Triple heart bypass

[Charl70]

im now booked in for next thursday 15th sept at st thomas hospital for my bypass ,feeling a bit nervous but also happy to have booked in ,this forum has been a great friend

[080311]

Morning,

Wishing you good luck for next week. Just remember to follow all the instructions you will be given when you get home. You will be soon on the heart mended road, and you can get back to living your life.

Best wishes Pauline

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Whilst a major event to you remember it is their day job and pretty routine.

Following from 080311 it is very important to do the breathing exercises to get your lungs functioning properly again and to stick to advice on lifting no more than a half kettle of water. O redoing it can result it an unstable breastbone. I have only ever encountered one person with it and it it somewhat grim.

Good luck!

[Hidden]

Good luck mate! Its a big op but they will take good care of you and just take the recovery one day at a time.

[Heather1957]

I had my bypass back in 2017, I should have had it on the Wednesday but it was cancelled and I had it on the Friday morning instead (cancellation is something to be prepared for)

As someone has already said bypass operations have become an everyday thing, but any heart operation is still very serious,

I only stayed in hospital for 4 days so you can see how quickly some of us recover while I was apprehensive I was so glad to get home.

Remember this is a life saving operation and how wonderful we live in a time when our medics have the expertise to carry out this procedure.

Any questions you may have ask away, often it is practical things that trouble us and as many of us have had that procedure we usually have a few suggestions.

No point in me saying 'don't worry', but the sooner it is done the sooner you can start recovering and living again.

Take it easy.

[Heyjude31]

Hello Charl70, just to wish you all the very best for your operation. As other hearties have said it is a big operation, but thankfully it is routine today. Remember to follow the exercise instructions, take the medications as instructed and be kind to yourself. Let us know how you get on. Take care, Judi

[Hidden]

Hello

I remember only to well when I got my date for my Bypass surgery as you say there was an element of relief for me with the thoughts it is going to get done but of course with any operation there was that fear or in my case there was but I adopted the attitude it has to be done so listen to all the positives

I am a wreck and I am not saying it is a little operation but I was quite surprised it was not anything as bad as what I had thought it was going to be which is saying something coming from someone like me

You will be very well looked after , in more than capable hands and before you know it you will be on the road to recovery

They will take you through what you need to do after the op , you will also have your Rehab Nurses to and when you are ready you will be able to come and ask us to all the questions you need answering and we will help as much as we can

I wish you all the best x

[Charl70]

thank you everyone for allyour calming and reassuring words very much appreated

[Hidden]

good luck. It is a new beginning. A chap who services my car had a heart bypass and i work with a bloke who has also had a heart bypass. Remeber to use your trusty towel when coughing. Just like in the hitch hiker guide to galaxy you carnt go any where without your towel. So they told me.

[Jako999]

I think it’s all been said so good luck just don’t forget a cough cushion and don’t sneeze😁🙏

[VelvetSky]

Good Luck😍

[Blackout1]

my father had a double heart bypass after having a heart attack in his late fifties. I’m off to visit him today…he’s now 95 years old. I hope your heart bypass gives you a long and healthy life, Charlie. Dad was still playing tennis at 88 and cycling into his 90s.

[Ernie49 in reply to Blackout1]

Whoe ! That must be some sort of record for bypass survival ? Marvellous 🤠

[Larneybuds]

Good morning.....glad you have got your date for your op. I think a lot of people on here will tell you the same ....the waiting and the guessing of what it might be like are the worst. I have had a different op but still open heart surgery. I was initially petrified of everything until I decided that would get me nowhere. I got lots of encouragement from the lovely people on here and am now on the other side of my op. Please make sure you do chest and breathing exercises daily before you go in..... it really does help. I can barely remember the theatre now from 3 weeks ago. Everything is managed so well before and after so try not to worry too much. My conclusion on it is that it's not a walk in the park.....but its also nowhere as awful as I had imagined it would be. Stay positive....do as they tell you.....all will be fine. Xxx

[francesw47]

Good luck. Remember a cushion to protect from the seat belt on the way home! Keep doing the breathing exercises when you are home. Its a very big op, so take care of yourself when its all over. Hope all goes well...Frances

[Grayjay]

Good luck, nothing to worry about, you will have a new lease of life.

[MarmiteB]

good luck! If you have any questions you know where we all are xx

[Dralex]

I had my rotablation & 5 stents performed at St Thomas'; - you are in very good hands there, their medical skills and care are second to none!

[Sljp0000]

I am having CABGx4 about a week after you. I really do know how youre feeling! Im so anxious too. My faith in God is helping me enormously though, if you can pray, He will definitely help you.

Just think this time next week it will all be over and youll be on your road to recovery. A new life with no pain and comfort knowing youve been 're-plumbed'!

God bless you, let me know how you get on if you can.

