So sorry to hear you are having such an uncomfortable time and are back in hospital. Do the doctors think it is a wound infection? What do they say to you?
So sorry to hear that you have had some complications after your AVR. My husband had his in May of this year and from his experience and of course everyone is different his BP went very low about a week 2 weeks after surgery and he felt dizzy, sick etc. The surgical team took him off some water tablets which he was on three as this was drying him out causing a low blood pressure and all the other symptoms. But of course that was only his experience. Sorry I cannot be of more help and hope they sort you out soon.
My chronically low BP (less than 100 systolic) and episodes of dropping below 85/50 is assumed to be the result of my medication. As I don’t seem to be retaining fluid my diuretic has been halved, but the ACE inhibitor and beta-blocker are deemed to be essential despite them both dropping BP. Dizziness, passing out for a second or two three to four times daily and nausea are really dragging me down. I’m sorry that you are going theough this, but hopefully it is acute rather than an ongoing problem.
Ended up with HA, had a clot develop post SAVR, operation had been more complicated than I had understood. They could not find where the clot was, it was hidden in artery obscured behind the new valve.
Cardiologist initiated emergency Cath lab angiogram at 5am Sunday and spent 3 hours on table. Lost me half way and cardio inverted.
Am physically and emotionally wrecked tbh. Home yesterday. Can hardly get out of bed.
.... and that's what's important. Emotionally it is so much to come to terms with as well as the grinding exhaustion. Always here if you need to rant or need a listening ear. It's hard to describe to people how you feel - shocked and weird and too tired to talk. Rest as much as you can. Take care and eat regularly even when you don;t feel like it. Lots of fluids helps too. Xx
Did you mean to reply to me? I am not Pauline she;s 080311 - I posted the comment you replied to though. Glad to hear you;re taking it easy as that;s the best way ahead for the time being. Hope you are being looked after.
and to you - when I got really desperate with surgery pain I was prescribed Tramadol - worth ringing your GP and asking for something stronger than you already have - mine also gave me morphine in liquid form. But that was when it was past ten on the pain scale it did help me sleep. Don;t suffer ask for painkillers. You;ve been trough so much.
If you can sit outside in the sun for a bit today it could lift your spirits and a little walk around the garden or up the road for a short way will get the blood moving. ....
Very breathless today, slept ok 3 and 4 hour tranches, take a small Zopiclone-,just started on this,,hopefully to just get on track. Breathlessness discouraging- but but one week since HA so may par for course.
Should I be doing breathing exercises to fight it or just resting - sats look ok- ave 94
Good sats. Do the breathing exercises when you can. I only really got into the stride of that in week 3. I probably only did them a couple of times every few days in the first two weeks - but the more you can do them the better. But take it easy - nothing prepares you for how exhausted you feel. I am about to start week 14 and it has all been so worth it. Cannot believe how much better I now feel but it is a bit of a haul to get to 'better than before'. DOn;t get too discouraged annd that is so much easier said than done. Big virtual hug.
Thank you, struggling trying to deep breathe, currently constantly shallow breathing with crackles unless I really make big effort - anything like this happen to you? Not sure which is heart attack after effects and which is open heart surgery.. scared of chest infection xxx
I had heart attack (100% blockage and one stent) in Dec 2017 and then valve and aneurysm op fourteen weeks ago, The breathing is surgery (well had no breathing probs after heart attack so going for op) and yes I had it too. You just keep doing the best you can with the huffing and puffing exercises. As I said to you earlier I was really bad at doing it in hospital but improved the number of daily efforts when I got home. Even now I am aware that I am not fully deep breathing. I am currently looking for my tenor recorder (not played for about twenty plus years) as I think that may encourage me to keep breathing deeply. I am a little worried about the neighbours but as they have two under fours and laminate flooring they will just have to cut me the slack I cut them.... I also have the traditional squeaky recorder somewhere (evil grin)......... chest infection - I think is just luck if you are doing what you can - plus staying away from anyone who has a cough - Covid instructions really. Did you see the post from someone who says his scar is only 8 cm after the same op as I had? Well mine is 30 cm plus - I hit real despair at some points on the road to recovery but you will find a great improvement over time. It's only looking back you can see how far you have come. My profile pic was taken on Sunday - I never thought I would wear anything that had an open neck (that's not the start of stupendous cleavage you can see but the beginning of the incision) but now just doing what suits me.
You absolutely have to reach inside yourself for all the determination you have and push through the discomfort when you can. Take care, if you had asked me when I had the op was it worth it I would have said you're B well joking.. but now I can say I have not felt this well for some years. There are bad days still but on balance, every moment was contributing to this outcome and yes, it was worth it for an improved quality of life. Thanks to the wonderful two doctors who led the teams at Bristol Heart Institute whose sheer professionalism and skill has improved my life beyond belief. Comforting pat on the back of the hand for you as a hug makes you feel squashed at this stage. Xx
Thank you for taking time and care to write all of this. Having a nap, hoping for 30 min zzz. Trying out side lying to see how smothered I will feel, my neck is so sore from sliding down into a horizontal zone at night-feel deformed at this rate. Will be 4 weeks since surgery next Saturday and two weeks since hA.. your Recorder sounds a great plan. My scar is about 15cm so you were unlucky! It is slowly healing drain scars are not ideal!! Scared to look at plug in groin after the angioplasty.!
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