During the day I feel ok, walking around, doing light jobs around the house.
In the morning I feel sore and struggle to get out of bed, in the evening I have a painful pain across my left breast, ribs and down my back and continues even after taking painkillers.
Three weeks is still very early days to be doing anything except resting. Your sternum still won't have fused. Do you need to do the light jobs or do you feel that you have to? I wasn't able to do anything until about week 6.Joanne
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yes it’s very early days in your recovery. talk to your Cardiac recover nurse for some advice. With out getting graphic your ribs and chest muscles have been attacked and every single person recovers at a different rate, i’m two years post triple and i still get aches and pains if it’s very cold and i’m a fool about moving heavy objects incorrectly. In the early months my right hand side rib cage was very sore late at night and early morning.
be very careful about what you do, my husband overdid it after his op and caused himself a lot of discomfort. He also managed to smash the titanium wires holding his sternum together and this has meant that his ribs are not stable and click and move. He got an international expert to look at it and there’s nothing that can be done. It’s a huge operation and it takes a while for your body to settle again after. So please don’t ask too much of your body.
I’m five weeks in and infuriating as it is, I limit to two ‘tasks’ per day and one walk. Obviously I walk around the house but I know from experience with other family members and OHS that too much too soon is a huge issue. We are all different but could you be pushing a little hard?
I’ve had more discomfort in my right shoulder and if I’ve bent strangely when sitting I do get back and neck ache. Have you got a cardiac nurse who phones? Mine has been very blunt about what I should expect and what I should be doing.
Take care x
I do have a cardiac nurse from both hospitals. I will give them a call and on Monday. It’s the discomfort and pain in the morning and evenings in the sternum and ribs.
I do feel I might of done too much which is my own fault.
Not your fault as the guidelines are understandably vague because we are all so different, ages, fitness and op. I am getting frustrated so genuinely feel for you but it does sound like you might be overdoing it or underdoing the painkillers. I feel like I’m progressing but don’t know how people return to full time work after 8 weeks.
Hope your cardiac nurse helps x
It sounds like your doing really well with each week that goes by but your right not to over do it 😊x
Hi , yeah it sounds about right . Remember that you’ve been reverse spatchcocked, pinned open and everything jiggled about or cut or sawn and is knitting back. It’s a huge trauma. I’m sure you can do the light housework by following the protocols , keeping your arms “in the tube” close to body etc and not lifting anything too heavy to undo the wiring in the sternum or re tear your orchard muscles . I still have a pain in my mid upper back at night , particularly if I stretch or arch . It has got a lot better but I know it’s still healing 7 months post Nstemi and quadruple bypass. I was very active in my rehab but very mindful of not setting myself back. 3 weeks is so early , however I know that I was a doer and infact was encouraged by the physios and nurses to be active ( walking etc ) on leaving hospital. Keep up your good progress but be mindful that your body needs the rest to fix itself , that’s where the speedy recovery will happen with good nutrition. I was back wheelbarrowing and riding my motorcycle within 3 months 👍🏻👊🏻
It's only 3 weeks 😊. It's major surgery so takes many months to get back to normal, it will get better just make sure you do the rehab properly from week 6 onwards as it really speeds things up recovery wise
Can I urge you not to try to do too much?
Three weeks is a VERY short time. I needed 6 weeks before I stopped taking pain killers. That pain and tiredness is completely normal
I am concerned that in your eagerness to be better you will start doing more than may be wise.
Just like to reiterate what most are saying on here. Three weeks is very early to be doing anything but moving around. Filling a kettle to make a cuppa is too much even! You say you might have done too much and you probably have. Be patient and don't undo what the surgeons have done!
Morning - I agree with other posters in that it is very early to be doing even light jobs - don't rush things - this is not a race - take your time and learn to love the new you and accept it takes time. Your body feels like it has been in a car wreck so just give it room to recover. Honestly, it gets better but in my experience it takes longer than everyone either expects or tells you. Big Hug.
Im 15 weeks post op was doing ok then did a little minor garden task involving bending lifting and have set myself back by several weeks and back on painkillersMy pain always worst first thing and evening
What weve been through was mega and as bad for mental recovery as physical
Im still sleeping badly lots of bad dreams
Echo test and cardiology for me tmrw cross fingers toes
Hello
I also suffered pain and discomfort on my left hand side (under breast/ribcage area) similarly 3-4 weeks post OHS. I went to my GP who referred me to A&E as they needed to be sure it wasn't blood clot. NHS was amazing and after a few hours and several tests/diagnostics thankfully concluded it was muscular and nothing worse (and I wasn't doing a whole lot!). Like others have commented its major surgery and it takes time for recovery. I used to walk every day building up the distance rather than doing household tasks which like many have said here can put pressure and strain on the area that's healing. Wishing you all the best with your continued recovery.
nerve damage after open heart surgery 
Waiting for open Heart surgery.
Open heart surgery recovery
