Yumiko Ishida - Heart Valve Journal

My Journal

156 days ago

Darrell Malone, Valerie Allen, Susan Lynn and 1 other reacted to this

I feel blessed to have been able to experience the total solar eclipse of 2024! This family trip to Fredericksburg, TX was planned long before my heart valve ...Read more

I feel blessed to have been able to experience the total solar eclipse of 2024! This family trip to Fredericksburg, TX was planned long before my heart valve replacement. Even though rain was predicted, we stayed put at our vacation rental and got lucky!

Yumiko Ishida Photo by Malcolm Northcott. There are perks to hanging out with 4 astrophysicists!

Rose Madura It was awesome! And my husband was also impressed. We were in the totality here in Dayton - quite bl ... Read more

Rose Madura It was awesome! And my husband was also impressed. We were in the totality here in Dayton - quite blessed. Thanks for the picture!👍

J Alexander Lassally Fun stuff and great pic! I was just watching coverage. Here, in OR, just clouds and rain today ...

Dan Fouratt Great picture and thanks for sharing. I had a place in Texas to watch and had to cancel because of O ... Read more

Dan Fouratt Great picture and thanks for sharing. I had a place in Texas to watch and had to cancel because of OHS. I am glad you did not cancel.

Yumiko Ishida Rose, glad you were able to see it in Dayton! J Alexander and Dan, sorry you missed it this time. Let ... Read more

Yumiko Ishida Rose, glad you were able to see it in Dayton! J Alexander and Dan, sorry you missed it this time. Let’s make sure we’re all still ticking the next time is happens in the US: 2044!

Marie Myers Totally cool!

Grace Mason That is the best shot I have seen!! Perfectly bordered and the corona, Wow!

Adam Pick Woooooowwwwwwww!!! I missed it. Thanks for sharing!

Daneen Douglas Wow! So cool!

Sue Maize That’s amazing! Such a great shot! Is this just a smartphone camera?

Yumiko Ishida This was on a phone. I am hoping to get sharper images from my brother in law, who took photos on his ... Read more

Yumiko Ishida This was on a phone. I am hoping to get sharper images from my brother in law, who took photos on his fancy camera.

Yumiko Ishidaposted an update

164 days ago

Does anyone have advice for sensitive scars? The last bit of scab just fell off from my sternal incision site last week. The only directive I got from the surgeon ...Read more

Does anyone have advice for sensitive scars? The last bit of scab just fell off from my sternal incision site last week. The only directive I got from the surgeon was “don’t put anything on it,” but I think I’m past that point? It feels very taught and I have to keep my shirt front open or wear a t-shirt with a high neckline. I read about silicone tape a couple of times here. Do they help? My scar is indented, pulling inward. Literature on silicone gel talks about raised scars and I don’t see much about sunken surgical scars.

Anna Ma Even though my discharge paper says don’t put anything on it. The hospital staff kept putting neros ... Read more

Anna Ma Even though my discharge paper says don’t put anything on it. The hospital staff kept putting nerosporo on me and told me it is ok to put it on. I have triple antibiotic ointment prescribed at discharge to apply twice a day for 14 days

Yumiko Ishida Love it when what they preach and practice are different! I would stick to the more specific directio ... Read more

Yumiko Ishida Love it when what they preach and practice are different! I would stick to the more specific direction they gave you, Anna, and use the ointment. Last thing you want is an infection.

Jennifer Fuller I tried the silicone sheets and didn’t love them. They felt weird and a little uncomfortable, but Y ... Read more

Jennifer Fuller I tried the silicone sheets and didn’t love them. They felt weird and a little uncomfortable, but YMMV.

Barbara deLoache I don’t Know what would be best. But I have a wonderful dermatologist who has had to close some inc ... Read more

Barbara deLoache I don’t Know what would be best. But I have a wonderful dermatologist who has had to close some incisions with sutures. To reduce scaring they insist on petroleum jelly
as it heals. It works in this case at least.

Yumiko Ishida Thank you, Jennifer. I guess it’s worth a try.

