I had my quad bypass on sept 15th at st thomas hospital ,the care i recieved was outstanding ,and yes didnt feel breathing pipe being remove ,unfortunately i suffered small amount of fluid on lung which cleared with meds ,also blood oxygen dropped and required blood transfusion (1 dose)
Since being out i have struggled with anxiety, bit of pain where breast bone was re alined ,left side of chest still a bit numb (is that normal) right side okay ,just wondering if others still had numbness on left side and also if doctor prescribed and meds to help with anxiety, i also say again doctors and nurses are amazing with brilliant care , since i been out i havent heard from hospital only to send pictures of scars , howlong until there get jn touch with follow up appointment and when will i start exercise classes ,im walking around 2000 steps a day at moment ,also find putting cushion or pillow over chest at night does really help ,any advice on how long i need to sleep laying propped up and when i can lay down flat oreven on my side
Thanks for reading
Pat
Written by
Charl70
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It sounds to me even though I am not a Doctor but have had a triple Bypass that you are doing really well
The pains , numbness can go on for quite some time , months even after a year I get some and that sounds normal
It can be 3 months maybe before you get a follow up appointment but I hope you have details for your Rehab Nurses as usually we get given them if not phone the ward where you were and ask for them they will usually talk to you and confirm everything is well
Keep up the good work but remember this is very early days yet so you will get these feelings x
I have a follow up appt this week. I know a couple from my hospital have already had it and it involved xray, ecg etc.
I also started cardio rehab this week. It was great to finally be more active than just walking but remember slow and steady is brst with sternum recovery.
I did have cardio rehab nurses call twice. One about 4 weeks and the nnext 6. Then went in for assessment which was like a walking bleep test.
I still have a numbness on the left side of the chest. This is the site where they took an artery to do the bypass so suffers a little nerve damage. I still so feel the sternum sometimes like its been stuck to me but have been assured its part of the healing
I like to concentrate on just how fabulous the hospital staff are . Amazing.
It took me 12 weeks for the chest pain to leave. But a great plus was that I could feel improvement every day or two..
You have had a major op. Your body has been disturbed. It needs time and understanding to get it straight again, so please accept you need time for a gradual recovery. Quite likely to have poor sleep and bad dreams.
I worked hard to get good sleep. Changed mattress, tried leaving a light on etc etc. the effort was worthwhile.
Anxiety is very likely. But get good sleep and that might well push the anxiety away. Or maybe you will benefit from relaxation sessions. And/or do your own relaxation. Of course your brain is disturbed. It will like any positivity you can create.
You could try the nurses connected to this site. NHS is under huge pressure.
Hi I’m now 15 weeks post HT and quad bypass, I still get quite a bit of pain in my chest not from the scar but more from where they took the arteries it comes and goes. As for sleeping on your side I did almost straight away it was the only way I could get any sleep. I don’t sleep very well now anyway due to the anxiety off t all it was such an out of the blue shock but I am getting better don’t feel bad about asking for some help from your gp. I’m 55 and never had any mental health problems it was a struggle but I new I needed some help from somewhere so I now have a councillor and some happy tablets.
I don’t know where in the country you are but with in a few weeks of coming home action heart from my local hospital contacted me to see if I wanted to go for rehab and I started the program at week 12 it’s really good and lasts 12 months.
After reading on here I know I’m really lucky to have a good hospital, good gp, good rehab and good follow up you may have to do a bit of Googling to find all the help you need but I hope it comes to you.
Sounds like i could of wrote this, i still have aching shoulder and still numb on left side of chest, my scar goes from itchy, sore,pulling when i move, this is a year on now, but im alive. I have paracetomol for the chest when it hurts, good luck, and breath, enjoy your second chance xxxxx
The anxiety will stay with you for a while ive had 2 open heart surgeries 20 months apart 1 at 40 & 42 it was tough going though the care and treatment where outstanding . Since the second op I've never looked back im back at work and walk every morning too work which is a Miracle . Just take it easy do your Rehab classes and ask their advice you will get back to being a better you soon all the best in your recovery .
My anxiety has really kicked in over last couple of days ,I have a call with doctor this morning to see if I can have some meds to help wth anxiety, are anxiety meds a good idea to take edge of
Hi Charl70, I have always had bouts of anxiety, it varies from person to person. In my opinion meds can give you help but the key is to understand how you think. Anxiety is how you react to thoughts, your body can not tell the difference between thoughts and what's real. Try to understand what thoughts cause you to be anxious. Just watch your thoughts and accept them....dont react......with practice you will see the difference. Hope this make sense.
This is still extremely early days. Don't try and do too much as that will set you back. Why not keep a health diary then you will be able to see the progress you make week by week, if not necessarily day by day?
As far as sleeping goes I found it much easier to sleep alone for around a month, then I could be restless, listen to the radio etc without disturbing my wife. I found I could sleep on my right side within a week or two but we will all be different. At some point you will be a passenger in a car. I started driving again at around 7 weeks but it was very sporadic at first. I found a padded gilet to be much better than a cushion in respect of being in a vehicle with a seat belt.
Like Tez said, your post could have been written by myself. I didn't have the benefit of this forum, so it was all down to me after my bypass. I found the forum later. Thankfully I had virtually no anxiety and just got on with life, taking it easy and progressing bit by bit. I'd had had my big moment the year previous when I had a heart attack!
