Quadruple bypass 15 days ago - pain and numbness around chest wound?

[Handel]

Daft question but need some reassurance from the lovely lot on this forum.

[Ticktock61]

15 days is no time at all regarding your chest wound you will feel pain and numbness for a while more yet as it’s not just your breast bone that has to knit together it’s all the muscles that have been stretched and manipulated as well that have to settle down and heal I know it’s worrying and frustrating but it’s normal. Don’t lift anything keep using your rolled up towel or cushion when you cough or sneeze and sleep with a V shaped pillow propped up. Keep taking your painkillers. Trust me it does get easier and less painful each week.

Good luck and stay positive

Pete x

[Handel in reply to Ticktock61]

Hi Pete. I've posted loads about hubby in the past few weeks. I rather wish that I'd gone through this instead of him.

I guessed it was totally normal but it's really good that he reads posts from you. I think you made some valuable points a while back and these reassured him.

He has trouble trying to get comfortable in a chair and in bed and finds walking around eases the weird sensations of pain and numbness around the chest.

Still taking paracetamol for pain and I think this helps a bit. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply xxx

[Ticktock61 in reply to Handel]

Paracetamol did nothing for me so I asked for something stronger and if he’s in pain so should he . Keep away from cocodamol or codene or anything with “co” in the title as this contains codene which will make him constipated the doctors do have alternatives you just have to ask. You don’t get brownie points for being a martyr there’s nothing worse than being in pain as sleep is so important in the early days and weeks and it’s hard to sleep if your in pain. You can phone the doctors and ask them to phone you back and they will do you a prescription ove4 the phone as they know what operation he’s had

Good luck

Pete x

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Ticktock61]

I found paracetamol as effective for the breastbone pain as red Smarties

Following a fractured femur ten years ago I found Tramadol the most effective pain killer without side effects. Unfortunately many people cannot tolerate it. My girlfriend becomes a zombie after taking one whilst I can take eight a day without issue.

[Handel in reply to MichaelJH]

I agree with you Michael. I can take codeine and morphine with no problem at all. Hubby hallucinates and throws up! I'll get a phone appointment with the doc to see what can be done. Resisting taking him to the docs as the waiting area is a Germfest!!!

Thanks so much for replying xxx

[Handel in reply to Ticktock61]

Cheers Pete xxx

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

At 15 days I was reducing my Tramadol from three times per day to two. It was four weeks before I stopped them altogether. Whilst I have heard tales of people never taking anything stronger then paracetamol and only for the first week. Frankly I do not believe the claims. I had pain in the ribs as well as the breastbone - in fact the rib pain would occur for about a month longer than the breastbone. In addition I had problems with my little and ring fingers. They had reduced movement and strength, and felt cold. This improved over about four months when I did exercises I had been given for trigger finger when I declined steroid injections.

[Chappychap]

Tomorrow I'll be six weeks post a triple bypass and I really feel I'm now getting back towards normality. Which makes sense as a lot of people return to work during this six to eight week post operation period. I believe the breast bone will be 80% healed by eight weeks, and 100% healed after twelve weeks. I've cleared it with the insurance company to begin driving again, but I have an appointment with my doctor on Monday and I'll get his okay before returning to driving. Next week I start the cardiac rehabilitation classes. I'm looking forward to them and I'm now up to 40-45 minutes of brisk walking almost every day. A very smart and experienced nurse at the hospital told me that your sense of recovery and wellbeing is closely connected to how well your breathing recovers. Your lungs take an awful battering during a bypass, with multiple areas of micro collapse. Fully re-inflating your lungs will take quite some time, but it really is worth putting some effort into your breathing exercises and into walking that bit further every day.

I stopped taking pain killers after four weeks, there's still a strange feeling of numbness or pins and needles towards the left of my chest, it may be to do with the mammalian artery, but it was never really all that painful and it's steadily reducing in intensity. Another giant milestone at four weeks was removing those horrible pressure stockings!

At six weeks I can now have a mild cough or sneeze without clutching my chest. I'm beginning now to sleep in four or five hour periods instead of just two hours. And I can sleep on either side where as when I first got home I could only sleep on my right side.

15 days is really very early in your journey, but it's also a time where you can see and feel material improvements on an almost daily basis, and that is just so motivating!

Good luck!

[Handel in reply to Chappychap]

As always, thanks Chappychap. Gale force winds and heavy rain here so no walks today. A guess two weeks is pushing it a bit but he'll get there! He can only sleep on his right side or back (sat up) but sleep is still elusive. Thank you so much xxx

[stevejb1810]

Its quite normal. As has been said elsewhere, there is a lot of healing to do beyond just your sternum. Keep popping paracetamol per the regular daily amount and schedule but if thats no good, go and see your GP for something a bit stronger. It does get better with time.

