Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

base2balls · Post by **base2balls** » Tue May 10, 2011 10:39 am

Well I'm back since I had open heart surgery. They did a great job and the Dr's are so pleased as to how every thing worked out. I had my aortic valve replace as mine was the size of an eraser on the pencil. Could not breath and the blood was not going to where it was supposed to. When I woke up in the icu, the breathing tube was still in. After it was taken out and I had gone back to sleep and later woke up, there was a full face mask on me. Whoa now! I use nasal pillows! I'm not a mouth breather... Well any way, they would not let me have any water so I'm thinking the ff mask was to help keep my lips moist as they were so dry they would crack. After being weaned off the anistesia stuff then was moved to a private room and they had a cpap in the room for me to use, but it was too far for me to reach and there was no one there that knew any thing about cpaps. It was a nice machine and it was an Resmed Smart Start and I loved it. Only trouble is,, I didn't get ot use it until the last night in the hospital. The lady I'm guessing is a sleep techie person broke my mask or so I thought. So she looked for my back up mask in the suit case and said it was not there. I knew it was there as I packed both masks. Any way she went and got a nasal mask and it was a nice mask it was soft all over the mask and I have no idea what it was. I wouldn't mind having that mask for a back up. Sooo I slept so good that night and I wished they had some one there to set up the machine for me the first night instead of the last night there. After I was discharged from the hospital I was in a live in rehab center for about 3 weeks or so and I had my sister bring my own cpap to me and I used it there. Now I know why I still pull off the mask and it's because my machine does not deliver the pressure when I need it. So I'm going to look into upgrading to an auto. I did not pull off the mask when I used the hospital's cpap. I'm home now and doing fantastic and I feel younger. I now have cardiac rehab for 3 months and I think it will help a lot and I'm starting to lose weight too. I haven't used my cpap since I have been home as it was a little heavey for me to pick up so there sits the bag with the macnine and hose and the whole bit and I'm going ot try to set it up for tonight . My chest is not completely healed up as yet and some reaching or even some light lifting does hurt it. There are some exercises I can't do as yet too so I'll have to have Sis set up my machine if I need her to. Well thought I would let y-all know I'm homme and doing great. I have been able to sleep really nice and that woman at the hospital broke my mask!!! Or so I thought she did as when I was in the nursing home I took the whole thing apart and then wahsed all the parts and then carefully put it back together and she had it twisted up so bad that I could not use it. It's fine now. Have a great day, Huggies, Fay

beckah · Post by **beckah** » Tue May 10, 2011 10:46 am

Great news! I hope the rest of your recovery goes well and, boy, I'll bet you're glad to be home!

Vader · Post by **Vader** » Tue May 10, 2011 10:46 am

Great to hear of your successful surgery!

God Bless you in your recovery. Keep us posted on your progress.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Tue May 10, 2011 10:47 am

Fay, welcome back! Glad you have that behind you and are recuperating at home.

You've really been through the wringer.

Don't overdo...especially on lifting things. Do get your sister, or someone, to set your machine up where you need it.

Thanks so much for giving us an update.
Hope all goes absolutely great for you from here on!

OutaSync · Post by **OutaSync** » Tue May 10, 2011 11:08 am

Fay, I'm so glad that you pulled through surgery so well. Once you heal up an get your strength back, you are going to feel like a new woman. Until you get a new auto CPAP, maybe just raising your pressure will help. Have you tried that?

gasp · Post by **gasp** » Tue May 10, 2011 11:38 am

I agree with Rested Gal to let someone help you set up your machine . . . and will go on to say that I don't know if it's the mom/woman thing since we're so used to taking care of others or what, but now is the time to let others know what they can do to help you. Treat yourself well and relax into the healing. I hope you have someone there to pamper you.

Here is a gentle hug and best wishes for your healing.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Tue May 10, 2011 11:51 am

Congratulations on getting that all behind you!! It so good to hear you are doing so well w/your recovery and I certainly wish you continued good luck - and good health!!!