Yumiko Ishida Thank you, Barbara. I didn’t think about petroleum jelly but it might help with the tightness of th ... Read more

Yumiko Ishida Thank you, Barbara. I didn’t think about petroleum jelly but it might help with the tightness of the skin. Wishing you a successful surgery!

Anna Ma My dermatologist told me to put on aquaphor

Teressa Phillips When my incisions were new I used my facewash instead of my bodywash/soap because I have super sensit ... Read more

Teressa Phillips When my incisions were new I used my facewash instead of my bodywash/soap because I have super sensitive skin and the facewash is gentler. Once I no longer had open wounds, I started putting my serum and moisturizer on them. I use the Neutrogena hydro boost products with hyaluronic acid, so it keeps everything well moisturized.

Yumiko Ishidaposted an update

186 days ago

Have any of your doctors talked about anemia post surgery? My RBC and related numbers were low the entire time I was in the hospital post surgery, but no one ...Read more

Have any of your doctors talked about anemia post surgery? My RBC and related numbers were low the entire time I was in the hospital post surgery, but no one said anything about it, so I figured it was something that was expected. I increased my dietary iron intake on my own and lab numbers have improved but 7.5 weeks out I am still anemic. Is that normal?

Ana Brusso I experienced anemia and even after a year and half I’m still working on it.

Yumiko Ishida That seems like a long time, Ana… Do you have any advice? Perhaps things you tried but didn’t hel ... Read more

Yumiko Ishida That seems like a long time, Ana… Do you have any advice? Perhaps things you tried but didn’t help? I’m hesitant to go on iron supplements…

Anna Ma I read Adam’s post that he had it and a few patients too. It is very common. But talk to your docto ... Read more

Anna Ma I read Adam’s post that he had it and a few patients too. It is very common. But talk to your doctor and ask them for prescriptions. I can’t recall name, someone a cyclist in Florida? got it fixed very quickly once they found out the real issue.

Michele Renee I am going in tomorrow for bloodwork because I feel like I’m extremely anemic. I’m 10 weeks out. ... Read more

Michele Renee I am going in tomorrow for bloodwork because I feel like I’m extremely anemic. I’m 10 weeks out. I’m also on blood thinner and just had a menstrual cycle (sorry for the tmi) but it was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced! Trying to eat iron rich foods. What are the symptoms you are having?

Yumiko Ishidaposted an update

222 days ago

High heart rate after surgery is normal, apparently, but how long is it supposed to take before it normalizes? My pre-surgery heart rate was controlled by meds ...Read more

High heart rate after surgery is normal, apparently, but how long is it supposed to take before it normalizes? My pre-surgery heart rate was controlled by meds due to a history of persistent afib, so I have no idea what my ‘normal’ normal is or was… Controlled resting heart rate was around 65, reached 90 or higher during exercise, but post surgery resting rate has been over 100. Is that typical?

J Alexander Lassally Seems like many folks here - myself included - all have this post surgery. I don't think there is a g ... Read more

J Alexander Lassally Seems like many folks here - myself included - all have this post surgery. I don't think there is a good normal now - we are all pioneering our own course. Maybe 6 months to start to normalize?!

Richard Munson I think it boils down to we are all different. We heal differently, if we all did it the same we woul ... Read more

Richard Munson I think it boils down to we are all different. We heal differently, if we all did it the same we would be lamp posts.

Laurent G Same here with pulse at around 90, 10 weeks postop. And all kinds of arythmias. I guess we all have t ... Read more

Laurent G Same here with pulse at around 90, 10 weeks postop. And all kinds of arythmias. I guess we all have to be patient

Yumiko Ishida So we are talking months, not weeks… Were you prescribed any meds to manage it? I was on metoprolol ... Read more

Yumiko Ishida So we are talking months, not weeks… Were you prescribed any meds to manage it? I was on metoprolol at the beginning but the hospitalist stopped it pretty early on because of my low blood pressure.

