recovery
On May 3rd, I had a double bypass performed. I was hoping some of you folks may share some of your recovery stories with me. I am 44 years old with 3 children (two still at home at 12 & 10) and this caught me totally off guard as I've always been very healthy. Suddenly, this...and my confidence has taken a major nose-dive... even problems sleeping. My husband of 1 1/2 years has been absolutely wonderful and keeps telling me I will get back to my old self soon, but the pain in the incision area never quite lets me forget what I've experienced. How long before you were able to say to yourself, "I'm finally recovered." ? Cindy
Hi Cindy...welcome to the club. It sounds like you have a great supportive family to help you through your recovery period. One think I have learned is that we are all distinct - which I believe you already know, and realize that what holds true for one person on one aspect of things may be different for another. But, there are also many things that we tend to hold in common. I was like you, and never knew I had a heart problem until it hit while out cycling one day. Fortunately, I did not suffer noticeable heart muscle damage. However, given the nature and location of my blockages an angioplasty was out of the question and a bypass was performed 4 1/2 months later. I had to have what is called a clamshell incision which runs horizontal across the chest as opposed to the common vertical incision. I found that my healing and energy levels seemed to improve in 3 week blocks with some ups and downs along the way. I did not really start to feel consistently energetic until around 9 or 10 weeks post surgery. Up until that point in particular I did have some moments where my confidence/satisfaction with life seemed a bit low...this was normal given the things I was not able to do for myself for a while. But as the energy/activities return - this also improved dramatically. I had a tread-mill/echo stress test about 10 weeks post surgery and this indicated I could start biking etc to start getting my heart back into shape..prior to that I was simply doing some walking exercises..which helped a lot and I enjoyed. I did not start biking again until around 4 months post surgery (and when the snow/ice was off the ground)...and am now biking on a regular basis. ...why I was even out today for a couple hours in over 30C temps. When I first started biking I felt some movement in the chest bone area...but that seems to be diminishing as of late. I have heard that this continues for a year or two for some patients and forever with a few. I still have a slight bit of swelling around my ankle and hopefully this will clear in reasonable time...it s not a problem other than affecting the style of socks I wear. Yes, sleeping was a nuisance for a while....and like many I slept in a chair for the first weeks...after a couple months it was fine. Again, it sounds like you have some great support form your family....it has been about 8 weeks since your surgery and if your recovery is at all like mine....you should be entering a stage where a lot of your energy will be coming back and you will feel much better about yourself and life. jon
hi i m marian from holland. 43 years old and my husband is recovering from a bypass surgery. i want to ask anyone how they deal with it, because my husban isn t still feeling very well. he works 4 hours a day now but he still feels tired after this. Does anyone can tell me how you feel and is this normal. He is also still emotional when someone ask how he is doing. thanks in advance and sorry if my english is n t very well
Hi Marian: I'm 45 years old and I had bypass surgery 4 months ago. I felt VERY weak for the first month or so, but with a lot of effort, my strength has eventually come back. After my surgery, my surgeon put it to me like this: in 2 weeks you will feel "OK"; in 2 months you will feel "good";, in one year, you will feel "normal". I think this applies to emotions as well as physical health. Physically, I feel very good now. I recently finished a 12-week cardiac rehabilitation course, and I am continuing to excercise almost every day. I'm eating better, and doing everything I can to keep my heart healthy. I still have days when I get really "down", and sometimes I worry WAY too much about getting sick again, but it all seems to get better as time goes along. Please tell you husband to "hang in there"- he WILL feel better eventually. If he can get in a rehabilitation program, or if he can take up an excercise program on his own, it will help him greatly with his strength and endurance and will help him stay well in the future. Best Wishes and God Bless, Hugh Odom Summerville, SC
Hi All: I havent posted lately but I have kept up with the mail. Im now 5 1/2 months post op 4x bypass with a caroid artery to boot. The going has been slow and at times very painful. I just returned to work today. I still have back pain which I take vioxx for plus physical therapy. Its not as bad as before. My left breast is still sore. Some days are better than others and I do take a anti depressant. Hopefully only for a few more months. Mentally and emotionally Im still having problems with. Im now getting pins and needles from the waist up so it must be some nerve thing. But the main thing is I am recovering even though its slow..So for the people out there that are taking a longer time..give it time..in lots of ways it gets better. good luck