[Handel in reply to stevejb1810]

Thanks Steve. I can see improvements each day but he can't just yet. Might get GP advice on something stronger to help with the pain. I really appreciate your reply xxx

[Jellybean1988]

Hi ~ now 5 months post quintuple and still get pain and discomfort. Have been told that it can take a year for things to calm down in the area. Good Luck on your journey.

[Handel in reply to Jellybean1988]

Thanks Jellybean. That's reassuring to know. I think he thinks he's the only one to suffer but thanks to all these lovely posts, he can now see he isn't!! Thanks so much for your good wishes. We wish you all the best xxx

[Salihyuksel67]

Hi 8 months ago I had triple bypass and still get chest pain if I lift heavy don't worry is normal takes year to get normal.

[Handel in reply to Salihyuksel67]

Wow. Thanks for the information. I hope things are good with you xxxx

[Helsbels2428 in reply to Salihyuksel67]

My husband stupidly lifted a tyre post 10 weeks triple bypass and felt it that evening! He is fine but you can forget what happened when getting back to jobs around the yard! All normal to be feeling numb, having twinges and itching! If you watched channel 4 valve replacement live the other week it will make you realise why the sternum takes so long to heal!! Hubby didn’t watch it by the way! We all have different pain thresholds (ask us women who have had babies) so pain relief helps with healing, that what it’s there for, although only paracetamol every 4 hours use in our case, not letting pain take over. I am not a fan of anything with Co in front!!! But in reply to Handel we are all in this together!! it is a journey but thank goodness! And this is such a great forum isn’t it! Just try and get steps up, so important, if weather bad a shopping mall going round and round?!!! Best wishes!!

[Handel in reply to Helsbels2428]

Hi Helsbels. This forum has been a life saver for me. Hubby won't watch anything related to the heart - 'gory' as he puts it but I know what's been pulled around! Thank goodness for re-plumbing though!

I'm taking him out shopping later. I think diversions when walking about remove the exercise factor.

Now encouraging him to make some of his own teas and coffees! In pre-op days he tended to fill the kettle up to the top (really annoying and energy wasting!). He won't do that any more.

I totally agree with the 'anything with CO in front' comment. Hubby is clearly affected by codeine and morphine as the hospital found out. Weird hallucinations and throwing up.

Thank you so much for your post. Best wishes to you both xxx

[Helsbels2428 in reply to Handel]

And to you! any help needed just shout! Xx

[Handel in reply to Helsbels2428]

That's great. Thank you Helsbels.

We walked around a great shopping mall and lovely tree lined roads near us. With my Fitbit watch thingy on, I clocked that we'd walked almost 2 miles and had not even noticed we'd walked that far! Lovely sunny day too. Not bad considering this time 2 weeks ago he was still in hospital waiting to be discharged!

Have a lovely weekend. We've got the little grandkids coming over for a bit on Sunday with our son so not too much chasing around for hubby. That'll really cheer him up. xxxx

[Helsbels2428 in reply to Handel]

Look at you two! well done and mirrors our recouperation! My husband a bit naughty and back at work 16 days afterwards part time but now well and truly full time ... I honestly think he is the healthiest I have seen him in 20 years...and we both are benefiting from low salt low fat diet (although I still have odd cake when he is not looking!) at Christmas 3 months post op and is hoping to play a little golf with youngest son in Spain .. we will see.. we also have 3 year old granddaughter this weekend! we just are thankful we got the warning and treatment before anything more serious, my eldest son a doctor and it was worth all the pain and expense when I see what these wonderful people do for us! Have a lovely weekend!

[Handel in reply to Helsbels2428]

It's great what they can do. I'm really pleased with his progress although, as I said, he can't see it!! I'm diabetic and have been for 40 years, so I try to eat healthy (doesn't stop me raiding the Quality Street at Christmas - just a bit more insulin!). We've both been eating well since he came out of hospital so chicken, turkey multitudes of fish and loads of veggies. We have an allotment so I've been making lots of soup too.

Spain sounds really good. Our eldest son is a doctor too (not a proper medical one!!). We have an amazing GP who will just ring to see how hubby is doing.

We hope you both have a lovely weekend. xx

[DebbiB28]

Morning, I'm seven weeks post open heart surgery and still have pain/discomfort/burning and some numbness in areas. I find it is also very easy to do too much and cause more discomfort! I guess everyone is different but it is a long road! Best wishes.

[Handel in reply to DebbiB28]

Hi Debbi. You're right - it is a long road and frustrating for hubby who thinks everything should be OK NOW!! I've noticed so much improvement even in that 15 day short space of time. He's not sleeping really at night but has been sleeping well for a couple of hours in the afternoon - a bit counterproductive but ......!