Laurent G I'm still at the max dose of a betablocker called Bisoprolol, equivalent to metoprolol in Europe, and ... Read more

Laurent G I'm still at the max dose of a betablocker called Bisoprolol, equivalent to metoprolol in Europe, and at the lower limit for blood pressure. Very little effect on HR (minus 5 bpm) and none on arythmias...

Jennifer Fuller My heart rate was really elevated for about 4 weeks after surgery. I would say it “normalized” af ... Read more

Jennifer Fuller My heart rate was really elevated for about 4 weeks after surgery. I would say it “normalized” after about 6 weeks. By that I mean I was no longer hyper-aware of my heart beat and I didn’t feel the need to constantly check my pulse. I felt…normal.

Teresa Karwan Definitely contact your cardiologist to find out what would be a normal heart rate for you and your s ... Read more

Teresa Karwan Definitely contact your cardiologist to find out what would be a normal heart rate for you and your situation and don’t hesitate to let them know if you feel that you may need additional help for pain.

Yumiko Ishidaposted an update

233 days ago

I was discharged on recovery day 5 and am actually feeling a little stressed out trying to settle into a manageable routine… Tracking my meds was a complicated ...Read more

I was discharged on recovery day 5 and am actually feeling a little stressed out trying to settle into a manageable routine… Tracking my meds was a complicated process before the surgery, and there are extra moving parts post surgery. Going through the data on each new prescription, I noticed they only gave me 5 days worth of oxycodone. Am I supposed to not need it anymore after that, or is there a limit on how much opioids they could prescribe? Everything else they gave me 30 days worth.

Rose Madura You shouldn't have so much pain that you'll need opioids. Try as soon as possible to take Tylenol. I' ... Read more

Rose Madura You shouldn't have so much pain that you'll need opioids. Try as soon as possible to take Tylenol. I'd take it in a regular basis to stay ahead of it.

Yumiko Ishida I am already taking Tylenol. Was under the impression it’s supposed to support the opioids, not mea ... Read more

Yumiko Ishida I am already taking Tylenol. Was under the impression it’s supposed to support the opioids, not meant to replace it. They reduced my opioid dose pretty early on at the hospital, due to my low blood pressure. I guess I need to start weaning myself off oxycodone… Having a hard time picturing myself opioid free in three days, but I don’t want to get dependent.

Karen Hommel They sent me home with tramadol and Tylenol and it worked fine. Some patients have a lower pain thres ... Read more

Karen Hommel They sent me home with tramadol and Tylenol and it worked fine. Some patients have a lower pain threshold so I understand the opioids.

Grace Mason I was sent home with no opioids but I did receive a few weeks of gabapentin which helps with nerve pa ... Read more

Grace Mason I was sent home with no opioids but I did receive a few weeks of gabapentin which helps with nerve pain. Tylenol and the gabapentin kept me pain free once I left the hospital. Of course, everyone is different, so definitely talk to your doctor if you have pain not managed by OTC meds like Tylenol.

c w I am guessing it was intentional that they sent you home with so few… They gave me a week's worth, ... Read more

c w I am guessing it was intentional that they sent you home with so few… They gave me a week's worth, no refills. Everybody's different, but for me, that was fine… I didn't have pain, except when I coughed. I only used it a little bit so I could cough freely the first few days. (They want you to cough, to clear your lungs.) Switched to Tylenol after the first couple of days (wasn't tolerating the oxy, I get nauseous). I didn't think Tylenol would be strong enough, but it was for me. Glad you are out of surgery and best wishes on your recovery!

Jennifer Fuller I was sent home with a week of Tramadol. I asked for, and received, more of it when I ran out. I agre ... Read more

Jennifer Fuller I was sent home with a week of Tramadol. I asked for, and received, more of it when I ran out. I agree that Tylenol is amazingly effective at controlling pain, but it wasn’t quite enough for me at first. My visiting nurse told me the most important thing was getting up and moving. The Tramadol helped me feel well enough to do that.
I would also say, if you’re taking any prescription pain meds, be sure to take some sort of fiber supplement or something along with it. Take it right away. Don’t wait to have a problem.