Hi all, I thought i would say hello. I'm having a cabg on 8 feb 2005 I'm in london uk and 51 year old male. I understand i will be in hospital for 7-10 days. What i want to know is after 10 days should/will i be able to look after myself at home? Do I need to organise someone at home to clean and cook for when i get home? Also although I'm not really worried about the op as such, I found the last week or two i have just wanted to weep. I did have a chat with the psychologist 2 days ago and feel much better, but what came up was ^^ i seemed to be worried about looking after myself when i get out of hospital. I have also booked a holiday for 7 months time should i be back to normal by then? If anyone is in london it would be nice if we could mail
Hi 50tt I would recommend you try and get someone to stay with you for a while after comming home. Everyone is different but you will be very weak for a while after getting out of the hospital. If you are on some pain killers it will be helpful to have someone organize the meds you will be taking along with other things. Good luck Tom bypass50tt <bypass50tt@... Hi all, I thought i would say hello. I'm having a cabg on 8 feb 2005 I'm in london uk and 51 year old male. I understand i will be in hospital for 7-10 days. What i want to know is after 10 days should/will i be able to look after myself at home? Do I need to organise someone at home to clean and cook for when i get home? Also although I'm not really worried about the op as such, I found the last week or two i have just wanted to weep. I did have a chat with the psychologist 2 days ago and feel much better, but what came up was ^^ i seemed to be worried about looking after myself when i get out of hospital. I have also booked a holiday for 7 months time should i be back to normal by then? If anyone is in london it would be nice if we could mail
i'm 48 yrs.old,i had a quad bypass dec.16th,2004. i'm healing well,back to work already. but i keep hearing about people having to have their bypass redone. any one out there have that happen?
Marna, Welcome to the group....sorry what you had to go through in order to seek us out! You will find lots of support here. My triple bypass was August 10, 2004. I was 54 at the time; just turned 55 last month. I have not had to have a second bypass to date....but, yes, it happens. There will be several people here who will confirm that to you. I have had some other complications related to the bypass: internal bleeding, anemia,gastro problems, and gall bladder removal. There does seem to be a high incidence of gall bladder failure among the women in our group. Hope you decide to stick around....you will need all the support you can get. We discuss all aspects from depression, to meds, and we are here to listen when you are in a really bad mood and just want to type it out instead of taking it out on your family! Feel free to do so here....we all do! Connie marna_1956 <marna_1956@... i'm 48 yrs.old,i had a quad bypass dec.16th,2004. i'm healing well,back to work already. but i keep hearing about people having to have their bypass redone. any one out there have that happen? Connie Turner
Oops...Marna....forgot to mention this: My doctors told my own family about the possibilites of the bypass having to be repeated. But it was while I was in recovery, and I missed that conversation. So....I didn't find out until I read about it on the internet several weeks later during one of the sleepless nights! Next day, I mentioned it to each of them individually, starting with my husband, then my daughter, then my sister, mom, and brother.... They all knew, and were all too frightened and uneasy to be the one to break the news to me. Each one's response was..."Oh....so you know! Who told you? I didn't want to be the one." My daughter finally told me that she was gonna tell me before my next visit with the cardio, if I didn't know by then. I was very upset with them, and wondered what else they were keeping from me. I realize now, that they were just as terrified as I was. Connie marna_1956 <marna_1956@... i'm 48 yrs.old,i had a quad bypass dec.16th,2004. i'm healing well,back to work already. but i keep hearing about people having to have their bypass redone. any one out there have that happen? Connie Turner
marna_1956 <marna_1956@... i'm 48 yrs.old,i had a quad bypass dec.16th,2004. i'm healing well,back to work already. but i keep hearing about people having to have their bypass redone. any one out there have that happen? we have a member that went back to work too early so I was wondering if you decided if you were ready to return to the work force or if it ws your doctors notion that you were ready to return. Debbie
Interests me too Hershell marna_1956 <marna_1956@... i'm 48 yrs.old,i had a quad bypass dec.16th,2004. i'm healing well,back to work already. but i keep hearing about people having to have their bypass redone. any one out there have that happen? we have a member that went back to work too early so I was wondering if you decided if you were ready to return to the work force or if it ws your doctors notion that you were ready to return. Debbie
Dear Ann, My prayers go out to you and your family for the loss of your daughter, have a safe journey, Dod Bless!! Steve P. Steve! arcman52@...
