Headache? Sleeping? Help wanted!
Hi! My husband (63) had CABx6 about 10 days ago and has been home for a little over 6 days. He has amazed the medicos with his quick hospital recovery, and upon his second day at home, thought he could handle the world. Our daughter was able to take off time to look after him for 3 weeks. A blessing! DH paid for his activity and learned a lesson about too much activity. We're fortunate in that the only problem he's had has been in lying down flat to sleep. He says he gets a terrible headache and usually ends up calling someone to help him get up. He sleeps in his recliner, but he's complaining about his buttocks being so sore from that position. I know these sound so petty, but if anyone has any advice, we'd appreciate it bunches! (I searched the archives.) Did I mention that he's determined to get well faster and better than anyone? ;) And, he can, but gently. Thank you so much from a brand new member, Carol (and dau Kelly)
Hi Carol, Glad you found our group. Sounds like your husband's off to a great start in recovery. I'm the resident RN here. One of the things your husband might try is getting several pillows and propping himself up in bed instead of the recliner - recliners work for most, but for some they don't. If he has 3 or 4 pillows behind his back, and one under his knees he might find a position that works, and that he can get up from on his own. For getting out of bed, it is best that he roll over on his side, swing his legs over the edge of the bed and then go to a sitting position from there. Having a patient who is a go-getter and wants to recovery quickly is a good thing, but there is a fine line between quick recovery and over-doing it. People like your husband (strongly determined) are the ones we see coming back to the hospital with chest wires loose or even broken. He must use all of his sternal precautions for a full 6 - 8 weeks! It is noble to bounce back in a hurry, but not at the expense of having to have his chest re-wired. Regarding the headache, is it only when he lies flat? Glad you're here, Ann Ann McCrea, RN Preventative Health Cardiac Recovery Education Participant in AVON Breast Cancer 3Day Walk, Seattle August 2001 Email me for information on supporting this great cause!
Thanks, Jon! You and Art have already given us peace of mind that we didn't have. One of the nurses told DH (Luby) almost word for word what you said about the shoulder pain. He will believe a fellow patient more than others, though. I told him I had been on a hunt for answers today, and he was pleased. These are all "answers" that will help. I deal with my own chronic health problems and know what it means to hear that others have experienced similar, if not the same, physical and/or emotional feelings. I'll have to take some time to go back and do some more reading from this group. Sounds like a great resource! Thanks, Carol ccbyrd@... --- In BypassSurgeryRecoverySupport@y..., "Jon Del Ben" <jdelben@t...
Hi Ann! What a welcome! Yes, the headache is only when he lies flat, or nearly so. He says it throbs and feels like blood rushes to it. We have gone the pillow route (I wouldn't think of sleeping without my "pillow nest.") We tried multiple pillows and different sized pillows but he said that he couldn't get comfy that way. He's tried different beds. (I can bet that we'll get a new mattress after this!) I'm sure he hasn't given any one method a really fair chance and perhaps shouldn't even be rushing it. You seem to know his modus operandi well.<g in minutes, and seems to panic that he's not doing that now. He now has some Ambien, but I'm not sure he's satisfied with that. Mom, who started chemo on the day of Luby's surgery, and Dad came over tonight and the two most recently ill started comparing notes. Mom said that her shoulders still hurt from the breast surgery, so that helped. She's a couch sleeper, though, so she couldn't help with that. I'm so happy to have found you all and hope I don't need you for me personally! Thanks and Smiles, Carol ccbyrd@... --- In BypassSurgeryRecoverySupport@y..., "Ann McCrea, RN" <Ann@n...
Hi Carol, Welcome to the group. Your husband seems to be after the same recovery records that I went after. Glad he is doing OK. I have this piece of advice for him, recovery is not linear. I would get very frustrated when I couldn't walk as far or at the pace I had done 2 days before. We do find out there will be some bad days along with the good days and have to have some patience (something I was very short of). This is a very good time to reflect on changing lifestyle and eliminating the risks that got him here in the first place. My DR said "We have only bypassed your heart disease, we did not remove it. Now it is up to you to prevent recurrence." Also hats off to all the terrific caregivers that give us so much help during recovery. Harry K
Hi Carol, I don't think the headache thing is anything major, but you may want to run it by the doc on his next visit. Since it is only when he lies down, it is related to some sort of pressure change - so perhaps he needs a medication adjustment of some sort. I'd just mention it - most likely you'll hear "Don't lie flat, then". Regarding you not needing this group for yourself I have one word: Prevention! Some heart disease is hereditary, but most is not, and is preventable. Now is a great time to focus on the things you can both do to prevent further disease. Your husband has been bypassed, not cured. His disease process is still working overtime unless he makes some changes - diet, exercise, stress reduction to name a few. The best way to not end up on the Bypass list is to do whatever it takes to keep your arteries unclogged. I tend to get on my soap box on this subject! Glad you're here, glad we're helping. As you hang around, you'll be even more amazed at the incredible support of some pretty amazing people in this group. And, we might even get that husband of yours to type a few words on his own! :-) Take care, Ann PS I know of a great natural product that helps with getting to sleep - non-toxic, non-habit forming, regulated by FDA - let me know if you'd like to know more about it. (My kids even take it when they just cant settle down to sleep).
Hi Ann and Harry! Thanks for your words of advice. I never thought of not being cured but was aware that blockages can return. Duh to me! After reading the notes of yesterday, Luby went to sleep in his recliner without one complaint! He thanked me for helping him. He's usually my caregiver. Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with many of their complications caused me to leave work a dozen years ago. I'm mobile, and that's about it. And, I'm thankful for the mobility! I also have Atypical Face Pain for which there's no cure and very little help. I have an odd situation. One of my cardio caths showed a 60-80% blockage years ago. The med school experts decided to try treatment instead of anything invasive for a couple of years. Several years later I was hospitalized for the balloon angioplasty. Surprise! The team of MDs decided that I didn't have a blockage after all; there was a "natural" narrowing of the artery. (In my mind I think this still restricts blood flow.) My neurologist was in a dither. He said the narrowing was not natural, but was the result of a blockage that had moved and that I was lucky to be alive. I've also had what he thinks was a stroke when I lost the use of my left arm for several months. (I have tachycardia, but my BP is normal.) Subclinical diabetes reared its ugly head last year. I'm in a humor therapy group with 6 other "whinos," and it's become a great support group, so I was sure I could get some advice and hear of experiences when the idea to find you hit me. I also have extensive heredity history of heart problems. Ann, you'd get a sore throat on your soap box with me! Another Luby question: His obsession is with a club pond that's out in the country on our farm. We lost it in Floyd, and much time and money has been involved in rebuilding. Now he goes 1-2 times daily to "see if it's still there."<g asked me to marry him. Thursday, Kelly drove him in the car to see some carp released. He had a little trouble with the bumpiness. Then they had to use the truck for a few days. That pained him quite a bit, but he feels it's worth it. Is he doing any damage or slowing his recovery? After next week it'll be my job to get him there. Approximately when will he be able to drive? Also, the truck is one of those short step-ups with huge tires. However, he insists that getting into it doesn't bother him. Wow! Rambling overtook me! I'll hush. Thanks for everything and I'll continue to read and relay your wisdom. Smiles, Carol ccbyrd@...