Archive of Forum Heart Bypass Surgery

Yesterday was my 8th full month since my “cabg”. All in all I’m  feeling pretty good.I’ll be 66 on the 19th of Dec.For those of you,  who don’t know me,I’ve had 4 heart caths,”cabg”,and gall bladder  removal all in a 3 month period,ending in May of this year.I still  have some chest pain,but it is getting better each month.I try to go  by months instead of days. Right after my surgery,I was thinking I  should feel better each day,it don’t work that fast. When I learned  not to want to much, to fast,it relived a lot of my tensions. I  picked up an intestinal problem after the gall bladder surgery. I  blow up from just about anything I eat. Gas can really make you have  heart pain type symtoms,at least that is my case. My doctor said that  being put asleep so many times in a short period can also screw up  your system. I’m still on 8 different pills,which I find to be a real  pain in the rear to take everyday.I was never really sick before ,so  it was a real shock to have to go thru all of this. I did 16 weeks  of cardio rehab,which really helped me. This board has also helped me  to cope with all uncertainy that goes thru your head.Just to have an  outlet to people who have gone thru this is great. I wish all of you  speedy recoveries, and the happiest of hoilidays.

Its been ten years since my four way  bypass surgery. I remember I used to walk outside in the yard and all  at once I would start crying.I wasn’t sure of the reason although in  the back of my mind I knew it was because of the trauma the operation  had wreaked on my body and my mind. When I would start to get  depressed I would count my blessings. You know the old saying that  theres always someone worst off then you. I would think of my loving  wife that had put up with me, worried about me. I would think of my  children who loved me and whom I would get to see again.  I worried  that  I would worry about dying and not enjoy what time I had left.  However the days turned into weeks and months and now its been ten  years. Today I went for a checkup with my cardiologist and he told me  its looking good and my heart is stronger then it was the last time I  went. He said he don’t want to see me for another six months. What  beautiful words to hear. I came to the realization long ago that we  all have to pass one day. However worrying about it doesn’t help  anything or anyone. Ask the Lord for help with your anxiety   and you  will be fine. I’ll pray for you.

Thank you to all who posted their personal experiences regarding the  message for Ann. Medically I think I am lucky as I have been given  pain medication, take only when I have to, I have also been put on  medication for Dressler’s Syndrome (pericarditis) and I guess they  are helping. I am probably doing too much trying to get ready for  Christmas but I don’t know what too much is. If I go by how I feel  almost everything seems to be too much and I guess that is what my  problem is – I want to be able to do everything that I used to do  like climb ladders to decorate and not get tired when doing the  chores or when I am shopping    I have a lump at the top of where the mammary artery was used which  puts pressure on the neck and makes it hard to breathe when lying  down,  Normal who knows and the doctors don’t answer questions. Leg  is totally numb but it doesn’t cause me problems so I don’t worry  about it.    I am 48 and had the surgery (triple bypass) 3 months ago. Frustrated  not depressed.

According to the information you posted it appears I have the same  symptoms as your mother. My doctors refer to it as severe  pericarditis and I was hospitalized for 7 days. The first course of  treatment was enteric coated aspirin – 12 tablets a day, when that  didn’t help I was put in hospital and given an IV with prednisone  and indomethacin. I am still on indomethacin – an anti-inflammatory -    3 x a day. I have been on this medication for 8 weeks.    It is my understanding that PCS, pericarditis and Dressler’s  syndrome are all the same thing, they just occur at different stages  of recovery after bypass surgery.

As the resident RN, I want to offer my opinion on supplementation, etc.    You should know a bit of my background.  I have been a nurse for 13 years.  My most recent years have found me “retired” from clinical nursing to stay  home to raise my kids.  Prior to that, most of my clinical experience was in  cardiac nursing with emphasis on pre-bypass education and post-bypass care.  During my entire tenure on cardiac units, I always felt there was a lack of  care once we sent patients home (especially when we started sending open  heart patients home 2 days post-op!).   Hence, I started this group – to  fill a need for bypass patients and their families.    During my attempt to stay home with my kids, I began a home based business  selling supplements.  I chose a company to work with that was focused  greatly on cardiac health.    I am no longer involved in this business,  however I still take certain supplements personally.    So, that being said, you know I can see both sides of the supplement debate.    I know that there are instances where supplements are a perfect solution,  and I also know there are instances where prescription medications are the  only solution.    The key in making a decision to try something “natural” is  to let your doctor know what you are planning to use.   Now, most doctors  will not give you a full endorsement of taking nutritional products (they  just aren’t wired that way).  However, before taking ANYTHING (including  over the counter remedies for other conditions), I strongly encourage you to  inform your doctor of your plan, and to at least get a “it can’t hurt you”  out of him/her!    This is highly important, for two reasons.  First,  if you are on  prescription medications there are instances where the supplement can either  reduce or potentiate the effects of your medication.    Second, while  supplements are “natural”, this does not mean they are SAFE.   You must be  very discerning about claims made by supplement providers.  They are not  regulated by the FDA in the way that pharmaceuticals are, and anyone can  post a website claiming anything about a supplement they want to sell.   As  with anything, do your research!    I am a firm believer that if something is safe and can help you, then by all  means give it a try if that is what you prefer AND if your doctor is aware  of you taking it.

It has been exactly 3 months since my unexpected bypass surgery.  Since I was in ICU for 12 days prior to the surgery and too sick to  know what was going on my husband spoke to 2 cardiologists and the  surgeon and made the decision for me to have the surgery. I strongly  believe that he made the best decision he could based on the  circumstances at the time.    After the type of night I had last night – only 55 minutes of sleep  because of so much pain in the bones of my chest right up to the  base of the neck (at least that is what it feels like)and also when  I am reclining it feels like something is being pressed against the  base of the neck and I can’t breath I wonder if the right choice was  made.    But then I look at how the experience has made me so aware of things  like my blood pressure and instead of popping heavy doses of  medication I do all I can to keep it down and now I take a very low  dosage of medication. I have diabetes and I am so careful of what I  eat that I have been able to go from taking 3 kinds of meds twice a  day to 1 kind twice a day. Our weather here is awful but every day I  bundle up and go for a 40 minute walk because I know it is good for  me. I now do everything I can to help myself. I still feel rotten  but I believe in time and with endurance if I persist everyday I  WILL feel better and do better. For those of us who need  encouragement go back and read Rita’s messages. She is positive and  has a sense of humour despite all she has been through.    For those females out there I thought I’d pass this interesting  info. I started re-hab to day and out of 75 participants I was the  only female.    For those of you who have access to rehab I would strongly recomment  participating in it. I found it forces you to try stuff as you are  in a group situation and you don’t wnat to be the only one not doing  the activity.