On Tuesday a car was organised to pick me up at 11am to drive me alll the way back to Yorkshire, it was slightly delayed in tragic so we didn’t leave Rustington till 12.30pm after a couple of comfort stops on the motorway I finally arrived home at about 5pm. It was great to walk through the door and be in familiar surroundings. My chest was aching but not hurting due to I think the seatbelt although I had placed some padding in between that and my scar. Tried to stay up till normal bedtime to get back in a routine. It was weird getting into a king size bed instead of a single electrically adjustable hospital bed.i tried to arrange the pillows to give me support but I just couldn’t get comfy and ended up putting the tv back on in the bedroom at 1am to watch a film. I eventually dropped off at about 3.30am for a couple of hours but had to be up at 7am as needed to get bathed and changed to walk to doctors for an 8.10am appt to have my blood pressure oxygen levels and temperature taken.so no rest for the wicked.
My best mate and his girlfriend arrived at 10.30am as agreed and they were with me all day catching up and they stayed the night. My best mate had a few cans of beer from the fridge as we watched Liverpoool v Chelsea in the Carabou Cup but I stuck to black currant cordial. I haven’t had an alcoholic drink for 6 weeks 3 weeks pre op and 3 weeks post op I’ve decided to abstain untill I get my energy levels back and feel a lot stronger don’t get me wrong I don’t want to turn into a monk otherwise what’s the point of going through all this if you don’t eventually enjoy life I just want to be a bit sensible for now. I loved having my mates staying it brought some normality back into my life.
Today I walked to my brothers in the sunshine ( about a mile ) to visit him as he’s housebound and I’d really missed him and his girlfriend and then I walked into our village to the barbers to get a much needed haircut. A steady walk back home afterwards and my exercise of about 2 miles will do for today. When I’m walking I haven’t as yet got breathless but I must say I don’t feel 100% super steady on my feet maybe it’s physiological but there’s definitely something I think it’s still a confidence issue
I haven’t had a painkiller for 4 days now I do get a bit of pain now and again but I’m trying to deal with it without painkillers as I never want to be constipated ever again.!!!!
Coughing and sneezing is still a problem when it happens and does still hurt but I’m sure over the coming weeks this will get easier. I’m going to spend tonight on my own and cook a bit of tea then try my best to find a comfy position in bed to get some sleep. I’ve realised going to Rustington convalescent home was exactly the right thing to do for someone in my position but when you get home reality kicks in and your not waited on anymore.
My mate asked me yesterday if I’d found myself a woman in the convalescent home I said I was the youngest by a country mile I said everyone else although lovely were all ranged in age from about 75 to 96 He said you’ve always been the same you too choosy , honestly he’s sick !!!
Today and yesterday have been two good days I still get tired and nod off every now and again but I’ve enjoyed myself and although there’s a hell of a long way to go I think I’m on the right road
Take care everybody if your post op like me I hope your recovery is going well if your pre op remember there is definitely a new life waiting for you just stay strong and positive and take everyday one step at a time
Pete ❤️
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Ticktock61
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Hey Pete, so glad you're home safely and OK. Sounds like the new post-op life has definitely started! Look after yourself and keep improving. You're a star
Hi Pete, glad to hear you’re home now. You will nod off during the day for a while yet, mixture of not sleeping well at night and being less active in the day.
Have you tried using a rolled up duvet either with or without extra pillows to give you a bit of support in bed, I used a duvet after my first op as it helped me replicate the position of the hospital bed, but the first couple of weeks in a normal bed were hit and miss as far as sleeping went. It does get better, I promise 🙂.
I bet your brother was pleased to see you. It’s nice to start getting back into the normal swing of things, but now you’re on your own just be careful about not overdoing it, picking up heavy things etc, it’s very easy to do it without thinking.
The rolled up duvet sounds a great idea I’ll give it a go . Your right had to stop myself a couple of times picking things up this bit could a problem going forward if I’m not careful, I dont want to undu the good work that’s been done so I’m going to have to be mindful of this all the time
Just another thought, I know you said you were trying not to take the painkillers, but you may find taking a dose at bedtime might help with the sleeping. If you have any pain at night it will keep you awake.