Thomas Brusstar I was able to use Tylenol only on discharge, and never used my tramodol. They didn't even give me op ... Read more

Thomas Brusstar I was able to use Tylenol only on discharge, and never used my tramodol. They didn't even give me opioids. I think after 5 days you should be trying to stop the opioids. I am sure they are worried about dependence, so gave you a short duration for those.

Allen Carkner I was in hospital about 5.5 Days and took half doses of oxy for 2-3 days tapering off.

Allen Carkner And max strength Tylenol

J Alexander Lassally 5 days is a strict taper - but good to get off the oxy if you can. I used over the counter Motrin { d ... Read more

J Alexander Lassally 5 days is a strict taper - but good to get off the oxy if you can. I used over the counter Motrin { doctor team advice} in addition to the Tylenol and that worked well. Check with your nurse and see if Motrin is okay for your health profile. I used it for about 35 days - taking a 1 or 2 a day

Yumiko Ishida Fascinating. I didn’t realize pain care varied so much. My hospital was strong on opioids. I was ev ... Read more

Yumiko Ishida Fascinating. I didn’t realize pain care varied so much. My hospital was strong on opioids. I was even given fentanyl a couple of times in ICU. It was almost scary how quickly it worked, so I was fine when that option was taken away when I moved to the step down unit. I will talk to my doctor about non opioids. Based on how I feel today (recovery day 7, second full day home), I don’t think I can be completely off pain meds before the oxy runs out.

Allen Carkner In hospital is very different from after discharge. I was on, dilauded PRN, ketamine drip, gaba penti ... Read more

Allen Carkner In hospital is very different from after discharge. I was on, dilauded PRN, ketamine drip, gaba pentin and oxycodone, while in ICU. Also lidocaine patches. They used multiple methods in order to keep doses low as possible I believe. Pain approaching an 6 or 7 out of 10 usually would call for a small dose of dilauded if my memory serves me right. Usually was kept under a 5/10 or so unless I had to cough or get out of those squishy beds.

Yumiko Ishidaposted an update

245 days ago

For a sternotomy, how long is a typical stay in ICU? I am told total stay in the hospital can be anywhere from 5 to 10 days, but I’m not clear on how much ...Read more

For a sternotomy, how long is a typical stay in ICU? I am told total stay in the hospital can be anywhere from 5 to 10 days, but I’m not clear on how much time I should expect to be in ICU.

Rose Madura I spent two nights in ICU. Everyone is different though so you really can't compare yourself to other ... Read more

Rose Madura I spent two nights in ICU. Everyone is different though so you really can't compare yourself to others.

Michael Klusyk Hi Yumiko. I spent 3 nights in the ICU (because the step down unit didn't have an available bed after ... Read more

Michael Klusyk Hi Yumiko. I spent 3 nights in the ICU (because the step down unit didn't have an available bed after 2 nights), walked the day after surgery, walked alot as the days progressed, and was discharged home after 5 total nights in the hospital. I documented my experience in My Journal (on this website) which may give you some things to expect and plan for if you have time to read it. You're going to do great!!

Brady Busch Mine was probably 3,maybe 4 days in the ICU,because I developed AF and had an episode of sinus block. ... Read more

Brady Busch Mine was probably 3,maybe 4 days in the ICU,because I developed AF and had an episode of sinus block.9 total in the hospital.

Grace Mason I think it varies alot from hospital to patient, but I was in ICU 1 day and was released from step do ... Read more

Grace Mason I think it varies alot from hospital to patient, but I was in ICU 1 day and was released from step down unit on day 5.

Pamela Gregory 1 day for me too

Marie Myers 2 glorious days and nights for me…

Jennifer Fuller 4 nights for me, but only because they didn’t have a bed open in step down. I went home straight fr ... Read more

Jennifer Fuller 4 nights for me, but only because they didn’t have a bed open in step down. I went home straight from the ICU.