Since you did so well w/that hospital PAP when they finally got it to you - and that mask - I'd be bugging the hospital and respiratory staff to find out what each was and what the pressure settings were!!! It has to be in your chart.

Janknitz · Post by **Janknitz** » Tue May 10, 2011 3:54 pm

Good to hear you are doing so well, B2B!

I think your experience really speaks to a few things:
1. If you have apnea, you should have a friend or family member (or even a paid caregiver!) who can followup and make sure that your machine and mask are set up and available to you at each stage (recovery room, nursing unit, rehab center, and home).
2. In the hospital AND the rehab center, have your doctor WRITE AN ORDER that the CPAP is to be used. This puts the burden on the nurses to make sure it's within your reach and you are offered the mask for sleep. Without such an order, nobody is accountable and it doesn't happen consistently .

We MUST train our family members and/or other advocates to make sure there is good followup with our CPAP treatments in hospital settings.

base2balls · Post by **base2balls** » Tue May 10, 2011 6:56 pm

Yes,, I was suprized that the nurses at the hospital did not know any thing about cpap machines and I think they should be trained in that field as well as the nursing that they were taught in colledge. when they had an orderlie come in and get it set up for me I asked him to set the ramp at 5 and he stood there scrathing his head and then walked out still scratching his head. I first thought he as going to get some one who knew about and how to set up the cpap,,, but no one came. Grrrrr..... And yes a family member or members if there are more than one should know how to set it up for you and help you put on your mask and such too. It was a good thing the head of the bed was raised as I did ok with that. But in the ICU, they had that bloomin' ff mask on me and I just about let out a holler, what the h e double l is going on here??? Oh well I have been doing pretty good tho and did not fall asleep during the day that much, but in the nursing home I did, but not during the physical theraphy. Going ot set the thing up tonight tho and I'm going to go watch the Mariners game now and see how they play tonight. Have a great night , Huggies, Fay P.S... I don't think much of that techie person who did set up the machine either. She had a diffrent nasal pillow mask on me and I think it was the FX, the one with the barrel thing and pillows on it . She had it on me upside down and then she had the heated humidifyer set too high. That was hot air comming into my nose and I pulled that mask off and told her it was on upside down and then she got that soft nasal mask for me to use. I also told her to turn down the heated humidifyer and she said it was supposed to be that way and I told no it's not. I don't not like hot air going into my nose. So she did turn it down and every thing was fine after that. Holy Cow!

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Tue May 10, 2011 8:22 pm

It's great to hear a good report! Keep us updated on your progress, which hopefully be a swift full recovery, and that the new you will be "better" than you even expected.

6PtStar · Post by **6PtStar** » Tue May 10, 2011 10:41 pm

Glad you made it through and are alive!! Your comments sure bring back memories of my first heart surgery. They still have not set a date for my valve replacement. Wonder if it gets easier the second time around? Wish they would have installed a zipper instead of sewing me back together.

Jerry

base2balls · Post by **base2balls** » Wed May 11, 2011 8:57 am

I now what you mean about the zipper. I kidded with the Dr and told him if you have to go back in there for any reason,, just go through the zipper and if it gets stuck,,, spray some WD 40 on it... I'd hate to go through it again, but at least you know what to expect as far as the surgery and recovery time and such if you have been through it before. I have a tissue valave and they told me it is of a cow. Bovine that is. Any way it lasts from 10 to 15 years and then the surgery would have to be done again. At least they gave me back 10 to 15 years maybe even 20 and I personally don't believe I had very long to live if I did not have the surgery done. Thank God for what they can do now that they could not do 50 years ago. Have a great day, Huggies, Fay

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Wed May 11, 2011 10:48 am

Glad you're back and feeling so much better.
You'll heal better if you let people help you when you need it!!

Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Re: Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Re: Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Re: Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Re: Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Re: Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Re: Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Re: Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Re: Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Re: Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Re: Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Re: Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

Re: Hi y-all, finally had my heart surgery....I'm alive

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