Recovering from triple bypass

[Willshack]

Hi just had a triple bypass 12 days ago and despite a little discomfort recovering well. I can walk around house and climb stairs: when and what exercises can I start doing to get my fitness back? And where can can I find info?

[ronnyharry]

Hi I had same plus aortic v replacement 5 months ago, take care with sternum don't press with arms when getting up from chair etc. There is a very good American H Foundation 3 mile walk programme on utube, start with a little and build up also the hospital physio should have given you a programme, if not phone them and bother them until that do some days will be better than others good luck and make sure you change radically your diet and lifestyle choices Ron 👍

[Willshack in reply to ronnyharry]

Thanks I’ll have a look on You tube

[080311]

Hello Willshack

Welcome to the forum, firstly for the 8-12 weeks while your sternum heals remember no arms above your head no lifting anything heavier than half a kettle of water and no pulling or pushing movements. Keep doing your breathing exercises and coughing ones you were given in hospital they really help, when we are on bypass our lungs collapse and they need a bit of help filling all those little pockets up again.

Gentle walking daily, I used to count lamp posts! Try and get to the next one on my next walk silly I know but it worked!

Contact your cardio rehab team, mine was at the local hospital and get on their course. It’s great for our mental health as well as getting our stamina back you are with people who have been through what you have and those odd aches and pains don’t seem so bad when someone else says yes I have that😂

I am 5 years on from my Aortic valve replacement and bypass and still grateful every day to the medical team that gave me my life back.

You will get your stamina back but it’s slowly does it at the beginning, remember your body as been through a major operation and so as your brain it’s still working out what as happened 😂

I wish you a great recovery remember you are now part of the Hearties family and if you have any questions just post and someone will be along to help.

Best wishes Pauline

[Willshack in reply to 080311]

Thanks for that, I’ve emailed local hospital and help group but had no response as of yet. I keep chasing. Thanks

[HarryBell in reply to 080311]

Very good reply. Pauline hope all continues well for you, we're you given much guidance regarding diet?

[080311 in reply to HarryBell]

Morning,

When I did my cardio rehab I had two sessions a week, the first hour of one of them was a talk someone would discuss fitness diet and the drugs we were on. One week we had someone telling us about research into new treatments for heart disease. Diet wise it was the standard steer away from processed foods cut down on salt fatty food ( I love bacon! and I have a pigs valve 😂) when I joined the forum found the Mediterranean diet that BHF recommend so have been following that for the last 5 years. It’s not a diet as such just a healthy way of eating. I eat very little meat lots of fish. Have a look on the BHF website there is lots of information recipes and tips.

Keep well.

Best wishes Pauline

[Willshack in reply to 080311]

Hi Pauline are you from UK?

[080311 in reply to Willshack]

Yep, live outside Glasgow Scotland. Had my surgery at the Golden Jubilee the specialist heart hospital for the west of Scotland. But had my cardio rehab at my local hospital.

Pauline

[Hidden]

Dear Willshack,

I agree with the advice given by the previous answers.

It’s strange , I was given full instructions on breathing and exercise on discharge from the hospital and yet others seem to get very little { a friend of mine including}

We are travelling the same path, I’m a little ahead of you, take it slow take it easy { something that goes against the very core of me } I promise you that you will get there.

As others have stated, get back in touch with your team, I also found some great stuff on the net.

I wish you well

[Willshack in reply to Hidden]

Thanks great advice.

[HarryBell in reply to Willshack]

Hi, morning, if you push too much you may delay recovery have a good day (if you are under the weather with a virus it is best to rest). It is quite an experience.

[Chappychap]

I'm surprised you weren't given more comprehensive advice when you were discharged from hospital.

Here's the pamphlet that Guy's Hospital gives to patients following open heart surgery (most hospitals use something very similar), this gives plenty of advice regarding exercise.

guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/reso...

The three key exercises are walking (at least once per day, building up to a 30 minutes brisk walk after about six or eight weeks, if the weather's horrible you might think about walking in a big indoor shopping centre). Breathing/coughing exercise, at least five times per day. And shoulder roll exercises (at least once per day, but twice or more is better).

Here's the NHS advice regarding the breathing exercises,

kentcht.nhs.uk/cardiac-reha...

And here's a more detailed description of the huffing/coughing component of the breathing exercises.

acprc.org.uk/Data/Publicati...

Good luck!

[Willshack in reply to Chappychap]

Thanks I was told about breathing exercises and walking round house but nothing else.

[Sathy999]

Hi Willshack, I'm glad to here that you are recovering well 🙂.

I had the same operation in March 2017 at St. George's hospital. What happend was they called people like us to rehabilitation program for 12 weeks and showed us some exercises. But since we have Corona, I'm not sure about the current arrangement.

What they taught us was British Heart Foundation rehab program. Please check the following link out. I think this program has few extra levels. Best wishes 🙂

youtu.be/-JsuNKbAAkU(Not working as expected?)

[Sathy999]

A useful link

youtube.com/playlist?list=P...

[Sewing19]

Hi Will. All I will add to the above device is take plenty of rest and when you’re sitting down raise your legs. Listen to your body. My appetite was poor for about 4 weeks.

Good luck and listen to your body.

🤞❤️

[Willshack in reply to Sewing19]

Thanks good advice

[Giant68]

I had a quintuple bypass a couple of years ago. The best thing I did was to get on to a cardiac rehab course run by my local NHS. As well as exercise they told us all about the medications we were on, how our lifestyle choices will affect our recovery and the rest of our lives etc. Since then I haven't looked back and despite needing a few tweaks with meds I feel fitter than I have in many years. Good luck with your recovery, but he careful, as others have said, with what exercise you do at the moment.

Giant68 🙂

[frenchman96]

Hi, I only had 1 stent after HA but in my case, my local hospital contacted me saying they have a Cardiac Rehabilitation Course. What they do is set a daily/ weekly and have talks on Zoom, you can talk to a pharmacist, physio, and cardiac nurse. Another good support is the British Heart Foundation, do a Google

[Willshack in reply to frenchman96]

Good to know

[HarryBell]

google.com/search?q=3+mile+... is one I find v useful, can be broken into slices, no arm movement for 12 weeks then slowly introduce them, don't do anything that hurts, I can now do the whole 47 minutes quite essily, later you might find 'bodyweight warrior' stretching videos help, I do 15 mins most days and do breathing and meditating with 'jaybittersweet' all on YouTube.

👍

[NyMets]

Hi, I am at 18 weeks post cabg*5. I was told … just gentle walking for 5 mins then a little linger for the first few weeks and then a little more as you feel up to it. About week 10 I had had my rehab treadmill test and was then given a walking plan for the next 10 weeks and upper body exercises…. Not walking 3 miles is not an issue… take it gently and if any questions or doubts, there should be a contact number for the hospital in discharge info pack to call for any co Ceres and worries

[Swalecliffe88]

Hello Willshack. My triple was 7 years ago. I know things have probably slacked since then as the Heart Rehab people contacted me more or less within first few days of my discharge. But advice from Pauline below is sound. And like her I did lamppost counting 😃 just rest when your body feels it needs it and don’t expect recovery and full health to happen over night. In a couple of months you will appreciate it all and feel amazing. But if you can keep on with getting hold of the rehab people they should be able to offer you practical and psychological help as some people do go through a depressed stage also. Thankfully I didn’t and you won’t but rehab are there to help in all the aspects of recovery. Good luck with your recovery, let us know how your getting on and remember you have friends here to help you along the road if ever you need us.