Larry Peterson I was in a combined ICU/Intermediate Care Unit, and they took me off ICU status the morning after my ... Read more

Larry Peterson I was in a combined ICU/Intermediate Care Unit, and they took me off ICU status the morning after my surgery. I was released on day 4.

J Alexander Lassally 2 ish. But ICU can be wonderful so don't rush it !

Yumiko Ishida Thank you! It’s nice to have a sense of the general flow of things.

c w Agree with others that ICU was great. For me that was because the nurse-to-patient ratio is low, and ... Read more

c w Agree with others that ICU was great. For me that was because the nurse-to-patient ratio is low, and it was much quieter than the cardiac unit. I was there 2days — should have been 1 but they also had a bed shortage.

Yumiko Ishidaposted a journal

267 days ago

I have questions about what I should get before surgery. I already have a recliner chair, ordered a wedge pillow for when I am ready for the real bed, and asked ...Read more

I have questions about what I should get before surgery. I already have a recliner chair, ordered a wedge pillow for when I am ready for the real bed, and asked for warm button front or full zip shirts for Christmas (most of what I have need to be pulled over my head). I will be ordering pre/post surgery drinks soon. On this site I read about getting a spirometer to practice on - is that something I should ask the doctor or surgeon to prescribe? Also I read about chest support belt, which I won’t need until after the surgery - is that something the hospital will provide upon discharge and charged to insurance? (I was wondering if it’s like the walker I got after my knee surgery.) Anything I didn’t mention that I should consider?

Richard Munson A spirometer was provided at my hospital as s.o.p. Not sure you need to practice. Breathing comes nat ... Read more

Richard Munson A spirometer was provided at my hospital as s.o.p. Not sure you need to practice. Breathing comes naturally. Not breathing is never good. Also a pillow for coughing also provided. They encourage coughing but take it from me, it hurts. Its called a necessary evil.

Valerie Allen I’m curious about the chest support belt too. Only recently saw it mentioned.

Jennifer Fuller I also bought a number of button up shirts, which were nice to have, but I found I could raise my arm ... Read more

Jennifer Fuller I also bought a number of button up shirts, which were nice to have, but I found I could raise my arms pretty soon after surgery. I also got a shower seat. I haven’t really had to use it, but it was nice to know it was there in case I got dizzy in the shower. I would also recommend ear buds and ear plugs and a sleep mask to help cope with the hospital environment.

Rose Madura A travel pillow will help. Also, rather than a pillow, my hospital provided a heart hugger which I lo ... Read more

Rose Madura A travel pillow will help. Also, rather than a pillow, my hospital provided a heart hugger which I loved. They also provided a surgical bra.

Sharon Behl Under the "nice-to-have" category, I would have liked a mild organic essential oil, like lavender, to ... Read more

Sharon Behl Under the "nice-to-have" category, I would have liked a mild organic essential oil, like lavender, to sniff when the hospital smells became overpowering. There's the normal hospital aromas, plus many staff members wore colognes, smelly hair gels, etc. You are so prepared! Also, ask for a second surgical bra if you are having a sternotomy, they want you to wear one 24/7 for a month.

Yumiko Ishida Thank you! Great ideas. Does a surgical bra essentially do the same thing as a chest support belt? On ... Read more

Yumiko Ishida Thank you! Great ideas. Does a surgical bra essentially do the same thing as a chest support belt? One is for women with breasts and the other for flat chested men? I am having a sternotomy.

Rose Madura Mine was almost like a vest that had Velcro in the front and pads you could insert if necessary. I tr ... Read more

Rose Madura Mine was almost like a vest that had Velcro in the front and pads you could insert if necessary. I tried to find a picture online but couldn't find one to match what I had but it was perfect.

Sharon Behl Mount Sinai gave me ones with Velcro straps and pulleys (yup!) for ease of adjustment. I think yes, ... Read more

Sharon Behl Mount Sinai gave me ones with Velcro straps and pulleys (yup!) for ease of adjustment. I think yes, same idea, one version for women, one for men.

