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[Eric]

Hi Eveyone,

As some you know from my mother's posts via Ross (Thanks, Ross) I had a an uneventful surgery. Surgery was on Monday morning and my doc thought I was well enough to leave the hospital this morning (Thursday). Dr. Raissi replaced my ascending aorta and "remodeled" the root. After checking out my BAV, he gave me a 10+ year warranty on it, and left it alone.

Although I don't feel I'm totally out or the woods yet I'm thankful for the great start; afterall, it's only been a few days. I'm also thankful for Dr. Raissi and his team, the great aftercare in CICU at Cedars and the nurse care when I got to my private room. Lastly and maybe most importantly, I'm grateful for the participants of this site and the confidence and courage you gave me to face OHS. In fact I'm so appreciative of you that I think you should be the first to know that I finally did my first #2 since Monday before my surgery ;) (Where else beside this site can I get away with saying that and have people relate?)

Anyway on that note of levity, I'll sign off and crash. I'm having the same symptoms that many of you have had, such as the "pounding heart" but as I understand, that will settle down.

[OldManEmu]

Congratulations Eric you have done the hardest part it should get easier from here. Yes things can take a while to get "moving" after surgery. It's good that they didn't have to replace your valve and go to plan "B". Just take it easy and don't try to rush your recovery. With a bit of luck 6-8 weeks after surgery you will think I can't believe I went through all that. :)

[Cris N]

Eric,

It's so good to hear you're home & doing well. Don't try to do too much too soon - listen to your body. Offering a prayer for continued good recovery.

Cris

[hensylee]

You sound right on schedule. I know you will be happy to go home and resume your new wonderful life.

Congratulations on #2. It's one of the marks that gets us outta there!

[PJmomrunner]

Hi Eric! Thanks for posting. It's great to hear that you got to keep your valve and "only" have your root remodeled. Maybe it's because I have a classic boat, but I really like the idea of original parts. :) Many (most?) BAV people never have any problems with their valve. If yours is doing okay now, it could be okay forever. Who knows? I'm glad to hear things have gone smoothly and I hope you continue that way throughout your recovery.

p.s. I enjoyed your photography website very much. You are a gifted photograper.

[LLJ]

Eric: Wonderful news.(The no new AV as well as #2;) Yea, that pounding heart is a little distracting. I sometimes still get it when I'm really tired or have a glass of wine. Rest,recover and GO SLOW!
Laura

[Mary]

Yep,
We definitely can relate to your "milestone." :D :D :D :p :p :p
One hurdle cleared on the road to recovery! :)

[imhayley]

Congrats Eric and Im so glad your feeling better. Reading your post helps me realize how far Ive come in my recovery and I wish you all the best in yours!
tick tick tick
Hayley





Hi Eveyone,

As some you know from my mother's posts via Ross (Thanks, Ross) I had a an uneventful surgery. Surgery was on Monday morning and my doc thought I was well enough to leave the hospital this morning (Thursday). Dr. Raissi replaced my ascending aorta and "remodeled" the root. After checking out my BAV, he gave me a 10+ year warranty on it, and left it alone.

Although I don't feel I'm totally out or the woods yet I'm thankful for the great start; afterall, it's only been a few days. I'm also thankful for Dr. Raissi and his team, the great aftercare in CICU at Cedars and the nurse care when I got to my private room. Lastly and maybe most importantly, I'm grateful for the participants of this site and the confidence and courage you gave me to face OHS. In fact I'm so appreciative of you that I think you should be the first to know that I finally did my first #2 since Monday before my surgery ;) (Where else beside this site can I get away with saying that and have people relate?)

Anyway on that note of levity, I'll sign off and crash. I'm having the same symptoms that many of you have had, such as the "pounding heart" but as I understand, that will settle down.

[Phyllis]

Great to hear from you Eric and glad that you got to keep your valve. Best wishes for a complete and uneventful recovery. It sounds like you are well on your way.

[Arpy]

Eric

Great to hear that the surgery went as planned and that you're doing well. At least your stay in hospital was minimal and you got let out early to recover at home - I must admit by the time I left I had covered every square inch of those hospital corridors and was ready to break out!

Enjoy (?) your recovery period and the walking and dont let the mind outrun the body...

regards

Russell

[geebee]

Eric,

I am so very happy to hear you are home and all is going well. I do so miss the great care of the folks at Cedars-Sinai. I haven't found that care yet back here in Ohio. I am jealous of you being able to recover in sunny SoCal.

Take care and hope things continue on the same path.