hi my name is jim , i just had a 4 bypass at the va hospitial in indianapolis indiana 3 weeks ago , i still feel weak , and when i sneeze , wow it feels like your comeing apart, how long does it take to get back feeling strong ???, and on my chest at the top of where they cut me ,i have either nylon or wire,s sticking out there are 2 of them im hopeing its nylon sutures so they will go away , this is the 1st time i have ever had surgery so im kinda dumb and scared at the same time lol so any comments will help thank,s
Hi Jim - my husband, Mike, had quad bypass on April 6. He had the stitches that weren't biodegradable removed at about 6 weeks. I know this has to be a scary time for you - Mike had never had surgery, either. I'm hoping you have a pillow to hold against your chest for sneezing, coughing, etc. It helped him a lot those first few weeks. He's just past his 3 month anniversary and is back to his occupation - over the road driver, or as we refer to it - Commodities Transport Specialist. He had to give up smoking and change his eating habits drastically, so I'm traveling with him for the first month or so as moral support - helping on the food issues and cracking the whip when he tries to find excuses not to do his daily walking. He is also working at a more moderate pace, and taking a nap when he needs it -which is not nearly as often or as long as before the bypass. I mention this to let you know that there is life after bypass, it just takes patience and if needed, the willingness to change some old habits. Good luck to you! Listen to your docs, and don't be afraid to ask them questions. Mike and Linda
In a message dated 6/11/2006 11:32:16 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, billhaley99@... writes: hi my name is jim , i just had a 4 bypass at the va hospitial in indianapolis indiana 3 weeks ago , i still feel weak , do u live in Indy ? I had my bypaases at memorial in south bend i had such awesome care Rose / Indiana
hi jim, the wires or stitches your are talking about could be the wires that they put in for a pacemaker incase you have problems. i would of thought they would of taken them out before you left the hospital but all doctors are different. i would certainaly call and ask about them. if you have aready had the staples or stutures taken out it is very odd that they left them in there. they could of left the pace maker wires in just in case you have problems. but none the less i would call and ask about them after all that is what they are there for it is their job to explain what, why, when and all that to you. hope you are doing well and make a fast recovery. i am going on 5 months now from my quad bypass and doing pretty good. my blood pressure we are having a problem with it at times. i am having mini strokes and going in for a doppler next month to try to see what is causing them. the blood pressure hits from 145/96 to high 150s/over 100's and it seems to come when i am the most relaxed. i could see it if i was really stressed but is usually about 2 or so in the morning. well take care bud and take it easy and keep a positive attitude because having a positive one will help you heal and feel a lot better than getting stressed. if you have a general md then he prob can help you to. mine has helped me more than my cardiologist i think. he takes the time to explain the things i dont understand. ron jim delph <barber.ss@... hi my name is jim , i just had a 4 bypass at the va hospitial in indianapolis indiana 3 weeks ago , i still feel weak , and when i sneeze , wow it feels like your comeing apart, how long does it take to get back feeling strong ???, and on my chest at the top of where they cut me ,i have either nylon or wire,s sticking out there are 2 of them im hopeing its nylon sutures so they will go away , this is the 1st time i have ever had surgery so im kinda dumb and scared at the same time lol so any comments will help thank,s
Hello there! My name is Toni and I just had quadruple bypass on April 19, 2006 and I an from New Castle< Indiana! I had mine done at Ball in Muncie. I have been good, bad, weird and .....off and on ever since, but I do feel better in the long run! Take care and good luck to you, Toni In a message dated 6/11/2006 11:32:16 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, billhaley99@... writes: hi my name is jim , i just had a 4 bypass at the va hospitial in indianapolis indiana 3 weeks ago , i still feel weak , do u live in Indy ? I had my bypaases at memorial in south bend i had such awesome care Rose / Indiana
My 75 yr old father had double bypass surgery 3 weeks ago. He is very anxious to return to work & everyday life and is getting very frustrated with the fact that he is tired ALL of the time . I would really like to get some feedback on how long it takes to recover from bypass surgery. Thankyou !
I was going to ask everyone about recovery. How long has it taken for you to feel "good" again. Like your old self. Or does that happen? I am 5 weeks out from the valve repair, and believe me, I have part of days or whole days where I just don't feel terrific. I can get up a head of steam and do a lot of things - yesterday I walked the dogs, for about 40 minutes. Then came home and vacuumed in the house (tired of the dust!) Cleaned my bathroom. Because I am a broker, I went over and held an Open House for about 2 hours (mostly sat, but there were a couple of groups.) Then went to the store for asparagus, orange juice, bananas (got to have your potassium.) Needless to say, last night I just felt so darned bleah. I got up in the middle of a movie in the den, said good night and got into bed. I always feel better when I get into my comfortable bed but I was feeling punky. Today I am spending the day on my bed or in a chair, that's IT. When can I expect to feel more like me??