Susie x

[MountainGoat52]

Really pleased that you have a date. My very best wishes for Thursday. Keep positive... this will be the start of a new life. 😀

Gerald

[Writerman]

Good luck my friend. I had a triple heart by pass and replacement aortic valve 12 weeks ago. It is a major operation and trauma to your body, but taking one day at a time following ALL the adive and guidance will have you on the mend, albeit slowly.

I can walk about a mile a day now in three separate walks. You do slowly improve. I’m 76 and feeling to some degree fitter than I was before, mainly due to stopping smoking and losing a stone and a half while in hospital. Now a ‘healthy’ 11 1/2 stone. Wish you well.

[Sunnysummerdays]

good luck and all the best to Charl70 👍❤️

[Charl70]

thank you to all the amazing messages ,you are all truly wonderful people ,hopefully after operations I will be on hand to give my experience to others waiting for surgery

God bless

[El-Tel1990 in reply to Charl70]

I had a CABG x 4, 20 months ago. I go to a gym 3 days a week and golf at least 2 days per week now. Diet is so important after the operation and keeping the weight in check. Remember whilst recuperating to drink lots of water , it’s makes going to the loo a lot easier. Try to avoid constipation. It’s a tough operation however after 2/3 days you’ll be in recovery mode.

Best of luck

[Cee-Cee1]

Just wanted to join the others in wishing you Good Luck for Thursday Charl - you'll be grand. All of us have a different experience but I had my triple on the 18th February this year (62yr-old female) out of hospital after 5 days and already back to work in July in a part-time basis (phased return), although it is office work so not physically strenuous. One of the things that has REALLY amazed me afterwards is, anytime I mentioned it, was finding out just how many people have had the same op, or something similar. All now living perfectly normal happy and healthy lives. It really is an everyday operation these days to those amazing surgeons and cardiac teams who perform it and you'll be well looked after.

They like you to have front buttoned jammies for after the op as there'll be a few tubes and it's handier for them. Don't forget to bring a wee cushion or a rolled-up towel for under your seat belt for the drive home (also good for sternum support for a cough or sneeze!) and to do everything they tell you to do in terms of recovery instructions. Your wound will be a bit sensitive for a short while and I found baggy t-shirts to be a real boon. If you have any questions or worries, this site is brilliant and everyone is so welcoming.

I also wish you a moment of 'discovery' during the recovery period as I had. I'd had a lovely lunch with three of my cousins when we spent the afternoon laughing and reminiscing about our childhoods and the 'good old days' and decided to visit a hotel near the train station for a coffee (well, cocktails for them!) before travelling home. Without thinking about it, I ran up the three flights of stairs to the cocktail lounge and reaching the top I suddenly realised just how very well I felt - no huffing or puffing and so much better than before the op - and, at that moment, thanked my lucky stars that I'd had it!

When you're ready please let us know how you get on and we'll all be thinking of you. Carol x 😀

[devonian186]

In Hospital you get swept along with the operation, medication, tests, Xrays, meals etc so that is out of your hands and I would concentrate on the period after you come out of hospital. For me that was 4 days which is really too early, but demonstrates the support you will need once home. Have ready light books, a radio, and any other diversions you can think of bearing in mind you will likely have a short attention span.

It took me 4 to 5 weeks once home before I could stop taking paracetemol (maximum 8 tablets a day) during which I was often emotional. It took another 2 weeks before I started driving which itself was awkward due to turning round etc. I still get 'awkwardness' in my chest some 14 weeks after plus twinges, especially when walking. My consultant advised me not to use my hiking poles yet (they help me walk a little faster) and my rucksack should not contain more than a couple of sandwiches and a drink, in other words keep it light.

It would take me he said, 4 to 6 months before I started feeling relatively normal and I still get breathless, but you need to compare it with the bad days you had previously. As I keep a comprehensive health diary I am able to chart my recovery and there is no doubt that for the next 6 weeks (after the first four weeks) I got 10% better each week. I think I have probably plateaued now but look at what I could do in those early days and what I can do now and there is a huge difference. However you will have bad days mixed in with the good days especially in the first month, and during the good days will likely try to do too much which will contribute to the bad days.

[devonian186 in reply to devonian186]

I should have added that you may need to revise your sleeping arrangements. You will likely be restless and will initially wake at odd times and not be able to get back to sleep so if you have a partner you will disturb them. If possible you may want to sleep alone, have lots of cushions so you can get comfortable and have a book, radio or tablet next to you.

When I mentioned about having a light book that is in all senses of the word. You may find it difficult to hold a heavy blockbuster and may like to search out some gentler reading

[Charl70]

thank you ,I was told to stop taking clopidogrel on Friday, been taking since August 17th ,now my blood pressure has gone up a bit also getting fluttering in chest is ghis due to anxiety and stopping taking clopidogrel

[Cee-Cee1 in reply to Charl70]

I suspect they might put you back on the clopidogrel after your op Charl. The surgeon told me that I'd be taking it for one year after the op and it's on my discharge notes that it's to stop in March next year. I was prescribed a daily dose of Lansoprazole (30mg), Clopidogrel (75mg) - both to be stopped after one year - Bisoprolol (1.25mg - doubled to 2.5mg after a few weeks as my heart rate was still a little fast, it's fine now), Aspirin (75mg) and Furosemide (20mg - for two weeks only). My cholesterol level is around 4.5 but they'd like it a little lower however my liver is statin intolerant so I've been taking Ezetimibe (10mg) for the last 4 months and will have blood tests this month so see how it's getting on. I can't take codeine or morphine derivatives either so relied on paracetamol after the op which was fine.

