good afternoon all.

[paulos01]

Hi all im very new to this i,ve just had double heart valve replaced and i was told by a family member i should have a look at some forums and talk about what i have to face in the coming weeks months

[skid112 Heart Star]

Hello paulos and welcome. Glad to have you here and hope you are recovering well.

There's a lot of information and a lot of informed members and BHF nurses only to willing to share experienced and give advice. Just ask and we'll be happy to help if we can.

[paulos01 in reply to skid112]

Hi skid thanks for your reply so soon. It was quite a shock as it was only days before the operation I'm on week 2after the op I'm just learning about all the stuff I have to sort such as appointments also I have renal failure so dealing with both is a task at the minute.

[skid112 Heart Star in reply to paulos01]

Its all new post surgery, and renal failure on top you have your hands full. You should get invited to a cardio rehab class a few weeks down the line, exercise and talks, very informative.

Next few weeks take it easy, rest, naps try and keep mobile if you can, exercise in moderation for now helps your heart and helps you

[paulos01 in reply to skid112]

At the minute I seem to be struggling with how serious this is I'm just getting used to renal failure and dialsys and I've been having that 7 yrs.

[skid112 Heart Star in reply to paulos01]

Yes comes as a bit of a shock to most. A lot of us here have suffered mentally as well as physically. Not too easy on the family either. You've come to a good place here

[paulos01 in reply to skid112]

Thank you for the warm welcome to the group but also here for people to ask questions aswell as asking advice.

[skid112 Heart Star in reply to paulos01]

Good to hear and thank you

[Madgranny2 in reply to paulos01]

Welcome paulos. I had aortic valve and artery bypass 5 weeks ago and have had great support from this group. My kidneys were not functioning well but my doctor told me yesterday all is now fine.

Everyone is different in recovery and as skid says its early days, don't try to overdo it, I did but learnt through this group it's not worth it. All was going well for me but I have a nasty wound infection which ont clear up and iron out is low but that's easy sorted. I wish you well, please contact your corinary care nurse or GP for advice and support if you need it.

[Sina-6491]

Yes welcome to the club.

My advice is take it all slow, one step at a time. Giving your mind time to take it all in will help you understand better.

And yes, evan if you can't do much else at the moment.

Short walks, evan if it is only a couple of hundred yards. But do it often throughout the day. No upper body stretching at this stage, just light movement. Look on the BHF website sites at what light exercises you can do at this stage & before rehab.

Make sure you remind your Gp & cardiac team you want to take part in rehab. Not everywhere is as imformative as my hospital, cardiac team & Gp. Some areas may not have a rehab option, or they may have a long wait list. So you may have to travel outside your district.

Rehab really is the best part of your recovery. It gives you a good understanding of your issues, but more in depth than your cardiac team have got time to tel you.

Also they give you a better understanding of your capabilities physically. It takes away any fears of thinking you may pull apart what the surgeons have done.

Also you meet other people in the same position as you. So you can share exspireances & advice.

You'll see some patients who are further on than you on the course. So this would show you that evan though you feel a bit fragile now. You know as the days & weeks go by, you really are going to feel better.

Good luck on everything, make the most of having time to relax lol. It probs wont ladt for long. Hugs, Jo 😊

[paulos01 in reply to Sina-6491]

Thanks Jo and mad granny for the reply. I over did it in the hospital one day after the op because I was rushing to get back to normalaty but soon learnt ya just can't rush.