That's all individual; no exact guidelines even though doctors like to tell you 3 months. It's usually a doc who hasn't had CABG giving you a 3 month expectation not all of us can live up to. I've known people who were fine in a few short months. But with me....it was 18 months. Now, granted I had to have my gallbladder out just a couple of months after CABG (as many CABG kids do; the other body parts tend to object to the intrusiveness of CABG), and that may be why it took so long for me to feel normal. But I couldn't even return to a desk job until 18 months later. Hopefully, your normal will be better than what I experienced. Connie I was going to ask everyone about recovery. How long has it taken for you to feel "good" again. Like your old self. Or does that happen? I am 5 weeks out from the valve repair, and believe me, I have part of days or whole days where I just don't feel terrific. I can get up a head of steam and do a lot of things - yesterday I walked the dogs, for about 40 minutes. Then came home and vacuumed in the house (tired of the dust!) Cleaned my bathroom. Because I am a broker, I went over and held an Open House for about 2 hours (mostly sat, but there were a couple of groups.) Then went to the store for asparagus, orange juice, bananas (got to have your potassium.) Needless to say, last night I just felt so darned bleah. I got up in the middle of a movie in the den, said good night and got into bed. I always feel better when I get into my comfortable bed but I was feeling punky. Today I am spending the day on my bed or in a chair, that's IT. When can I expect to feel more like me??
Sometimes I wonder if I will ever feel "normal" again. In the past couple weeks, I have had two incidents where I have realized that for a period of about 1-2 hours I had totally forgotten I was a CABG Kid. I felt that was a milestone. I do best if I can remind myself what was going before and how much better I am on a daily basis. Becky (4x Dec. 3) On Sun, Mar 2, 2008 at 11:37 AM, <cnetwork@... I was going to ask everyone about recovery. How long has it taken for you to feel "good" again. Like your old self. Or does that happen? I am 5 weeks out from the valve repair, and believe me, I have part of days or whole days where I just don't feel terrific. I can get up a head of steam and do a lot of things - yesterday I walked the dogs, for about 40 minutes. Then came home and vacuumed in the house (tired of the dust!) Cleaned my bathroom. Because I am a broker, I went over and held an Open House for about 2 hours (mostly sat, but there were a couple of groups.) Then went to the store for asparagus, orange juice, bananas (got to have your potassium.) Needless to say, last night I just felt so darned bleah. I got up in the middle of a movie in the den, said good night and got into bed. I always feel better when I get into my comfortable bed but I was feeling punky. Today I am spending the day on my bed or in a chair, that's IT. When can I expect to feel more like me??
That means you are getting there [INLINE] and that's a good place to be. Becky Patrick <beckypat@... Sometimes I wonder if I will ever feel "normal" again. In the past couple weeks, I have had two incidents where I have realized that for a period of about 1-2 hours I had totally forgotten I was a CABG Kid. I felt that was a milestone. I do best if I can remind myself what was going before and how much better I am on a daily basis. Becky (4x Dec. 3) On Sun, Mar 2, 2008 at 11:37 AM, <cnetwork@aol.com I was going to ask everyone about recovery. How long has it taken for you to feel "good" again. Like your old self. Or does that happen? I am 5 weeks out from the valve repair, and believe me, I have part of days or whole days where I just don't feel terrific. I can get up a head of steam and do a lot of things - yesterday I walked the dogs, for about 40 minutes. Then came home and vacuumed in the house (tired of the dust!) Cleaned my bathroom. Because I am a broker, I went over and held an Open House for about 2 hours (mostly sat, but there were a couple of groups.) Then went to the store for asparagus, orange juice, bananas (got to have your potassium.) Needless to say, last night I just felt so darned bleah. I got up in the middle of a movie in the den, said good night and got into bed. I always feel better when I get into my comfortable bed but I was feeling punky. Today I am spending the day on my bed or in a chair, that's IT. When can I expect to feel more like me??
Thanks, Dayton. One of the surgeons on my open heart team told me the same thing "Some days you will be able to conquer the world and maybe the next day, just sit on the couch. That's how recovery goes." Yesterday, I spent the entire day on or in bed! I loved it. It was quiet, I was reading, dozing, watching a movie. Today, I have already taken a 40-minute walk, am working with my asst and online, and letting the Jury Service know that I am NOT READY to serve on a jury yet, thanks anyway...making plans for my first social outing (I am 5 1/2 weeks) with friends on Thursday and another friend for dinner out (whoopee) next Monday, and I bet you by tomorrow I will be lounging on the bed again. :) Lil
Thanks Steve! I am very encouraged by your reply. Lil