Initially I was working from 10 am to 2:30 PM by going to my office then an hour sleep and then evening conference calls from home. Discomfort in not being able to move in certain ways yes but even then not discomfort. Finally, as the Chief Research Advisor for a patient-led, non-profit (The FH Foundation, www.thefhfoundation.org), we are attempting to raise the profile of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), an inherited disease that causes extremely elevated LDL cholesterol levels and risk of coronary disease. The recovery process is much slower than people realize and I know that it will be a daily struggle for the rest of my life. Grateful I’m still waking up on the green side of the grass and buoyed by the Stories I’ve read here. Soon your partner Bob will be home and on his way to recovery, just like my partner. Not helpful! This surgery is the pits! I still have discomfort in my incision, and a few other pains here and there every now and then but I am believing that this will pass. I am 4 months post bypass surgery and doing really well. Hi Janice. I was an extreamly healthy 33 year old man before my OHS and hospitalization this year. Hello Ramesh. Thought cough would cease but didn’t. When there was intense pain two days ago I have taken a homeopathic remedy digitalis 30. I am going to try to get back to walking and watching what I am eating. Hi everyone, I will be eight weeks out tomorrow. My bypass was in Oct. 8, 2019. My husband does all the grocery shopping. Great to read every one’s experiences I’m 64 smoked like a chimney most of my life so had all this coming .I am six months after my bypass. Some people take 12 weeks or longer to get over the surgery. I had open heart aortic valve replacement op on the 30 January this year, i was out of hospital (morriston near Swansea in the U.K.) within four days, was a little sore for ten days and found i could move quite freely after that. Hi Gang! At 2 1/2 weeks after my surgery…still coughing, then was diagnosed with fluid in my lung cavity and drained. Heart is in great condition (no heart attack or damage) and veins from legs were great too. Unless you receive a miraculous instant healing, you should expect the healing to take a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks, no matter what type of surgery it was. Dr. Lane-Fall received her AB degree with High Distinction from the University of California at Berkeley. i had water in my lungs that needed me to be in hospital for another week. The Cardiologist had ignored my Renal Failure and 32% kidney function. Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Have my good days and bad days. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and her Master of Public Health from Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University in New York City. Hi all, i am Vanna 29 years old. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Fatigue can come and go. It’s been a challenge! What is Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HoFH)? I jogged about 1/4 of a mile three days ago. No sugars, no booze, lots of veggies, beans, rice, some lean meat, eggs. so live and love and know God loves you. Sudden change in temperature does not help eaither. The other thing no one warned me about was how long the after effects of the deep anaesthesia last. 5 months severe pain like an electric shock on the right side of my chest…pectoral muscle.. I was in cumadin but my numbers went from one to nine, very irratic. Maybe I will have some news for people suffering same symptoms. But, after Christmas I’m don’t do anything but what I have too. Hey y’all, 9 weeks past quad bypass. I had a cardiac calcification test done for the heck of it. In addition to advocating for genetic counselors as part of her multiples roles with NSGC, Amy also has been involved with advocacy and education for families with FH as part of her work with the FH Foun- dation. Since then he’s slow, cold all the time, depressed, and his brain just doesn’t work like it used to. I’m used So, once the machine is taken off after surgery, your own heart … 2 weeks later I had ONX valve put in a Cabbage procedure done. National Society of Genetic Counselors/strong> Cheers to you all Currently, I still feel tired (sometimes almost faint) and I still feel pain while traveling especially the cut under my breast. Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I am 60 years young, recovering from quadruple bypass surgery about 1 month ago. I view this as a continuum from Discovery > to the development of Model Systems > to clinical Translation > to larger Public Health efforts. I was in hospital 4 days only. Give me patience, I’ll do my part … give me some results for the work. While we cannot give you medical advice, we may be able to help you find an FH specialist. But I see that as another challenge to overcome over the next few weeks. That landed me on IVs 2x daily and wound vac since then. I spent many nights rocking back and forth from severe pain in back and shoulder, then April 30, 2018 called my brother at 11:30 at night asking him to take me to the hosp (a different one from the one I was going to) cause I couldn’t breathe from the pain. Learn about this complex procedure. Everyday is different in regards to pain and my emotions but my biggest comfort is my family. All I can say is you will not go one day sooner than God wants you . I am scared, especially the pounding & discomfort in my chest. This generally occurs as the heart and lungs are at rest during the surgery while the heart/lung bypass machine does the task of pumping oxygenated blood. Instantly felt bad. No one would listen. The one thing that has kept me really motivated to.hit all these goals is FAMILY, couldn’t have done it without their support. This is not Bob’s usual state of mind – he is usually very placid, chilled and calm. I hope you