Carolyn Stone I second the sleep Mask for the Eyes. The hospital is not a place of rest. For my sternotomy I took A ... Read more

Carolyn Stone I second the sleep Mask for the Eyes. The hospital is not a place of rest. For my sternotomy I took Adams advice from the book and had my uncle donate blood directly to me. Given my allergy history it just seemed easy enough to do and they did end up using the blood. I went through my surgeon and local blood donation center .

c w The thing I appreciated most was noise canceling headphones. I was near nurses’ stations in both IC ... Read more

c w The thing I appreciated most was noise canceling headphones. I was near nurses’ stations in both ICU and the cardiac unit. The headphones blocked out all the chatter — plus noise from all the beeping machines. I subscribe to Apple music which has a ton of relaxation playlists — they helped me relax and get some rest.

Michael Klusyk 1. I slept in the recliner for the first week I was home due to lung capacity and overall comfort. Tr ... Read more

Michael Klusyk 1. I slept in the recliner for the first week I was home due to lung capacity and overall comfort. Transitioned to bed after that with no issues. 2. You should be given a inspirometer and pillow in the hospital. I'm not sure practicing will really help as it will be very obvious where you're at after surgery. That said, your tidal volume likely be much less post surgery. The inspirometer will help you gauge where you are at will help tremendously. 3. I purchased a Heart Hugger and used it for about a week, mostly on walks. The pillow works as well as anything...

Yumiko Ishidaposted an update

283 days ago

I am scheduled for a mitral valve replacement on 1/16/2024. I probably will have lots of questions as the surgery approaches, but the first is about STAIRS. ...Read more

I am scheduled for a mitral valve replacement on 1/16/2024. I probably will have lots of questions as the surgery approaches, but the first is about STAIRS. I know I need to start walking pretty much immediately (based on what I learned when my mother had her aortic valve replaced years ago), but I can’t seem to get any definitive information on stairs. My bedroom at home is on the third floor, so if I cannot clime or am advised to avoid stairs for a certain period of time, I need to figure out where to sleep when I leave the hospital. What has been your experience?

Richard Munson Pt at hospital after surgery had me do stairs, then visting pt at home watched me do stairs. Her advi ... Read more

Richard Munson Pt at hospital after surgery had me do stairs, then visting pt at home watched me do stairs. Her advice was to do it slowly. Gradually my pace picked up over the weeks.

Richard Munson Now i still climb slowly but surgery not to blame. Its called 81.

Michele Miller I slept in a recliner on the 1st floor for about a week, when I did walk upstairs I did it very slowl ... Read more

Michele Miller I slept in a recliner on the 1st floor for about a week, when I did walk upstairs I did it very slowly and carefully

Yumiko Ishida Thank you for you advice! I guess I will plan on using my reclining chair as a bed. Wanted to make su ... Read more

Yumiko Ishida Thank you for you advice! I guess I will plan on using my reclining chair as a bed. Wanted to make sure I didn’t need to get an Airbnb or crash at a friend’s.

Deena Z We have 20 stairs at home and I was able to do them post discharge, if I paused and rested after the ... Read more

Deena Z We have 20 stairs at home and I was able to do them post discharge, if I paused and rested after the first 10. If i did not pause the first week at home, I would get light headed

Susan Lynn It's likely you'll be asked about stairs at home. PT also had me walk up and down four or five sta... Read more

Susan Lynn It's likely you'll be asked about stairs at home. PT also had me walk up and down four or five stairs a few times before they signed off on my release. I have about 15 stairs to my second floor and didn't have a problem with them once I got home. Take it slow. Rest when you need a little break. You'll be fine.

Michael Klusyk You will learn your limitations quickly. I slept in a recliner for the first week home anyway and it ... Read more

Michael Klusyk You will learn your limitations quickly. I slept in a recliner for the first week home anyway and it wasn't a bad option...

Barbara deLoache Yumiko.. looks like you are getting some great advice & I am learning from it as well. Best wishe ... Read more

Barbara deLoache Yumiko.. looks like you are getting some great advice & I am learning from it as well. Best wishes for a perfect surgical outcome and recovery!