infections
Any of you who have had infection at the incision site or around wires.......how long after your CABG did you notice, and were treated for it? Is this something that happens right away or takes several weeks (or months) to be noticeable.?? Thanks, Jill
Ann, Yep, I feel very fortunate that my hubby did not have an infection as well...it has to be a very scary thing:( My hubby did have the Dresslers syndrome, or facsimile thereof:-) His major pain straight from surgery was neck and back pain. The nurse would say what is your pain on a scale of one to ten....he would answer....my chest area a 1-2 and my neck / back is about a 14. She acted like she was shocked his chest did not hurt more..but he was in excruciating pain with the back/neck. He just would lay there and moan. I think he wished he was dead at that point. They were giving him potent meds but it was not even touching the pain. He was allowed to go home the next day...and in fact they still had to clean the blood off his body to let him be discharged.....his spirits were better, but the back/ neck thing was still his major complaint. After we got home......(the overnight hos stay for a CABG has got to be a record!) it would come in waves......he would be ok for awhile, and then he would be moaning....none of the pain meds worked. So, I did the only thing I knew how.....I put an Enya CD on and got out some weleda/arnica massage oil, and I would massage his neck and back until the entire CD ran out. He has since said that was the only thing to make the pain subside. I was very careful with the massage......(as I know cardiac patients are not supposed to have them w/o clearance from their docs) only doing very relaxing and easy tissue massage......We spent many days/weeks doing that.....and it finally subsided enough....... Later, I would do foot massages, just because it allowed him to relax.....puttin up with that back/neck thing was the WORST! Every once in a while now, (4 month mark) if he strains or anything....his neck will hurt. He also has some degenerative stuff going on in there......and when he had his knee operation recently, the anesthesiologist explained they do have your head/neck in some weird positions.....during heart surgery......so we just figured the neck/back thing was from that........but then Ed told me about Dresslers syndrome and now we feel that may have been it. I will note here that none of the docs or nurses seemed to know about that,.....or offer any help or advice...he felt like he was the only one to have open heart surgery and come out with debilitating pain elsewhere...no one said a thing. His scar looks good.......I will say tho, I was a good nurse. :-)Those of you who had to clean your own wounds......that would be hard. He would lay on the bed and I would clean his incisions twice a day with betadine and then alcohol, and then bandage, just like the nurses told me to do. I am sure I spent more time at it and was more particular than a nurse could or would have been....after all he was my only patient! :-) My hubby is a go getter.....always has been. He is lucky that way. I have had chronic pain most of my life, and I am not sure how I would make it thru a CABG:-( My 2 sons both have chronic back problems......a work day for them is way harder than a work day for my hubby.....working with pain is a real pain as alot of you know:-) Anyway......My husband today dug post holes....and cemented in pipe posts for a new fence....and he puts them in 4 feet....and it is clay here. One son was on vacation today and came over to help.....but even with the age difference...my husband can work circles around the son.....because of the sons back pain, etc. There are very few people who can keep up with the hubby. I have hen pecked him to slow down...so have the sons.....but he is adamant and says that at least he is not in some bar somewhere....and he is not sitting in a chair watching tv.........and we should just leave him alone to work and be happy. I might add.......because of his HA we had decided to put in a nice pool.......he was putting it off for someday.......so this is why he is working so hard....to get alot of the stuff done before he goes back to work. He is excited beyond belief about the pool.......like a little kid. I just pray he gets to enjoy it alot. At some point i have to let go and let him decide how he wants to take care of himself. I enjoy all your stories....and my heart hurts for those who are hurting. I am wondering how the young man is doing who just had the surgery? As far as infections.....they are so scary. Our particular hospital was known to us as a place where people do get alot of infections...and I think that is why the surgeon sent him home after 1 day. Thank God he had a brilliant surgeon......we just fell into that........ Hugs to everyone.. Jill ----- Does anyone have an idea or opinion about why some people get infections and others do not. I had no infection and now I feel really, really lucky. I did have Dressler's syndrome and very few seem to have that problem. The Dressler's just went away in January 2004 and I had the surgery in October 2002 and did not have that pain until about January 2003. The cardiologist really does not know why some people get it and others do not. I also had atrial fibrillation in the recovery unit and only 10% have that problem. I really thought I was dying and did not care at that point. The Dressler's pain was really bad and I tried to do things I really enjoyed everyday to offset the pain as the medicine did not get rid of it only made in less intense. Sure do like hearing about others experiences with all this heart surgery stuff. Ann