are progressing well and are feeling stronger each day. Muller is a Director of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the National Opinion Research Center(NORC) at the University of Chicago, and ECRI. Seems like it takes forever to get back to sleep and then wake up again a few hours later. I feel sourness in my chest and that has been scaring me. Hi all I got sick when I was alone in Vegas for 7 nights. I am 63 and recently had a bicuspid aortic valve replaced. I had open heart surgery seven weeks ago and they put a patch (from my heart ♥️ sac) on the hole. I hope you seek a new doctor. Take care. Maryann Gomez, I am so sorry your are not feeling valued with your current healthcare providers. From my own personal experience it will take a full year, to heal and maybe longerThe area about your heart will be the last part to heal,you may experience unusual pings etc.Get plenty of rest but walk everyday and do deep breathing exercises.I would imagine at your age a large portion of your problem is hereditary.Keep your weight down,the great Dr Michael Debakey who was 6'3" stayed a consistent 169 pounds..I would … Hi Vince. Dr. Rader has led pioneering studies of novel bio- logical pathways in lipid metabolism and heart disease revealed through genome-wide human genetics studies. Had triple bypass about 4 months ago my ribs at the front ache especially when I walk any distance but think I have been a bit stupid and lifted things thinking it would be ok but it’s not. Blessings to all! One of the medications I was given is Metoprolol but I had to stop takin it because it caused extreme swelling in my legs and feet and pressure in my head (particularly when bending over). I am extremely tired all the time. Payce–what made you choose mechanical the second time around? Associate Professor in the Division of Endocrinology. I have a wonderful wife that has been there every minute, and family and friends that have been great also. Generally, open heart surgery is not a painful experience. She held academic positions at the University of Toronto and McGill University before coming to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in 1992. He told me what the operation would involve, and that he would replace the aortic valve with a mechanical one, and he would also replace the aorta. -Sharp pains in the balls of my feet when I attempt to walk on treadmill the past week. She is Vice Chair of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity and Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care with a secondary appointment in Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania. Most patients leave the hospital back at their pre-surgery … Ralph W. Muller is Executive Chairman of Seminal Health Fund (Philadelphia), National Advisor to Manatt, and Senior Fellow at LDI of Penn Medicine and Wharton (University of Pennsylvania). I stayed away from the Cardiology conglomerate for as long as I could but my Afib was back with a vengeance! The good news is, even though it is a lot slower that I want, I am feeling better every day. By age 60 I was referred to a cardiac surgeon and was scheduled for surgery. There is a Graft (Tube like) in my Aorta and also St.Jude’s valve replaced. John (UK). I do have more muscle pain then before. Was grateful for mine before…more so now. I don’t chose to, is it too early to start having problems like the people on the post. I am now on Eliquis. Some one may be watching you and gaining strength from you. My vision comes and goes, after surgery I didn’t use my glasses, now after nine weeks I need them almost all the time. I just rode around on mower and trimmed. The duration of the open heart surgery depends on the actual procedure that is being performed. I was in another 12 days fighting the infection trying different antibiotics. He currently practices in Westfield, New Jersey. My condition was genetic…born biscuspid…two cusps instead of three…caused problems I thought would be resolved once the op was done. Joseph Morelli, it is NOT funny but I laughed at your post because it was exactly like my complaint but could not articulate it as well as you. I wound up having a clean up surgery the day after Thanksgiving to rid the chest wound which was 15 cm long and 10 cm wide. I also just finished my heart Valve replacement last 2 months. Prescription pain medications often cause an increase in the amount of sleep and feelings of fatigue. I had open heart surgery 1 1/2 years ago. I have good and bad days, but considering how I’m just short of 5 weeks removed from the surgery, I feel, based on my progress so far, that the good outweighs the bad. I am 5.5 weeks out from triple bypass on Feb 19th. I hope you continue to recover well. I grew frustrated in May 2019 after my annual physical ( which was good except for high cholesterol), when my legs, ankles and feet started to swell and I began to have pain in my legs that radiated up to my chest when walking. Hi. The Prayers & Positive Thoughts from my Family & Friends have carried me through another trial of life, I am truly Blessed! Ps. In the evening I am completely exhausted from office work. She completed a two-year research fellowship at Geisinger prior to becoming faculty. Your messages are very encouraging and enlightening. This is solely a personal account that might or might not offer some insight on what to expect when diagnosed with this condition. After heart surgery, you need to watch for signs of increased fluid in your body. Things can turn around in a day, be optimistic. Question: My 68yo husband had open heart surgery Sept 22 for aortic valve.The op was successful but he has been very slow in overall recovery. Otherwise, continue to check back to our discussions, or consider joining our FH Support Group here: https://community.thefhfoundation.org/welcome, Hey Folks, I’m on my ninth week and it has been a challenge, I’m having trouble sleeping and my hands feel very strange. A cardiac cath showed my 3 major arteries were blocked 97%, 98%, and 100%. While it was not easy, his recovery initially went very well. They feels like in the joints they need to be scratched inside and no mater what I do it doesn’t stop. Heart valve replacement is a type of open-heart surgery/operation. Zahid Ahmad, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Division of Endocrinology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Shortness of breath after heart valve replacement surgery can be due to many factors. Younger and healthier individuals will find that anesthesia wears off much more quickly than it does in older and less healthy individuals. As the body rids itself of anesthesia, fatigue should dramatically improve. And love is one of the greatest healers. 