Intro

[Quoideneuf]

Had surgery to replace ascending aorta and arch 5 months ago- hadn’t anticipated that recovery takes a while!

[080311]

Morning Quoideneuf,

Welcome to the forum, having open heart surgery really does take longer to get over than we think. After 5 months your sternum will have healed but can take 18 months for new bone to grow over the wires. Building up our stamina is a slow steady process. Extending our walking trying to push our speed. I had my surgery 5 years ago, I was the same age as you, I remember maybe 12 months in and I was power walking in my head I was going really fast thinking of maybe a little jog might be next! When this young woman past me power walking as if I was standing still😂 got home very despondent my husband said hang on a minute she is probably half your age and hasn’t had open heart surgery.

You will get there but as you say it does take longer than we think,

Again welcome to the Hearties family.

Best wishes Pauline

[Quoideneuf in reply to 080311]

Thank you. That’s really reassuring.

[Flowerfanatic]

Good morning….. we are around the same time for our surgery (I was May this year) and I had a repair/ patch on my aorta and my aortic valve replaced. I would also add to Pauline’s wise words in her reply that yes, for some people recovery takes longer than the seemingly stock answer of “between 8 - 12 weeks”. I certainly don’t feel 100 percent better yet and things are still mending and healing (muscles and bones knitting back together?) in my chest. Have you been able to join any kind of cardiac rehabilitation? I am doing classes via “Zoom” on my iPad and are finding them so good. They are private not via the NHS but the person doing them is so knowledgeable and an ex Cardiac nurse. The company is called Healthy Hearties and I thoroughly recommend them.

Take care of yourself and one day at a time - onwards and upwards.

Best wishes to you,

Sarah

[andy110519]

Hi, the 12 weeks is for the bone to knit back together but I don't remember them telling me anything about the rest of your chest structure getting back to 'normal'. I had aortic valve and ascending aorta graft done May'19 and whilst I am back running & swimming etc, and have been a while, some things still affect by chest. I guess it's not quite the same shape as it was so has lost a bit of it's strength but 98% of the time it's fine.Just take it easy and listen to your body.

Take care.

Andy