So some answers to your very pertinent questions,,, of course in my own experience.
Chest pain - well I still have occasional aches on the left side and I am 4 years post op. The car seat belt aggrevates the muscle, but I do drive long distances for many hours. I now have a pad on the belt bought off eBay. I don't need a pad if sat in the passenger seat. When the muscle aches, I find massaging the area really helps. Bio oil is a useful product, others are available of course.
Sleeping - it took 6 weeks for me to be able to sleep on my side, then only on my right side. It was about 12 weeks to manage that
Other aches - the harvest sites for the donor vessels still hurt occasionally and I have numb areas where the vessels were extracted - left wrist, right ankle. Normally they are okay, but 'go off on one' now and then.
Post op fluid build up - yes, that's common. My O2 level went down to 73% (not at all pleasant) because I couldn't take the prescribed diuretic. After a while I was given Amiloride which does not strip out-potassium and I recovered quickly.
Further consultation and rehab exercise classes - mine were at 3 and 4 months post op respectively. It will very much depend on the situation in your area as services are very variable at the moment.
It seems that you are doing okay, so keep on making progress. A key target for me was 3 months when I was allowed to drive again and carry a backpack as I'm a keen hill walker. I built it up from there and was back to my pre-op form by 6 months when I tackled some of the hils in the Scottish Southern Uplands. Now I climb Munros... as you do! 😀
All the best for your continued recovery. Bit by bit is the way.
Even though I have replied to the earlier post it’s so comforting to know that you have also confirmed the numbness in my legs is normal particularly ankles. It doesn’t impact my life but quite unnerving sometimes.
Good morning! Glad you are doing well. When they cut your skin etc to operate they also cut the superficial nerves that supply the skin. These nerves can take a long time to grow back as they usually regenerate at about 1mm a day! That is about 25 DAYS to grow 1 inch in old money. So, numbness is to be expected
spoken to doctor and he has strongly advise against anxiety meds for quick fix has advised its early days and speaking to councillors as better in long run
I thought I’d add to this again now you’ve had some other useful replies.
The best thing I can say is take your time and don’t see each of the medical guides and other peoples timelines as a goal for your achievements. We all heal differently and deal with medical situations in our minds differently.
We’ve had life extending / life saving surgery, but it is a brutal surgery so give your body and mind time to recover.
I remember being desperate to drive as I saw that as an indication of my recovery but it was delayed as I had wound infections that meant I had my wounds reopened - I was very disappointed when the surgeon said no at 12 weeks but he was right and was doing the right thing for me.
2 years post op, I have some numbness in my chest and leg, it won’t ever change now. My breastbone is a little lumpy and the skin tight sometimes, particularly when I’m turning in bed - but I’m alive, have no angina symptoms and get on with my life.
Good luck with the rest of your recovery and feel free to ask us any questions, we all have our own versions of recovery but it’s nice to know you’re not alone.
you are doing amazing - just 3 weeks post surgery! I am 10w post quad by-pass and only in last 2 weeks have I felt “well”. I have experienced much stronger emotions post surgery and this has been a real roller coaster emotionally but I have not wanted to add to medications, nor can I given some of the drugs I am on. I have tried meditation for my anxiety and found “Mindfullness for Health” book by Burch and Penman (I prefer audio) helpful to get me started with some simple meditations. Much less anxiety and emotional swings now. In terms of numbness - I am still oscillating between numbness and pain in chest wall from where my mammary arteries were stripped out as donor vessels. As others comment, I am not expecting that to go away anytime soon - our chest walls have been through major trauma! I have remained on analgesics up until the last few days, but find I can now cope without. mainly been on paracetamol, some ibuprofen but had to give up on codeine due to constipation.
Hi Charl. Numbness is par for the course. My husband who had a quad bypass 4 years ago still has a bit of numbness on the left side of his scar.
I think the brain is still trying to process what went on!! The anxiety should start to clear soon. My husband found concentrating hard when he first tried to do a crossword or sudoku.
Usually a whizz kid at both but it took about 6 weeks for that concentration to get back.
When he rolled over on his side, that woke him up! I think it was about 10 weeks before he could comfortably sleep on his side.
You'll get there and the lovely people on this forum will help.
Welcome to the forum, the place where you will receive fantastic comments from others that have had a Bypass and who know exactly how you are feeling. Rest your mind, take a breath as it is completely normal.
You are in early days of recovery, for you and your time now is to rest, gentle walking, no lifting of any weight. Your body, mind and soul has taken a battering. It can take up to a year to heal properly.
I had a Quadruple 7 years ago and it is scary when you come home from hospital as you have had a full Cardio Team looking after you.
The anxiety you are feeling is completely normal for us hearties. It is very scary coming home after having the cardio team at your side. I felt there was no one on the outside after discharge. You will be contacted when it is time to start cardio exercise class and you will love it as you will be able to ask any questions, your blood pressure will be checked and the cardio teams there are fab.
I still have numbness on the left side of sternum, told it was nerve damage but that is a small price to pay for the gift of Bypass that saved my life. Just for now, rest that body and mind, it thinks it's been hit by a bus and talk to any of us on here day or night.
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