.  Stress the invasive.  It just means smaller scars. 😉

Teressa Phillips  It's hard. Really, really hard. We all try to be encouraging and celebrating the victories here, but at times it is just awful. Fortunately, for most those awful moments pass and become fewer and fewer. Naps are your friends. Even just lying down for a while can help. Also, crying. Feel free to let it flow. Then blow your nose and move on with things. It will all be okay, but right now, it's okay if you think it sucks!

J Alexander Lassally  Nice to see you Tracie - Sore shoulders are the bane of the sterotomy. I just used Motrin... and heat

Meredith Bray  Here's a non-medicinal approach that worked for me:

Support your head/neck/shoulders any way possible when resting, & when standing use impeccable posture.

Head/Neck- use a travel pillow to support your head - your skull is HEAVY and takes a lot of energy to hold it up. Use the travel pillow and use that energy for healing.

Shoulders - whenever you're resting, support your arms & shoulders by wedging pillows under your armpits and elbows. The takes the weight of your arms off your shoulders, so you're not using energy holding your arms up. Gives your upper body a chance to heal without working.

Posture - when you're standing or walking, stand up as straight and tall as you can. This will help regain your core strength. So shoulders back, chin up, smile!

Resist the urge to curl inward to protect your chest area.

I found a therapist to give me a massage about 8 weeks post op - she helped me on the table, made sure I was comfortable, and it felt soooooo good!

Good luck, I hope you find something that works for you. I just stuck to acetaminophen and it wouldn't touch the back pain at all.

Meredith

Robert Miller  My shoulders, neck and lower back were sore, too. Based on my experience, there isn't an easy solution. You can take some pain medicine like Tylenol but it just masks the underlying problem. Since the problem is temporary (until you can sleep normally) that's fine. I did use some hot cherry pit pillows to put around my neck and shoulder. This helped but didn't make it going away completely. You can use anything that warms up your tissue in the problematic area. If you have someone that can give you a slight(!!) massage, that helps. And if all that didn't help enough, add some meds. 

Rita Savelis  Your body has been through a trauma, so it's understandable that you don't have much of an appetite. Glad to hear that you will go home on Monday. Take it slow. Give yourself time to heal. Take care Tracie.

Sue Maize  Like Rita said Tracie, your body has been through a trauma. Many have posted about not having a BM right away—that’s when we’re regular, but there’s nothing regular about open heart surgery, so it takes a while for the body to adapt. Heck, I get constipated every time I get jet lag—that’s how sensitive I am to time changes….I can only imagine how much more with OHS. Hang in there! I’ll likely be lamenting the same soon enough! 😅

P.S. I’m not really sure there’s such a thing as TMI on this site. 😆 

Jennifer Fuller  It will get better. I recommend taking some sort of laxative before things get too bad. Just a low dose as a preventative measure will help keep things from getting bad, especially when you’re taking pain meds. (I took Senakot gummies.)

nml hats  Sue—I travel a lot internationally for my work and had that problem. I am not a vegetarian at all but I now eat extra salad, fruit, nuts, and vegetables the day I fly and as much of those as possible in flight (coach meals are usually not ideal). Also drink tons and tons of water because flying dehydrates me so much. Then once at destination I keep on with the extra fruit/veg, look for soups, eggs, and avoid any big quantity of meat or bread/rice/pasta for a couple of days. It took me a long time to figure out what and how much I needed to do about this but finally got it down!

Sue Maize  Thanks for the great tips nml hats! I doubt I was well enough hydrated because I remember losing my water bottle in front of Buckingham Palace! 😄

Pamela Gregory  Glad you are feeling better today! Some meds plus the anesthesia can make you nauseated. A repair sounds awesome

Robert Miller  I felt so much better once that chest tube was out. Except with maybe some small setbacks, it's all uphill. Good luck. 

Yumiko Ishida  Wishing you a successful surgery, Tracie! Ask the nurse to use an ultrasound machine to locate a vein for you Monday, if they have one. Not every section of a hospital has one, but it’s the only way they seem to be able to find one on me when I have to fast.

Rita Savelis  I hear you on the arterial blood gas. Yuck! (But at least I never needed one again). Best of luck with your repair on Monday!

Sue Maize  You’re ready Tracie and you’ll be on the other side and beginning a new and exciting chapter of your life before you know it! Praying for you and your team! ❤️‍🩹🙏🏻

Sharon Behl  I feel your pain, Tracie.  I have very small veins also and Mount Sinai had a vascular specialty team put in the various needles for my blood draws, etc. You may want to inquire about that.  Sending you lots of good vibes for an easeful surgery and recovery! 

J Alexander Lassally  Hey - there are lots of great lists from other folks, but wanted to hit the basics. I brought a ton of stuff I did not need, so here goes. The practical essentials. ...
1.) Phone and charger
2.) Earplugs
3.)Some people brought wireless headphones - although there is some question if they interfere with electronic heart monitoring machines, so ask nurses
4.) Lipbalm
5.) Reading glasses for sure if needed  (maybe a spare pair: I wore them on my head and brought 3 total just in case)
6.) Maybe some throat lozenges although I did not use a single one
7.) Maybe sweat pants although I did not wear any that week
8) Change of underwear, again did not need 
9.) Easy slip on shoes for when you go home. I had complex lace ups and it was hard to put them on for me ! 
This is top of mind. Best of luck Which procedure are you having in SAC?  

