Teressa's Photos

Teressa Phillips  Here I am at 7 months post surgery! I feel like I have turned another corner in my recovery, I just hope I don't regress. Monday morning, after a very full weekend, I woke up with energy. I felt better than I've felt in some time. This continued all week. Thursday I had my second shingles vaccination, so Friday evening I didn't feel well and had a slight fever. However, I woke up before my alarm this morning with nothing more than a slightly sore and warm arm. I feel energetic.

My hair loss has gone back to a normal level, I'm sure I'll be back to peak hair in a few months. It has been nice to have it short this summer. I've been embracing my late 90s Meg Ryan hair.

My scar is looking about the same. I'm so fair skinned that it will take a long time for the redness to fade.

Pain wise I have my normal pains, especially where they disarticulated my rib. I don't think it seated properly or popped loose during the night of hell. I have an odd lump there and it is the source of most of my chest pain. Week before last I did have an episode that I went to the chest pain clinic over. Most of my pain is on my right side, but I had very sharp left side pain. Honestly, it felt like I was stabbed with an icepick just left of my sternum. It was different and intense, so I had someone check me out. Fortunately, it was a Precordial Catch, which is either a muscle spasm or nerve flare up in the space between the ribs and heart.

My GI issues are still about the same. I still throw up a few times a month, but experience daily nausea. I also have healed enough to identify the upper right abdominal pain is not related to my surgery. I missed a day of work recently because I was so nauseous I couldn't function. I don't have the bacteria that causes ulcers, and my celiac test was a weak positive, indicating that I do not have celiac disease. Next steps are a gallbladder/liver function scan (HIDA), which fortunately I've found out is a nuclear test, so no worries about my contrast dye allergy. I'm also scheduled for an upper endoscopy in a few months. Honestly, I hope we figure out what is wrong with the HIDA scan. While the ultrasound of my gallbladder didn't show any stones, etc, it doesn't check the function of the gallbladder. (Yes, I'm still convinced it is my gallbladder.)

I'm finally reaching the point where it feels like it was worth it. I can foresee that mythical time when "I feel better than I've felt in years."

Daneen Douglas  It’s interesting how it’s not just heart surgery.  So many other things can be affected or  stimulated it seems from the surgery and the systems being reset.  Glad you are turning that corner!  I’m just at 3 months now! 

Grace Mason   Cute doo Teressa!!
Glad to hear you are feeling better every day. Hope you, soon, get some answers for your continued nausea.

Teressa Phillips  Here's what 51 looks like at almost 13 weeks post surgery! I'm doing better than I was. I've only thrown up 2 times since going on the acid reducer. I went 12 days without throwing up. That's almost double my longest stretch before. I find I am okay with the normal, though slightly reduced level of life. I'm working full time at my big girl job, working an occasional Saturday in the photography gallery, and managing my 2 hour daily commute without any issues. Things beyond the normal are still very difficult and wear me out. Last Thursday I had a flat tire. By the time I tried to put the Slime in it, called a tow truck, got the car to a tire shop, had my husband pick me up, and got home, I was done.

Daneen Douglas  Wow!  You look like you are recovering well!  It’s a process for sure.  Glad you are able to make it through the normal!  That’s a lot anyway.  With time the stamina to do more should come soon. You got this Teresa!

Yumiko Ishida  They gave me antacid, along with stool softener, multivitamin, and other supplements not directly related to the heart. I didn’t have any acid issues, not sure because they nipped it in the bud or it just wasn’t how I generally react to stress? I’m glad they are finally giving you care that is helping!

Marie Myers  Yes, i was put on an acid reducer in the hospital and sent home on one. The stress of the whole surgical experience can cause GI issues and  ulcers , even in people who don’t usually experience these issues. I was able to stop the acid reducers after about 6 weeks, but everyone is different. For some people starting on the baby aspirin can cause gastritis and acid reducers may help. Glad you got a good report!

