triple heart bypass operation due soon. Looking for advice on how it will affect me post discharge from hospital & what support I can expect

[Spaghetti_Western]

I have been waiting over 40 weeks for my operation in the North West of England

[BeKind28-]

Hello

You have been waiting a while I hope you have a date and if not soon

I am not sure if you live on your own ?

If you live with someone then they support you and help you with your recovery if you live alone then I would suggest if you have any family or friends you ask if someone can come and stay with you for a while if possible

If you live alone then I would talk with your Doctor if there is any support in your area that you could get

The things that will help when you do get home is making sure all the things you use and foods etc are at arms level as reaching is something you should not do for a few weeks so lower all the things you know you will need to lower cupboards

Make sure you have left everything clean and tidy , bills paid and then at least when you come home you have nothing to do except concentrate on recovering

You could make sure you have easy meals frozen in the freezer if you live alone and tin foods that are easy to prepare

Eventually you will be invited to Rehab which I would recommend you go to as that will benefit you and you should also be given the Rehab Nurses contact numbers which are very useful if you have any concerns

I hope others will come along and give you some tips when they see your post

Let us know how you get on x

[Mydog8it]

40 weeks! That's a long time......

I've been waiting 10 weeks and it already feels like a lifetime.

[Happyrosie]

BeKind says talk to your doc about support in your area.

Each local authority such as your county council provides a certain amount of support, and the gateway to this is not your doctor as such but the “social prescribers” who are attached to your surgery/group of surgeries.

if you feel you need support, start with the docs receptionist, say you’ve heard about social prescribers and can you have a phone call from them.

[Rosieapple72]

Hi Spaghetti Western

I had a cabg in October 2023 having waited a little less than you, 24 weeks, which was agonising and felt like a lifetime. On the upside, it gave me plenty of time to prepare myself and my family and also get myself into the best physical condition I could.

In particular, I researched positive articles and clips (Dr Google is really not good for your mental health so be careful what you read). I found a short series of films on you tube which proved to be a life saver for me. I found them to be positively informative and very helpful. I attach the link.

I hope they are as helpful to you as they were to me.

google.com/gasearch?q=youtu...

Best Wishes

[Samazeuilh2]

”triple heart bypass operation due soon. Looking for advice on how it will affect me post discharge from hospital & what support I can expect”

I had a quadruple bypass about 14 months ago. Recovery time (and how you feel after the operation) varies greatly from individual to individual. In general, if all goes well you will be discharged after a few days, yes a few days. The advice here is based on what I was told in the hospital.

1. You won’t be able to drive for about 4-6 weeks, so arrange transport if you need it.

2. You are not supposed to lift anything heavier than a kettle, so you might need help with shopping etc.

3. I felt reasonably ok and was able to do most things. Immediately after the operation I had no great pain, just a sore chest (they give you the option of paracetamol or morphine; I didn’t really need either). You are encouraged to do about 30 mins of exercise (basically walking) daily. Keep adding an extra 100 meters daily. Some people have a tougher time of things- a taxi driver who had a bypass told me he couldn’t get out of bed for six weeks. There’s no way of predicting. If you are otherwise in good health you might expect to be ok.

4. Food should be light and healthy. Fish, chicken, salads , vegetable etc. are all good. All the usual suspects like alcohol, biscuits, chocolates etc. are to be avoided.

5.You will be invited to attend cardiac rehab sessions. These are immensely important and have been show to speed up recovery.