Healing & Lifting

[Dennis S]

I had my AVR and stem replaced August 4th. I live in the mountains of Northern New Mexico, 80 miles from any doctor, and have been self testing since 1 week after surgery. I haven't done any cardiac rehab. and no one ever talked to me about doing any before I left the hospital.

I proceeded very cautiously with any physical activities, as I felt a lot of pain, and shortness of breath. Five days ago, just sitting in a recliner I would have a pulse rate just over 100 bpm, and no ability to take a deep breath.

Literally 1 minute later, I was able to take deep breaths, and could feel the oxygen pouring into my body. I took my pulse again, and it had dropped to 69 bpm. Since then I have felt great. I can top out the "Spirometer" I was given in the hospital. I could hardly walk a 1/4-mile before, and today I walked a mile carrying about 25 pounds in a backpack. If anyone has an explanation for how things could improve so dramatically and immediately, I would love to hear it, as I have no medical people to talk to. Also, any thoughts on when I can do heavy lifting-I want to put up this winter's firewood, and right now I feel better than I have in years.

My surgery was done in Minneapolis for insurance reasons. I live in New Mexico at 7,200 feet elevation, and since I came back home I feel I have dropped off the medical profession's radar screen. My surgeon picked a cardiologist for me to see right before surgery, and I haven't seen a cardiologist since I left the hospital. Is it important to see one, since I feel great right now?

[ALCapshaw2]

You should have had at least one checkup (preferably two) with a surgeon or cardiologist following your surgery, typically at week 2 and week 4 post op.

You should also have been given some guidelines on lifting, starting with 5 or 10 lbs for X weeks, and gradually increasing. I don't remember the exact weights or times but for most people, their sternum is about 80% healed at 6 weeks and 99% healed at 12 weeks.

Cardiac Rehab is a worthwhile program but given your remove location, you could do the same thing at home, just monitoring yourself (heart rate monitor, BP before, during and after exercising, weight, temperature, etc.). Perhaps you could get your surgeon to send you a set of recommended exercises or contact a Rehab Class and ask the nurse for a copy of their exercises (or go visit a class and just do what they do at home).

Your sudden improvement seems a bit unusual. Too bad you weren't being monitored so that a doctor could have seen the dramatic improvement. (In other words, I don't have a clue :D ).

'AL Capshaw'

[JimL]

If this is the kind of question where anyone can take a guess at it, I'll plunk down my two cents. I went through periods of arrythmia (I spell that word differently every time I use it) after surgery. When my heart was beating erratically, or just too fast, almost fluttering, I had no strength at all. And then it would come back into normal rhythm, at the right rate. So I suggest that something similar happened to you. Your heart didn't like being manhandled during surgery, and rebelled with a less than perfect rhythm. Eventually it settled down into a natural rhythm and started working at full efficiency again. I think such a change could happen just like that, but then I only invested two cents in this viewpoint.

[Dennis S]

Thanks for the opinions. Any guesses are welcome. I had wondered if I had a partially collapsed lung that finall filled up. That will probably sound really dumb to anyone with any medical training.

[ALCapshaw2]

AH YES, I think Jim put his finger on the right answer to your question about the sudden recovery.

Arrhythmias (irregular or rapid heartbeats or both) CAN indeed cause you to feel very weak and listless. When the heart returns to normal sinus rhythm (NSR), it literally feels like a "breath of fresh air".

Doctors often prescribe a 24 hour (Holter) monitor to identify what type of arrhythmia(s) patients are experiencing. If none show up in 24 hours, they may then prescribe a 30 day 'event monitor' where you press a button to record the 'event' and then call the monitor company to play back the recording over the telephone. (Been there, done that).

If you don't already have a stethoscope, I strongly recommend that you get one. By listening to your heart, you can readily identify an irregular or rapid heartbeat.

It would also be good to have a Blood Pressure monitor and a heart rate monitor. Wear the latter when working / exercising to keep tabs on your HR.

'AL Capshaw'

[afraidofsurgery]

I had my AVR on Sept 7, and have noticed a more stepwise improvement in breathing ability than continuous, but nothing like the super-dramatic event you described. At first I couldn't take a deep breath, my sternum and lungs seemed to be "stuck" (which was described to me as a result of the surgery - the lungs partly collapse at the bottom). But my sternum seemed to open up for deeper breaths - maybe due to healing don't know - in big steps, not gradually, as if things just arranged themselves properly to allow it.

Anyhow, best to not look a gifthorse in the mouth? This post-op healing is kind of a mystery to me, must be a whole lot gong on under the big scar :D

Patty

[Georgia]

Congrats on feeling better. But you MUST get an appointment with a cardiologist. You really need to have one - particularly if you start having problems down the road. Call and get a post-op appt. now - and when you go in you can brag about how good you feel.

[Ambience]

My ride was a roller coaster. One day I felt like a million bucks, and the next I was cranky and sore. The hard part is not overdoing it on those days you feel great, cause you'll feel it tenfold on the days you feel miserable. My cardiologist told me not to start lifting above 50lbs for a six months after surgery I beleive. His main concern was making sure the scar was fully healed, if you try to do too much apparently your scar will end up stretching out and look horrible.