Teressa Phillips  Hi Nancy, I'm back on a BP medicine that includes a diuretic. My systolic seems to be responding, but my diastolic is still running in the 100 range. Prior to surgery that is what my BP was doing too. The thought was that the surgery would resolve that, but I guess not. I see my new cardiologist next month, so hopefully he will have some insight.

Teressa Phillips  Thank you everyone. I'm feeling so much better. The acid reducer is helping. I went 12 whole days without throwing up! I'm still having some nausea, but not as much. Zofran is keeping that under control. My appetite is back, but I'm still not interested in meat at all.

Teressa Phillips  Post surgery week 6.5. This was my first day back to work! I felt good and ready to tackle the 2025 Budget Entry!

Teressa Phillips  Post surgery week 9.5, Monday, March 11. I'm a little tired and rundown because my father had carotid artery surgery the Thursday before. I had to take care of him, but I made it through. A few more months and my scar will not be noticeable. I'm a little disappointed, because it certainly doesn't represent what I've been through. I've been proudly wearing my v-neck and scoop neck shirts. Who knew I would be disappointed about not having a noticeable scar? My surgeon looked at me oddly when I told him.

Teressa Phillips  That's my photo journey so far. Sorry for spamming everyone's news feed, but I wanted to document it for myself and others. I'm caught up to this week, so no more spam from me!

Teressa Phillips  Post Surgery Week 4. I still felt off. Even though I was recovering every day, I still didn't feel like myself.

Teressa Phillips  Week 5 with a heart monitor. I was still having quite a few PVCs, so that needed to be checked out. I was waiting on a prescription, so I treated myself to a matcha latte at a local coffee house. My large incision site had a little bit of a scab at this point. my neck was still swollen on the right side.

Teressa Phillips  Week 6 during my walk. This is the point when I started feeling like myself again. Prior to this everything felt weird and foreign. My brain and my body.

Teressa Phillips  Post surgery day 19. I was waiting for my first full Cardiac Rehab session, but was feeling like I was going to vomit any minute. I'll admit, I only did two full sessions, then quit rehab. It wasn't the exercise, it was the environment. The music was too loud, the people were too loud, the other patients were too loud. My anxiety just could not take it. I started working myself up to a 20 minute walk at home and increased the intensity of that walk. I could do that with an audiobook or the birds chirping.

Teressa Phillips  My incision is starting to look gross, but all of the glue is off of it. I've still got multiple wounds on my neck, some of which formed scars.

Deena Z  Looks about right.  Give it some months.  Should not scar.  Be kind to yourself:)  And stay out of the sun!

Teressa Phillips  The photo everyone is working toward. Post Surgery Day 5 when I got home around 10:30 PM. I was exhausted, but so glad to be at home.

Teressa Phillips  Post Surgery Day 4. I finally brushed my hair and pulled it up into another tight bun on top of my head. Here's a close up of my bigger incision.

Teressa Phillips  Hi Dan, they took it out on the afternoon of post surgery Day 5 just before they sent me home, so the 6th day in the hospital. Fortunately, I was already under when they put it in. I'll try to post a few more tomorrow. Maybe seeing my progression will help someone else along the way.

Jennifer Fuller  For anyone else going through this…I was awake when they inserted the tube into my neck in pre-op. It didn’t really hurt, but my 20 yo son almost passed out watching. 😂

Daneen Douglas  You are looking better with each photo!  If you don’t mind me asking, why did you get the tube in your neck?🫣😬😉

Teressa Phillips  Hi Daneen, The central line goes directly into the carotid artery, so they can measure BP directly and continually. They can use it for blood draws, and for high volume fluid (including blood) input. They can also administer push medications through it.

Teressa Phillips  Thank you everyone. I'll try to load a few more later today. I don't want to spam everyone too badly.

Teressa Phillips  Post Surgery Day 2 10:30 AM. What a difference a few hours made at that point in my recovery. I was still very swollen at that point.