will i ever feel good?
hi im pam a 53 yr old survivor of a minor heart attack(walked into er fully alert) and a 4xbypass July 18 2000. Bypass went fine but due to being a heavy smoker the lungs did not do well at all. I was on a vent for 2 1/2 weeks and they at one point had to reopen my chest due to excessive swelling. Finally was able to breath on my own and within 5 days of vent removal i went home. I honestly cant say i experienced any pain...by the time i went home the incision was healed and not too painful. My biggest complaint to date is the overwhelming fatigue i feel....will this ever go away? Im on Wellbrutin for smoking cessession, cozar and topral for the heart. I know all of these drugs cause fatigue but im getting so fed up with being a zombie i could spit tacks. It hits me out of nowhere and there is no 2nd wind..even after laying down for approx 15mins. Oh and when i do give up and go to bed for the night i have a heck of a time getting to sleep and staying asleep. THIS IS CRAZYNESS!!!! At present im only walking for 15 mins every other day...no ambition. NO cigs, low fat, little stress,and limited caffine...i should be feeling like a new woman here not a wasted zombie. HELP
My bypass was 2 years ago. Fortunately, my lungs were good. For the first three weeks, I could feel a slight improvement every day. I pushed myself to walk as much as I could EVERY DAY. Unfortunately, I developed walking pneumonia 3 weeks later. This set me back but I kept pushing, walking every day, for as much as I could. After 6 months I felt MUCH better. I believe I continued to improve for another 6 months. Yes, it takes time. DON'T LOSE HOPE and DON'T GIVE UP. See if you can find a copy of the HEART SURGERY HANDBOOK (1988) or the third edition published as Coping With Heart Surgery and Bypassing Depression. Writen by J.Jude, et.al. One of the chapters has a week by week description of what to expect during the first 6 weeks of recovery. This period is the most fatiguing because MUCH of your energy is going into healing your sternum. Best wishes, 'AL'