It was all a bit new to me as I'd never really taken medication before but I bought myself one of those wee daily tablet dispensers to sort them out and it's working well.

I agree with Devonian regarding sleeping arrangements. I live alone and found I was still on the hospital sleep schedule when I got home (I was in hospital after the heart attack in January for five weeks before the op). I just listened to what my body was telling me and slept when I was tired, ate when I was hungry and generally did what it was telling me to do for a couple of weeks until my routine settled down again.

Oh, and I completely agree with Handel's husband about those speed bumps on the way home! 😂

[Cee-Cee1 in reply to Charl70]

Forgot to add to my previous rambling post Charl - a bottle or two of gentle shower gel with no perfumes or additives is really good for afterwards as your wound will be a wee bit 'stingy' if you use a perfumed soap. Sanex do a couple of great ones that are available in most chemists and M&S do a good own-brand one as well. Surgeons all have their own preferred methods and the surgeon (Gwyn) who performed my op used a tape called Dermabond (I think that's the name anyway) to close my wound so I'd no stitches at all on the main wound aside from two about an inch underneath it for the drain. The drain will be removed a day or two after the op. The tape is fully waterproof an hour after it's placed but he told me not to use anything with oil or moisturiser in it as it dissolves the tape! A community nurse came to my home ten days after the op and removed it with vaseline - that was fun (not!). She & I had a bit of a laugh to be honest, deciding who had the longest nails and would be best able to get a grip on the end of it! 🤣😂 Carol

[Handel]

Hi Charl70. I really can't add much more to the replies you've had from these lovely people on this forum.

My husband would warn you to tell the driver of your homeward journey vehicle NOT to go over speed bumps and over potholes and drain covers too fast!!!!! Apparently that's what I did when I drove him home after his quad bypass back in 2018! (you'll still need to wear a seatbelt so have a pillow or towel to stop the seatbelt coming in contact with your chest.

We'll all be thinking of you on Thursday and please update us when you can. Love and hugs. Jan xxx

[Charl70 in reply to Handel]

thank you very much

Pat x

[fishonabike]

i wish you a successful operation and a smooth recovery - my only addition to that is to be kind to yourself during your recovery period - it's a process, not a race, so it takes it's own course and can take longer than you think - i hope you have organised support for when you get home, this is a time to use all the help which is offered🌺

[sampaloc0624]

Good luck! Good health!

[invictaAlec]

Snap! CABGx3 for me at St. Thomas' a little over four years ago now. Be prepared to be amazed at the world class care you will receive there. Oh, before I forget, do take some ear plugs with you. St.Tommys can get a bit noisy at night! All the best!

Alec.

[Wooodsie]

I'm not going to say good luck, because you don't need it. You will be in great hands and it would be very unusual if anything went wrong.

Take the recovery easy, don't push too hard, but don't not try hard, it will speed up a better recovery.

Be food to hear how it went and ask anything you want to afterwards, so many gopd people on here 😊

[Bishop1]

Hope all goes well for you x

[Bishop1]

Hope all goes well for you x

[Poppy-Rose]

Good luck with everything. I will watch with interest how you get on. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

I am due to have heart bypass in leeds on the 21st Sept. Have to admit I am beginning to feel apprehensive about it all.

[Ernie49]

I owe my life to having a Doctor who didn’t practise tick boxing. I experienced head fuzziness and slight chest pressure, highish blood pressure ( 155/95 ). I visited my docs a couple of hours later and my blood pressure was normal, plus ECG normal. He was not happy with results etc. and advised a blood test.

Advice, never go out in the evening after a lunchtime blood test, unfortunately I did, and and the consequences were quite expensive. An ambulance was sent around 9pm, when they received no answer, with an upstairs light on and my car in the drive, they called the Police who ,,,, smashed my door in and finding no one home, accessed a contact address book and phoned the people under A. Eventually contact with me was made, and home I went to be greeted by a Police officer informing me to make my way to the hospital ASAP.

All the time I was experiencing my above symptoms, I was actually having a heart attack. I spent three weeks in hospital following delay after delay ( more important cases apparently ). I explored the hospital for two weeks ( I was medically stabilised and they wouldn’t let me go home.😖 ) The good news is a successful triple heart bypass has so far prolonged my life by 8yrs and counting (73). Thanks to my fantastic Doctor and heart Surgeon. Best Wishes. 🤠