I had mitral valve surgery 2 weeks ago, was in excellent shape prior to surgery.

[Jnho]

Now, I have debilitating fatigue and can barely get out of bed some days. How did others cope with this? Might it be linked to b blockers?

[Knavesmire27]

Hi, totally get what you saying. I had my surgery about 16 weeks ago and wow for the first month or so was very very hard. No appetite, no strength to do anything, I don't think I have ever slept so much. When I got to the 6 week mark I did start to feel a little better and now 16 weeks in I am able to do my walking every day and don't fall asleep the minute I sit down 😆. You have been through something massive, it is going to take time. Just take it a day at a time. Good luck and try to stay positive. You will get there. Take care.

[Jnho in reply to Knavesmire27]

Many thanks. Your words are so encouraging!

[PadThaiNoodles]

Yeah, sounds pretty normal. A sternotomy is pretty rough on the body, never mind that they were cutting away at your heart.

Make sure you do get out of bed as much as you can (being upright reduces lung problems), but expect to do a lot of napping for the next few weeks.

[Ticktick]

Dear JnhoHang in there

Sending prayers blessings and love ❤️

[Redfloyd]

I was still in hospital after 2 weeks for a AVR and CABG. It's a big operation,as my surgeon said " they don't come much bigger than this", I think you need to accept the way your feeling. After 4 weeks I was able to get out walking a bit, by after 6 weeks I could walk amike with stops, 6 months on I'm doing most of what I did before

[OK10 in reply to Redfloyd]

Hi. I had my cabg4 abot 6 months ago as well. Do you still get muscle pain on your left side of your chest please? This pain seems to get worse when the weather is cold or raining. I thought the pain was dissapearing until a few days when the pain came back again and i wasn't doing anything particularly heavy. I walk 40-60 minutes a day about 3 days of the week. I also attend exercise classes once a week for one hour as phase 4 organised by bhs in north london. How are you getting on now please? Thanks

[Redfloyd in reply to OK10]

No pain, I just get "out off puff" if I lift anything too heavy. When I say heavy I mean stuff that I could lift easily before like plant pots or bags of compost. I can use a small chainsaw or chop logs or as I did recently put up a new feather edge fence, I can do that for a few hours at a time but any lifting and I'm done for. I am going through the process of being "let go" or leaving my employment due to ill health. I am a postman of 36 years but there is no way I can do that 5 days a week.

[OK10 in reply to Redfloyd]

Thanks for that and good luck. I am 71 and retired about 4 years ago.

[Billett in reply to OK10]

Whe you say pain what sort of pain I get like a as if ive got barbed wire in my shirt when i first had it done and its nerve damage from where they harvested your mammary artuary for your by pass it is getting better now after 12 months i still feel it made worse when its cold but manageable

[OK10 in reply to Billett]

Hi. They took mine from my right leg and it is almost completety healed now with the exception of red marks.My chest pain feels like stretching, numb and sometimes stinging. At times i think it is coming from deeper in my chest and i get scared.

It was getting a lot better when the weather improved so i don't understand why it got bad again as i did not do match. Just wondering when it will start to ease off. Cheers

[Billett in reply to OK10]

It is definitely nerve damage they always use 1 artuary from your chest because they only have to attach 1 end I also had an artuary out of my right leg which took 30 weeks to heal and is still numb now .My chest still gets numb and tingly in the cold or wind 13.months on but you learn to live with it

[Helibeard]

I was the same after mitral valve replacement (with double bypass). If I walked from one room to another, I had to rest before walking back. After a few days, I forced myself to go for a walk outside every day, even if it was just a couple of hundred metres. It was a real struggle and I needed a sleep straight after but I was able to build it up a little every day. I am now 9 months post surgery and can run for 20 minutes and do exercise classes (stage 4 cardiac rehab) two or three times a week (I’m 61 so I am building up slowly). The surgery takes a lot out of you and the beta blockers can make you feel tired and a little dizzy until they get the dose right but I think the recovery is as much a mental thing as physical. I feel sure that your recovery will go well as long as you don’t allow yourself to do nothing. The stage 3 rehab classes were invaluable for me. They showed me just how much I was capable of. Good luck!

[Larneybuds]

Two weeks is very early days if you had open heart surgery. It's huge surgery and your body is not only recovering from having your chest opened up but also from being on bypass. Recovery is no walk in the park and there are good days and not so good days but you do start to see the differences and the better days spurred me on. I found doing the chest and breathing exercises a great help plus walking and moving. Sitting or being in bed for too long just makes you feel less like doing things and some days you have to really push yourself. Make sure you get rest when you need it but do try to keep yourself mobile. Your muscles, ribs and nerves are all starting to settle and you will start to feel better. I always say recovery isn't text book and we are all different there are a lot of basics to follow that do help. Sometimes the meds can make you feel more lethargic and tired and if this continues have a word with your cardiac nurse or go as it might need tweaking. I really hope you start to feel better but don't feel that you aren't moving forward...each day is a recovery day and I'm sure you will start seeing differences. Take care xx

[LadyZ13]

Two weeks is really so so soon after this major op. I remember the fatigue well - I'd get up and take a very short wander around the block and then need to lie down again! Your body is furiously trying to repair and adjust to what's happened and it really takes it out of you. I was very fit before the surgery too. I sat at my work desk and caught up on a few emails for about an hour and that also totally did me in. I didn't return to the office for 8 weeks in the end. The difference day to day is very hard to see, but look back every couple of weeks and you'll notice improving energy and endurance. All the best!

[Zerohere]

2 weeks is a very short time after your surgery, I had 3xCABG and a mitral repair.

All I can advise is do everything the hospital has told you do the first couple of weeks tend to be the hardest as the body and mind are adjusting to the intervention and any medication.

I’m on week 7 just met with my rehab nurse everything is going to plan can now cover 3 to 4 miles exercise, so hasn’t referred me to cardiac rehab, however I’ve taken it up on a voluntary basis as I want to test out my own physical capabilities against their parameters before I go back to my gym.

So I can only encourage you to hang in there it does get better, don’t let it get you down the most powerful muscle in body is your brain but unfortunately it can work for you conversely it can do the opposite, stay positive.

[Jnho in reply to Zerohere]

Thanks. Yes, I can see how the mind wants to hurry recovery along and it isn't working

[Clajul]

It is normal after a very aggressive procedure.I was on beta blocker bisoprolol and felt very very tired.After eight months I could get rid of bosoprolol and things got better.

[cabgpatch]

Beta-blockers can have that effect, in agreement with my GP I have dropped the dosage of Bisoprolol and it had an almost immediate energy boost. However, it's really early days to think of something like that. Perhaps bear it in mind for later and get on with the day to day recovery first?