When it’s time to have your mitral valve done just remember there is life after the op you just need to really want it to work and one bad day is not a disaster it’s just one bad day and for every bad day you’ll have 3 good days your going to be fine
Evening Pete and welcome home! Thanks for your update always so good to hear from you. Just take care and dont over do it listen to your body. Best wishes and hugs x
Nice post Pete, your day sounds very ordinary. Isn't it great to have an ordinary, routine, run of the mill day?! What you've been doing these last couple of weeks will hopefully soon become a distant memory, now its time to gradually reclaim normal reality.
I've managed to pick up a cold. Just your everyday snotty cold, the problem is the sneezing. A day or two after I got home from hospital I had a pretty violent unexpected sneeze. The pain was horrendous and over the next few days I lived in fear of a repeat. Oddly enough I've kind of used sneezing as a guide to how I'm mending. Sneezing while still unpleasant is nothing like as bad pain wise, as it was.
I fully understand for some reason I’ve had a tickley cough now for over a week and it’s doing my head in every now and again it turns into a sneeze like you I dread it and try to subdue it sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t and the pain as you well know is really bad
Hoping your cold clears up soon and the sneezing stops as the recovery is hard enough without these added issues
Hey Pete. Good to hear that you’re back home and are continuing to progress. It’s been great reading your posts. Just looking back at your first post when you said you were scared and anxious (absolutely natural) and to read them now with your positive confident attitude shining through is brilliant. They are a fantastic read for those waiting for surgery as they are informative helpful and an honest account of what to expect. So I wish you well for your continued progress. Remember to continue to listen to your body and take care.
I’m trying to listen to my body all the time I just wish my body would listen to me and just go to bloody sleep at night I’ve never watched so much tv at 2 and 3 am in a morning but I suppose it’s all part of the process and something I’m just gonna have to put up with for a while
Good your home pal my date for a Angiagram has been brought forward to tommoro! Well at least I can watch the Ryder Cup as wont be doing much else lol !!
Good luck for tomorrow the Angiogram is ok not half as bad as I thought it would be just lie there and think of the Ryder Cup your missing and you’ll be fine lol !!!!
Thanks so much Pete for sharing your story. Must be wonderful to be back home. I have angiogram on Monday, so don't know the path ahead yet. Hope I can avoid bypass as I'll have to go into convalescent home but good to know it's worked out OK for you even though you were so far from home.
The Angiogram is ok nothing to worry about and I hope you get the news you want but if you don’t you will be ok and you will sort aftercare out just like I did . Don’t look too far ahead just for now wait for your results of the Angiogram and take it from there no good worrying about things you can’t influence that was a big learning curve for me on my journey but it’s so true
That link says car or motorcycle license you don’t have to tell the DVLA but shouldn’t drive for a month and then with the permission of your GP do that’s sooner than I thought I was told 6 weeks
Information can be totally inconsistent depending on who you talk to. You seem to be doing really well and if you feel up to it you could [probably ask your GP at four weeks. Or you might want to wait until the follow up with your surgeon. As I read it you need the specific OK from a medical professional.
Good your home Pete, it takes time to get back into a good routine after life in hospital, bit by bit it will. Liked your comment about refraining from alcohol for a while; a friend has just been up to Yorkshire on a walking trip, said he might try the odd Yorkshire beer so I asked him what was odd about it?? Your comment about driving is very true, when I had my pericardiectomy I rang the DVLC and they said not a problem to drive right away as pericardiectomy wasn't on their list of cardiac conditions! Also rang my travel insurer who said Pericardiectomy -hmmm, then came back and said I wouldn't be covered if I had another pericardiectomy -I tried to explain you don't get appendicitis after they have removed your appendix! Oh man it is a wonderful world out there and you have to laugh.
Someone has sent me a Dvla link and it says heart valve surgery for cars and motorbikes you don’t have to notify them but you can’t drive for 4 weeks and your doctor has to give you permission after the 4 weeks so that’s ok
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