45 days after my Surgery I took my first flight journey back to the country where I’m working and started working. While having complications in recovery i had to go back into surgery and wass given a blood transfusion, platelets, etc. I’m a 62 year old male 5 weeks post quad bypass. At least I pray it is muscle pain! I also am still experiencing some nausea and dizziness to this day, especially if I look up quickly or turn my head to talk to someone. I decided just to take one 500mg paracetamol in the evening, in case I have pain. Stay tanned and you ll have a hard time even getting sympathy. Thanks all for sharing your experiences and all the best and speedy recovery, please share if any one experienced no pain after few months/ years. I made notes and called my PC physician and though she ordered a battery of test, I only got a basic EKG and was told at the end of my visit that during the EKG my heart stopped twice that’s why they had to do the test twice but the second test my heart did not stop. Discovering and addressing depression and anxiety before and after surgery may help reduce mental fatigue … There is a need to call the surgeon’s office … My father is on coumadin and after he started taking it … I am back to work at my part time job at Home Depot. ... definitely go with the heart-healthy and balanced nutrition diet to speed up your healing procedure and reduce your fatigue. In this blog I will follow my everyday journey of living with familial hypercholesterolemia (or FH). I’m 50 yrs, a type 2 Diabetic and just wanted to share with everyone that my scars are healing very well, yes, the ones on the chest are very sensitive, it still takes an effort to bend my left arm and my thigh does pain, a bit. Hi Vanna, So, thank you everyone for sharing your stories! That didn’t sit well with me since I’ve been paying copays and noticing how much he costs! Dizzy, Vertigo, and I live in a brain cloud. For any of you who are experiencing depression following the surgery, hang in there, it should go away. The FH Foundation works in partnership with patients, clinicians, scientists and all participants in the healthcare ecosystem to develop inno- vative solutions that will overcome barriers to diagnosis, treatment and access. I said let’s do surgery and replace the valve! Im 60 years old, thought pain would be bad. I had aortic valve replacement. All the above cited problems. I thought oh good, he finally is taking action. I am coming to the conclusion that my life is over. The sudden fatigue others have mentioned still hits me 2-3 times a week and have to stop whatever I am doing and take a nap. This … The first steps were the hardest I ever took in my life. Some days are great and some really scare me with the exhaustion and dizziness. Hi All, I just came across this blog searching for advice on sleeping on your side after OHS. This discomfort may last for about a month. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and he is Chairman of the Philadelphia Orchestra and a Trustee of WHYY (Philadelphia NPR). I was 5’5 inches and 170 lbs. So to fellow heart patients good luck and thinking of you all. I was walking at least 3 times a week before Christmas. He tires easily. I had a quadruple bypass on March 12 2019. Relationships between fatigue and early postoperative recovery outcomes over time in elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. God bless. He is also co-directing the Slovenian National registry of famil- ial hypercholesterolemia and rare dyslipidemias and serves as a National lead investigator at the EAS FHSC. To straighten my shoulders and stand up straight hurts so au am hunched over. Long story, shortened. Open heart surgery is one of the most invasive and stressful procedures doctors perform. Thank you for sharing your story. I had my aortic valve replaced and one bypass. So just checking with you guys and share your experience too…. I only have to walk over the road and have to stop. I work and sleep all the time. Little did I know three days later OHS. I loved reading your post. Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. I had my open heart surgery 4 way bypass in August. Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology). The correlation of nutrition risk index, nutrition risk score, and bioimpedance analysis with postoperative complications in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery. One day at a time, good luck to all of you. Exhaustion, rather than just feeling fatigued or tired, may be present in the first few days following a major surgery, but should not persist past the initial recovery phase. University of California San Diego Cancer related fatigue is different from tiredness which is usually short term and you feel better after you stop, sleep or rest. Anyone experienced something similar? hungry all the time- eating heaps of nuts. I’m happy to read your stories. All the articles I can find say I should be past pain and just fine by now! 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