[Eric]

Thank you for all of your replies and well wishes. What has your experience been with blood pressure, sugar and heart rate after surgery? Before surgery, my systolic was about 110. Now it's about 125 so my doc increased my dosage of Atenolol from 50mg/day to 100mg/day, which brought it down to about 100. Does the BP usually come down after a time? Also, my sugar level was high while in the hospital (unusual for me) so they gave me insulin several times. My heart rate, which is usually about 65-70 is now about 80. How long does that take to subside?

My pounding heart is unnerving sometimes, Laura. I’m curious to know about others’ experience with this. Physiologically, why does this happen? Hayley, I read your posts regarding your feeling down, bit whenever I have a concern I come to this site for information and firsthand experience and usually find what you have found – that there are others who are experiencing the same thing and it’s usually nothing to be concerned about. Your "ticking", my "pounding", someone elses something...

Geebee, I'm glad you can relate to my experience at Cedars. Give credit where credit is due. Russell, Like you I covered those cold halls in the hospital robes and slept in a bed that was way too small for me long enough. I'm 6'4" and that was reason enough to have them send me home early.

OldManEmu, I can't wait to feel how you’re feeling. Cris, like many of you may have found out, it’s easy to over do it when you’re back home. I didn’t realize how draining it was just to have people visit and find myself desperate for naps.

P.J. Thanks for the compliments on my photography website :) . As for my valve, I hope I get to keep it for the rest of my life but we’ll see. Now that my ascending is fixed I am much less stressed out and ready to resume my life!

[LaurieC]

Congratulations on your successful surgery! I had an aortic valve replacement 10 months ago, and a very obnoxious pounding heart. It was unnerving, especially at a time when you'd like a diversion from so much heart focus. Just remember - it's pounding so hard because it's working so well. Your heart was conditioned to having to work extra hard for a long time and now it's going to have to re-train itself to work slower. Mine ebbed slowly, and for the most part was back to normal after 3 or 4 months.
My BP was high after surgery and settled down with medication adjustments.
As for heart rate, mine was too low at first. I had complete heart block during surgery; but within two days it changed, and then raced most of the time, often 105-110. I had some atenolol adjustments, too, and it all worked itself out, nicely. Just remember... it's all working it's way back to normal! Won't be long.

[jayaresq]

Eric -- Best wishes for a lightning fast recovery. We're all proud of you and the team at Cedars. -- Jim

[Ross]

Eric it's slow going on the recovery side. It's going to take weeks for your body to reset and re-decide what normal is. The more walking, breathing, resting you can do, the faster you'll see improvements. I realize there are going to be days when you feel like a million bucks and superman, but for each of those days, there are an equal number when you just want to be left alone and not messed with. Try to force yourself on those days. ;)

Not sure why your blood sugar is elevated. Do you have a family history of diabetes? Not trying to start you worrying on something else, just wondering.
Your heart rate is pretty much normal, though it should slow down some soon. Your blood pressure most likely will not change without medication, but only time will tell. You've got lots of that now! Enjoy your new LIFE.

[rbl1999]

Hi, Eric, just wanted to tell you that you are not alone in this. I am 8 weeks post op and still refer to the forum if I have a bad day or questions. I also had high blood sugar and had insulin several times while in the hospital, I have never had a problem with this before. My cardiologist told me it happens sometimes after major open heart surgery. It is fine now. Just go slowly, let your body be the judge of what you can do. All the best Rose

[PaulW]

Just wanted to let you know that I had a similar experience with insulin in the ICU. I had my surgery in August of this year and spent four days in the ICU due to bleeding and pericarditis and then four days on the cardiac unit before going home. I too had to have insulin shots during the ICU stay. Somehow my blood suger was way out of whack. I don't have diabetes and there is absolutely no history in my family, and I have had no further problems. The docs said something about the response of the body to the stress of surgery. I also, like many others went from a 60 HR pre-surgery to 85-90 resting HR post-surgery. This is already beginning to come down a bit as I slowly increase my time and effort on the treadmill and enter my sixth week of recovery. My recovery pulse rate is also improving, although very slowly. I am also on atenolol.



Thank you for all of your replies and well wishes. What has your experience been with blood pressure, sugar and heart rate after surgery? Before surgery, my systolic was about 110. Now it's about 125 so my doc increased my dosage of Atenolol from 50mg/day to 100mg/day, which brought it down to about 100. Does the BP usually come down after a time? Also, my sugar level was high while in the hospital (unusual for me) so they gave me insulin several times. My heart rate, which is usually about 65-70 is now about 80. How long does that take to subside?

My pounding heart is unnerving sometimes, Laura. I’m curious to know about others’ experience with this. Physiologically, why does this happen? Hayley, I read your posts regarding your feeling down, bit whenever I have a concern I come to this site for information and firsthand experience and usually find what you have found – that there are others who are experiencing the same thing and it’s usually nothing to be concerned about. Your "ticking", my "pounding", someone elses something...

