12 weeks summary!

[ccwh70]

I'm pleased to say I've just reached my 12 weeks, the first milestone date and I'm happy to be here! OK, the road isn't totally smooth still and it's very much 2 steps forward and 1 back for me. So how am I doing?

1. Still dealing with PVCs/Ectopic beats most days, some days I get multiple a minute, others I get a few an hour. Waiting on 24hr ECG and Echo still after hospital lost the request forms! I waited a month before calling them only to find that out!

2. Heart rate seems pretty erratic at times and can jump from 55 to 95 and back pretty quickly often for no reason. Most days my HR sits about 65-75 unless I'm up and doing something when it can get to 100, 110, 120 etc.. It doesn't take much activity to cause it to shoot up. Generally though the heart rhythm is normal.

3. My resting HR at the moment based on the last week is around 60, has been as low as 55.

4. I still have some discomfort in the chest from the surgery but it's improved quite a bit. Numbness and tenderness mainly. Still uncomfortable to lay on my sides at night and it's definitely tight especially when I first get up.

5. The wounds have healed pretty well. The main wound is still fairly pink in some places but faded in others. in the pinker areas the scar tissue seems thicker and raised more but it's a sign of what I've been through so I wear it with pride!

6. I'm getting various muscle aches and pains, headaches and fatigue still after this long. Sleep is also a problem at the moment again which had settled down a bit until last week.

7.My ability to walk any decent distance is taking longer than I wanted, partly due to the pre-existing issues I have with muscles/tendons/joints after my adverse reaction to Ciprofloxacin 2 years ago (Yes antibiotics I took 2 years ago left me with severe mobility issues to this day! As it has 1000's of others)

8. I am driving, have been for a few weeks but mainly shorter journeys. Seatbelt does run the chest area a bit it must be said.

9. I'm about to complete my cardiac rehab which I've enjoyed although it's not been easy on occasion. I'll feel a little sad that's over as being able to do some form of light exercise whilst being watched by medical staff is reassuring! Also chatting with other people who have been though all this helps, sadly there isn't a local BHF group in North Norfolk which is where I now live!

Medication wise I'm still taking Diltiazem 120 SR twice a day, 2.5mg Ivabradine twice a day, 75mg Aspirin in the morning and that's it. I'm just sorting out which Statin to take after a break from it as it had been giving me muscle pains. The Ciprofloxacin reaction causes long term muscle problems and Statins can do also so I'm very wary of them TBH but I know I need to take something to reduce risk. I stopped my Lansoprazole last week but I think I'm suffering some withdrawal from that, maybe why I've had a headache for 5 days, dodgy stomach and swallowing issues! I'm hoping I can get past this as I don't want to become dependant on PPI meds as well as all the cardiac ones.

My diet wasn't terrible at all before all this but is now a lot more plant based although I've not stopped eating meat completely I just eat it a lot less and have had very little red meat and processed foods. I have had hardly any additional salt or sugar since the bypass although I didn't have much salt before.. I did have a bit of a sweet tooth though and that's hard sometimes to deal with!

That's about it, I'm doing OK really, not perfect and not as smooth as I'd hoped for sure but I'm here still which considering the blockages in my left main artery I am glad of. Yes I'm still concerned about the future, am I fixed? will anything happen again? will I still live a normal length life now? will I be able to do all the things I used to enjoy?

My review with the surgeon is in about 3 weeks so I hope to get some more info on what was done to me, what I can expect, how he thinks I'm doing etc..

Cheers!

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star]

Great to hear an update from you. Definitely not plain sailing, as you say, but it sounds like you are coping well and making progress nonetheless. Best of luck from here on xx

[skid112 Heart Star]

happy to hear things are looking up. A tip for the driving, fold up a towel put that between the seatbelt and the scar for some padding.

The heartrate, i found mine jumping all over the place as well but it does settle, i would say your resting rate is just about fine for where you are now.

The future is, well, who knows, I would be asking the surgeon, how did he feel the op went, what is the prognosis going forwards, will you be able to resume your prevous activities and when.

good luck

Mark

[Sina-6491]

Glad to hear you are on the road to recovery.

I believe all of what you say above, you know the simptons we all have. Some get better and ease farley quickly, others not so fast.

Hopefully it will all disappear in time.

Best of luck to you & keepbup the good work 😆

[Hidden]

Hi it's good to hear your recovery is going well, and each day will get better, I think we all worry about the future, but with the advances in medicine and the care we receive I think it's a lot brighter now, take care and let us know how you are getting on, char x

[Twobells]

I have recently just hit 6mth post op and I am feeling extremely well. I think this 12 weeks 'and back to normal' advice is totally wrong,. I am not saying everyone's recovery is 6months, but my cardiologist reckons for most people post bypass it's more like 6-12months. I thought I'd never feel well again, but here I am feeling life is good again. I still have numbness, side affects and extreme fatigue if I've over done it, but I hope this gives you a little bit of reassurance that 3 months further down the road you may even feel even better.

[skid112 Heart Star]

Have to echo Twobells as well, I am coming up to a year post op.

Numbness nearly all gone, some residual issues with scarring but I am told that may take another year to settle down. Tiredness is still a major issue, I am due a medication review shortly, hopefully lose the beta blocker which will/should help.

Good news is black days are receding rapidly, the gym has energised me, still feel wiped day after but nothing as bad as before. Fridays, my last day in work I cant wait to finish, get home feet up and a gin and tonic, or a beer, then sleep, well whatever allowance i can get in!

What hasn't stopped yet are the 'wide awake club' nights. Go to bed exhausted get four hours then no more, repeat two or three days before tiredness kicks in and I get 7 hours

[Twobells in reply to skid112]

Hi Mark,

I don't sleep to great either, but a few years back when I was working full-time I dropped my hours down to 30 a week over 5 days which was great. Then I did 30 hours over 4 days by taking a Wedneday off. This enabled me to recharge my batteries. Not sure if this would help you at all, but maybe just finishing a bit earlier each day it can make a difference.

I no longer take beta blocker as these made me so tired, sick and bad heavy headaches, much better without them.

[skid112 Heart Star]

Thanks, work have been very good to me, currently work four days a week, one day off for lunch with the grandkids, I start early, around 6.30 finishing at 4 don't suppose that early start is helping but as my countdown shows 482 days to go!