Questions

[TuxBully]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to your forums in search of answers to so many different questions. After looking through as many threads as possible I am still dumbfounded. I would really appreciate it if someone could help. So here goes.
My brother (Age 36) just had an Aortic Valve replacement done on Tuesday (St. Jude Type) with some unexplained complications (I don’t know what’s normal)
1. Blood Count down to 8 {I am told the normal count is 12} they just started giving him more tonight.
2. Very Dizzy {I am told it could be the pain meds} I think it is a combination, lack of food and too many pain meds. (He finally had a sandwich tonight)
3. Chest Tube still producing allot of blood. {Everyone avoids this question}
4. Shortness of breath when trying to talk. {I notice this when talking to him}



Thank You for this wonderful resource of information.
Tuxbully

[geebee]

Welcome.

All of the symptoms you describe are normal for 2 days out from OHS. I would agree that the dizziness can be caused by the pain meds. I did not tolerate any pain meds well and stopped them as soon as I could. If your brother does not have much of an appetite (also very common) have him try nibbling some crackers as they might help with nausea.

The drainage should slow down in the next day or two as will the SOB. There has been quite a bit of trauma and your brother is simply exhausted.

Low blood count is quite common and many people need blood products after OHS. The amount varies with each person but it is not unusual.

I hope your brother is feeling better even now.

[Karlynn]

Welcome Tuxbully!

First of all - what a great advocate you are for your brother. It's good that you are keeping a close eye on him.

2 days post op (now 3), doesn't seem too odd to be having the issues you describe. However, if the next few days progress and you don't see a change for the better, keep questioning the doctors and nurses.

Valve replacement surgery is a highly successful surgerical procedure, but recovery is slow for the first month and the heart can let you know that it didn't like being man-handled. Keep asking questions and don't hesitate to come here and ask too.

[Nancy]

After seeing my husband through 4 thoracic surgeries, I can say that it all sounds pretty much like the norm for this tpe of surgery.

This is unlike any other type of normal surgery. It is MAJOR, MAJOR. He will be feeling out of it, dizzy, uncoordinated, and perhaps even hallucinating for a while after surgery. There will be mood swings and little ups and downs in the days post surgery. Much of it is the effects of anesthesia which hangs around in the system, and pain pills. They want him on pain pills, however, since it aids in him being able to move around and do the things they want him to do like use the spirometer, and get up a walk, and cough to remove as much fluid from the lungs as possible. If he's in pain, he'll do these things minimally, and that is not good.

Appetite is slow to recover. And shortness of breath is extremely common.

These things will all return to normal, but is will take some time. At 6-8 weeks, he should be feeling pretty well, and then the final healing will take 6 months to a year or more.

Just be patient and tell him to be also. All things in good time.

[hensylee]

it's got to be one of the scariest times when loved ones see the patient coming out of surgery! I remember, in my fuzzy mind, of seeing my grown son with tears in his eyes when they first let him in to see me. I could see only his eyes, but I knew he was scared and hurting. At least I was sedated and didn't know what was going on but he got the full brunt of it.

Your brother has had MAJOR surgery and he won't be himself for a while yet. But each day you will see improvement. Quickly they will have him out of bed and on his feet, a little at the time. You can be sure he is being carefully monitored. he sounds like he's about in the expected range this soon after surgery. Give it time, but if you have questions, we'll help or ask his doctor for reassurance.

[Mary]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to your forums in search of answers to so many different questions. After looking through as many threads as possible I am still dumbfounded. I would really appreciate it if someone could help. So here goes.
My brother (Age 36) just had an Aortic Valve replacement done on Tuesday (St. Jude Type) with some unexplained complications (I don’t know what’s normal)
1. Blood Count down to 8 {I am told the normal count is 12} they just started giving him more tonight.
2. Very Dizzy {I am told it could be the pain meds} I think it is a combination, lack of food and too many pain meds. (He finally had a sandwich tonight)
3. Chest Tube still producing allot of blood. {Everyone avoids this question}
4. Shortness of breath when trying to talk. {I notice this when talking to him}
Tuxbully

Hi.
As the others have indicated, most of the things you're relating are perfectly normal.
Regarding the iron level of 8; I had mine drop that low after a C-section and I was very dizzy until they got the level up. The pain medicine could also very well be making him dizzy.
I don't know about the chest tube.
The shortness of breath is to be expected. Is he still on oxygen? Oxygen became my best friend in the hospital, and I hated when they discontinued it. It takes a few days to lose that breathlessness, but he will.

I hope he's feeling better by today.