I hope you're doing well. Thanks so much for your post xxx

[DebbiB28 in reply to Handel]

It's best to look at it week by week I've found. It is extremely frustrating and sometimes I feel I'm never going to be 'normal' again but you can't rush it and every body is different. I've just got another 6 week certificate from GP as I'm no-where nearly ready to return to work. It will be reviewed again after that time (14 weeks!). It's also hard I think for the people around you as they are on the journey too!

[Handel in reply to DebbiB28]

Hi Debbi. I hope you eventually get signed off and get back to the normality that is work. Thankfully hubby is retired so has no immediate rush to do anything. It's very frustrating for him to be unable to do much after the quad bypass.

I'm semi retired but a self employed first aid trainer (I can tell you that my training has been a great help in the past few months!!).

Just running on adrenalin at the minute. I don't find it too hard looking after him!!

Thanks so much for your kind words xxx

[wiltsgirl]

Hi Handel, I am 8 months post bypass and still have numbness around my chest area. I have been told that it can take 2 years to fully feel healed. 15 days is really early and I am sure he will start to feel progress soon. I say that 8 weeks was the turning point. Best of luck xxx

[Handel]

Hi wiltsgirl. I really appreciate your posts. I've noticed so much improvement even in that 15 day short space of time. He's not sleeping really at night but has been sleeping well for a couple of hours in the afternoon - a bit counterproductive but ......!

8 weeks sounds realistic. He just thinks he should be doing so much more but I know he can't. At least he's doing his exercises and we've been out walking quite a bit (not today as it's blowing a gale outside and chucking it down!).

I hope you're doing well. xxx

[invictaAlec]

Hi Handel,

Thank you for bringing up the subject of numbness. I've read a lot of stories on here with people talking about soreness, pins and needles, tenderness and general pain around their wounds but up until this thread I haven't seen numbness mentioned.

I thought I was an oddity because I had no real physical effects from my surgery apart from a largish area of numbness on the left side of my chest. Let your hubby know that old Alec from Folkestone still has it after five and a half months (but just lately he thinks it might not be quite as severe now).

All the best and thank you for letting me know I'm not unique is this respect!

Alec.

[Handel in reply to invictaAlec]

Hi Old Alec from Folkestone. Glad I could help!! I'll show him your reply. This post will cheer him up and hopefully smile!! Thanks for getting back to me. I really appreciate it xxx

[jimmyq]

I had quadruple bypass surgery in 1997. It took me months to recover. Be patient and don't overdo it. Be gentle with yourself. You have been through a traumatic experience and you need looking after, by yourself and health professionals.

[Handel in reply to jimmyq]

Hi JimmyQ. It's hubby and not me who's been through this traumatic experience. I'm looking after him so don't worry. He's never been in hospital in his life (68 years) so this first experience wasn't the best!!

A cardiac nurse is visiting on Tuesday next so that's nice. Hopefully she can reassure him. He takes no notice of me!!! Thanks for your help and kind words. I really appreciate it. xxx

[jimmyq in reply to Handel]

If he is offered rehab he should take it. It will help him to recover his confidence as well as his fitness. It will teach him his limits and how to stick to them.

[Handel in reply to jimmyq]

Sound advice Jimmy. We haven't heard yet about the cardio rehab but were told it should be locally (not miles away where the op took place)! and within 6 weeks of discharge. Early days yet but he will attend as he knows this will help.

It's good you're saying this as he seems to take notice of what you say on this forum!!

Thank you so much for getting back to me. xxx

[Salihyuksel67]

I am start working under light duties I am plumber working with council at the moment I am ok but still I cannot lift heavy things. You will be ok don't worry about that

[Handel in reply to Salihyuksel67]

Thank you so much. Good luck in your job xx

[Salihyuksel67]

Good luck for your recover have a good weekend

[Handel in reply to Salihyuksel67]

You too xxxx

[Helsbels2428]

Just reading some updates.. hubby 5 months post bypass and is feeling tenderness and sore bottom couple inches of scar.. in London at weekend viewing gorgeous new granddaughter (!)and he asked my son a doctor who said alll looks good and to remember blood supply not as good at the botttom as at the top by throat .. in fact scar is looking like it could disappear at the top! Hence different top and bottom...it is a long journey but so worth it as my husband says he has never felt as fit now!

[Handel in reply to Helsbels2428]

Hi Helsbels. Congrats on the gorgeous grandaughter and good news about your husband.

My hubby is doing really well now with his heart stuff. He's got an horrendous virus unfortunately which has come with a really bad cough (doesn't help his hernia!!!). The cough has now 'done his back in' so he's wandering round looking so ill and sorry for himself!

The hernia is next on the list to be fixed!!!! xxxx