How my AVR is going (so far) day 4

[Nic25]

Well I just feel immensely, immensely lucky. Today is Day 4 post-AVR (op was last Thursday) and barring unforseens I'm due to be heading home tomorrow, so day 5. Only complication so far has been 48 hours of spiking temperature, but sorted out now by a course of antibiotics. No circuitry issues, no pacing issues, no lung infections (well there is still some fluid in one but apparently minimal), no reactions (bar some vomiting) to the anaesthetic, bowels (after some laxative encouragement) have opened, wound all seems fine. I'm doing stairs and circuits of the ward, albeit still slowly. Of course I realise there may yet be set-backs and dark days and complications and more pain once out of the hospital pain relief schedule - especially if I get euphoric or over-ambitious about how much I can do - but even at this early stage I appreciate how much breathlessness has gone that I hadn't even really appreciated was there as it comes on you so slowly. And god the G&ST team are just awesome. So I can't recommend them highly enough. But it'll still be good to get home tomorrow, in time for Christmas and not as the complete invalid I had assumed I would be. Fingers crossed. Nic x

[Alison1960]

Fantastic news. I told you St Thomas’s was great! What type of valve did you get?

One thing to look out for tomorrow - you have a long journey home so make sure they have all your medication ready as early as possible. I was kept waiting for a few hours which meant we had to travel home at rush hour. A journey which would normally take just over an hour in the car took almost 3 hours!!!

It’s great you’ll be home so soon!

Alison xxx

[Nic25 in reply to Alison1960]

Thanks Alison. Great. I went tissue - Edwards Inspiralis I think it is called? Yes we've booked a local taxi firm we know for 3pm but nurse on the desk says they'll try and work it backwards from 2pm. All tests have been done, we basically need pharmacy (pain relief and antibiotics predominantly) and any discharge paperwork. So as I say fingers crossed. But you're right it'll be a long and tiring day. From London to the south coast should be 2-3 hours so there may need to be some (diuretic) pee stops! X

[Alison1960 in reply to Nic25]

So perhaps your valve, my valve and Pete’s valves were all related as we have the same ones from Argentina and they were probably next to each other on the shelf in St Thomas’s!

I was told to expect to be exhausted when I got home but in fact it was the next day that it hit me. But however tired you are you will be home!!!!!!!

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Glad to hear things seem to be going well. I would suggest you try and go home with something stronger than tramadol. You will need to roll a towel up as padding for the seatbelt. I found the motorway sections of the drive home OK but struggled over the speed humps. I found that I was pretty shattered the first week home as hospitals don't allow you a good night's sleep. Not much more to say bar pace yourself and don't overdo it!

[Nic25 in reply to MichaelJH]

Thanks Michael. That's all really helpful. I'll see what I can get out of them in that case. All great advice. Thanks

[Fredders]

Hi Nic

Great to hear everything is going well. I would suggest dosing yourself up on painkillers before you set off and, as has been suggested, make sure you have a rolled up towel to put between your chest and the seatbelt. Don’t be stingy with your painkillers when you get home, there’s plenty of time for cutting back on them slowly as you recover. After a couple of weeks at home I cut them down to morning and bedtime doses and only occasionally taking them during the day if I had tweaked something.

Don’t worry if you struggle to sleep at night to start with, it’s hard trying to get comfy in a normal bed, which is where a v-shaped pillow or a rolled up duvet comes in handy. I had naps in my chair during the day.

Hope the journey home goes well and isn’t too painful.

Wendy x

[Rugbymad]

Good luck pal I'm ten weeks in for the same op plus aortic arc replaced and one bypass!

Try to listen to what they say me guilty of thinking I bomb proof and making myself ill overdoing it !

5 day discharge brill lung infection kept me in ITU longer than that lol

All the best for Christmas and take it easy! !

[Handel]

Great news Nic. I wish you all the very best. Have a lovely Christmas with your family (and keep us updated with your recovery in the New Year) xxxx

[wiltsgirl]

Great to see that you are on the road home and in time for Christmas. I had a bypass 9 months ago and remember feeling so emotional when I got home, I cried, it seemed, constantly, it is perfectly normal I was told by my GP. The one thing that the cardiac nurses said was to ensure that you had all your GP and nurse appointments made when you need them, to look at wounds etc and to monitor your early progress. I was lucky that its fairly easy to get appointments, but some may not be so lucky. Just take it easy, you will overdo it probably, and I did. Showering took it out of me completely. Make sure you have a separate towel for your wound and another for everything else to stop infections. The cough pillow is a valuable tool to hold to your chest when you sneeze or sigh or anything else. Best of luck and have a great Christmas x