Geebee, I'm glad you can relate to my experience at Cedars. Give credit where credit is due. Russell, Like you I covered those cold halls in the hospital robes and slept in a bed that was way too small for me long enough. I'm 6'4" and that was reason enough to have them send me home early.

OldManEmu, I can't wait to feel how you’re feeling. Cris, like many of you may have found out, it’s easy to over do it when you’re back home. I didn’t realize how draining it was just to have people visit and find myself desperate for naps.

P.J. Thanks for the compliments on my photography website :) . As for my valve, I hope I get to keep it for the rest of my life but we’ll see. Now that my ascending is fixed I am much less stressed out and ready to resume my
life!

[Eric]

First of all, I've got to say thanks to Jim (jayaresq) for bringing dinner from Jerry's Deli by my room on Thursday night, only to find out that I checked out a day early from Cedars. This site is great for many reasons, not the least of which is for the relationships that can form as a result of it. I owe you one, buddy.

Ross, Laurie, Rose and Paul. Thanks for your thoughts. I'm sure I'll get used to my heart's new way of functioning. The only member of my family who had diabetes was my grandmother. I was always normal but as several of you said, I'll just play it day by day and let things settle where they will, adjusting my meds. Ross and Paul, you just motivated me to take another walk...

Eric

[JohnnyV_46]

I too got insulin in the hospital. I asked the nurse and she said it happens after major surgery. She said they like to keep blood sugar levels in a certain range at all times to promote healing. I do have a history of Diabetes in our family but never tested positive for it. Glad your doing well Eric. I gotta go take a nap...lol

JohnnyV

[LLJ]

Eric: It's amazing what you forget until someone reminds you! Yes, I had a couple shots of insulin when I was in. I had some bleeding due to a tear made in the ventricle wall by the perfusionist setting up the heart lung bypass. I was told by the nurse that blood loss as well as anesthesia may affect blood sugar levels. No history of diabetes here. When I asked my cardiologist about the pounding (I hated it, it made my whole body vibrate), he said no one is quite sure physiologically why,but it is a common complaint. He and I conjectured it might be similar to the "pounding" one feels with swelling after an injury or orthopedic surgery. There is swelling in the area which increases the pressure (not blood pressure) and one "feels" a pounding until the swelling subsided. My understanding is there is a certain amount of effusion which is a normal response to surgical trauma around the area of the heart and chest wall. The real answer is who knows,but we almost all had it! Hope you conitnue to feel well. I couldn't believe how tired I was and how much I slept!
Laura

[gadgetman]

Eric,

Welcome to the recovery side. I too had the insulin in the hospital after surgery. I was really concerned because I am a borderline diabetic (controlled by diet) but things settled back down once I got home. As for the "POUNDING", my Cardio expained that my enlarged heart had been working real hard to keep my blood flowing and now things were moving the best they ever had. He assured me it would slowly go away. For the most part, it has.

Good luck and,

May God Bless,

Danny

PS: As for the #2, BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!!!!!!! :eek: :eek: :D :D To steal the old Alka-Seltzer jingle (I think) "Oh, Oh what a relief it is!!!!!!" :D

PS2: It hurts when you laugh real hard. SORRY!!!!! :eek:

[Eric]

Glad to hear others had insulin and experience the pounding as well.

By the way, Danny regarding the laughing topic, I think one of the most painful moments for me in the hospital was one day post op when I was watching old clips of the "Best of Johnny Carson". I can't remember if it hurt me more to laugh or to change the channel so I wouldn't laugh even though I wanted to laugh so badly! :D :D

[coryp]

Hi Eveyone,

As some you know from my mother's posts via Ross (Thanks, Ross) I had a an uneventful surgery. Surgery was on Monday morning and my doc thought I was well enough to leave the hospital this morning (Thursday). Dr. Raissi replaced my ascending aorta and "remodeled" the root. After checking out my BAV, he gave me a 10+ year warranty on it, and left it alone.

Although I don't feel I'm totally out or the woods yet I'm thankful for the great start; afterall, it's only been a few days. I'm also thankful for Dr. Raissi and his team, the great aftercare in CICU at Cedars and the nurse care when I got to my private room. Lastly and maybe most importantly, I'm grateful for the participants of this site and the confidence and courage you gave me to face OHS. In fact I'm so appreciative of you that I think you should be the first to know that I finally did my first #2 since Monday before my surgery ;) (Where else beside this site can I get away with saying that and have people relate?)

Anyway on that note of levity, I'll sign off and crash. I'm having the same symptoms that many of you have had, such as the "pounding heart" but as I understand, that will settle down.


Eric,

Sounds great. I am glad everything worked out. Focus on your recovery.

rEGARDS,

CP