RE showering, they may offer toward end of stay, I choose to use towel wipes until home in my rented apartment. The first showers are stressful, so make sure you have a helper there to hold things and coordinate. 

Some folks liked reading material (me too), but I had zero attention span to read. I just "hung out" if that makes sense.

TRACIE H  Thank you J Alexander Lassally. So don't over pack.
Surgeon intends for mitral valve repair but told me to pick which type valve I want just in case. I have Pre op Friday

J Alexander Lassally  Got it!  With steronotomy  (open) or thoratocomy right siide?  
Same exact scenario as I... I picked the biologic valve in case as did not want diet restrictions.  
I am just over 50.  Feel free to note my email... alassally14@gmail.com

Dan Fouratt  I would throw in a few snacks that store well.  My eating cycle was way off and the food was awful. 

Sharon Behl  And yes, most programs will provide a front closed surgical bra...mine had pulleys!  Kind of steam punk.. I asked for an extra to bring home with me so you can wash one/wear one.

Klara Čičić  I had mitral valve repair one and half year ago. My essentials were (beyond bacics) earplugs for noise, long phone charger, warm socks X2 (my feet were extremely cold few days after op, despite normal room temperature). Didn't wear a bra, not much to put in it anyway haha. Good luck and you can do this!!!!

Christine Maiorano  Hi Tracie! I had MV and Tricuspid repaired. Things I actually used in the hospital are: cell phone, charger,I pad, air pod, underwear (no bra) socks, slippers, hair brush, my own shampoo, pen and notebook. If the meds make you nauseous ask for graham crackers. I bought pj’s and never wore them . Also brought a light weight robe and wore it once. Comfy clothes and shoes to wear home.Good luck❤️

TRACIE H  J Alexander-yes open sternotomy yikes
Good info Christine, Klara, Sharon, Dan. Thank you all. Looking forward to getting this over with💜

J Alexander Lassally  Yikes is right (same procedure), but the pain is very manageable... You will be tired after. Lots of fatigue. 

Rita Savelis  You can shower when you feel like it, but it's okay to not shower for a few days/week. Really. You don't need to take along much - something to tie back your hair, a t-shirt, some loose pants (or wear the hospital gown and avoid laundry!). I did not feel like reading or doing anything except "hanging out" like J Alexander. If you feel like doing stuff - you're ready to go home! (P.S. I wish women were informed early on about post-surgery bras from medical personnel, surgeons, nurses, because we're not men, are we?)

Kevin McCarthy  Good luck Tracie. I'm going in for my mitral valve repair on Tuesday. Its very useful to see what people brought, I have definitely been tempted to overpack.

Valerie Allen  Agree with most but I would bring button up shirts not t shirts. You can’t raise your arms to put them on unless there is some trick I am unaware of! 

Anna Ma  You might also want to check with your hospital. I found that NYP actually provided a lot of stuff that I packed, like ear plug, mask, lip balm and all the shampoo stuff. They provided very nice travel packages. I brought my slippers too, but I couldn’t fit in my normal slipper after surgery, my husband quickly bought a new pair of bigger size. I bought my robe, never worn in hospital either. The nurses always make sure I wear double gowns when I got up, so it worked for me. So for me, phone, charger is essential. Everything else was optional 

Teressa Phillips  Hi Tracie, there were only a few things that I needed:
-phone
-long cord for charging (6-10ft)
-lipbalm- I wanted my brand.
-lotion- Same.
-comb or brush (I wore my hair in a high bun and only brushed it out once after a few days. If you put your hair up, make sure there are no metal parts. They let me keep my basic hair elastics in.)
-toothbrush (they will provide you with one if needed)

As someone else mentioned, I had no attention span, so couldn't read or even listen to an audio book. I'm not much of a TV person, so I was fine with just my phone, but you might want to take a laptop or ipad to access Netflix or Prime.
I didn't shower while I was in the hospital, but was given a thorough wipe down with the antimicrobial wipes every day. Even with a minimally invasive surgery, my first few showers at home were rough and tiring.
I just wore the hospital gown and went commando, so I wore the same loose clothes home that I wore into the hospital. I had a fairly large incision in my right groin from the bypass machine, so I didn't want any additional pressure on it. My sternum wasn't cut, so I didn't have any type of bra. As a matter of fact, my drain was in the crease under my right breast, so I couldn't wear one. I'm still in stretchy bras.

Also, you will be moving rooms at least once, so the less you take, the less you have to keep up with.

Jeff Williams  I had this and it was great.  
https://www.amazon.com/MUSICOZY-Headphones-Bluetooth-Microphone-Adjustable/dp/B08S2WXBP8/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3JHNQN6UB4P95&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.GEcyRbuWa4GSVfhzo2_OMTYuCh463CEAitV-j3XCrNxql33MzftgndiZEnrxKEUQiebqDGAghMuF63Bnxv6cniDga6fQEB4CRVwUdfOFe0mH9Ztv4cyHCpcAk_MBCPqMoHCeHwAIYjjgIx1Us-9r_WmI7LZbm9cosnY6d7FslTxBBR5N0u_RQTJTGQRPMC2pnSclh62opQgfdUwPN2dLQ28NCtNwuPqstBfx48udY-o.MnRwcyJX1ym_J_MoR1AW3ShkFoGRApQ-GuKlsFsKmz4&dib_tag=se&keywords=bluetooth+eye+mask+for+sleeping&qid=1715275627&sprefix=bluetooth+eye+ma%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-4