Ann's Journal

Tammy Pilcher  Ann at around 3 months I started having pain in my chest, but it was deep and hurt more when I took a deep breath. It ended up being inflammation from when I pulled myself up into my son's truck just using one arm. I took high dose motrin for a couple of weeks until it finally went away. I don't think my incision site hurt, though. You should probably call your doctors, just to see what they suggest. I hope you feel better soon! God bless!

Adam Pick  Hi Ann, Sorry to hear it. Fyi, I can relate to all of the above. This may seem counter-intuitive but... Have you considered not limiting yourself due to the current irritation? What I found was that the more I stretched, the more I was active, the less irritation I experienced. That being said, if you think your wires have snapped -- which can happen -- you may want to see your doctor.

Elaine Foster  Ann, I am almost 7 months out from AVR, and I too, am having some pain above and to the left of my incision. When I extend my arm and try to lift something it hurts. It feels alot like a pulled muscle. My incision doesn't hurt, but if I press on it I can feel the unevenness of it being wired together. I don't feel that anything is wrong, just still part of the healing process. But, I am surprised about it, thinking at this point it would be completely healed. Also, I feel that I have plateaued as far as my endurance and strength are concerned. I was doing really great at 3 months, walking and doing water aerobics and feeling great, but now walking seems more of a chore. Maybe I was in the euphoria of having survived OHS and now I am just back to normal life!

Ann Keating  Many thanks to all of you for your advice/sharing. It helps to hear from people who have been in a similar situation. Last night I woke to a weird chest/back pain that felt like a clenching in my chest, almost like a cramp. It went away after about five minutes but it was scary. Feel fine today but have a call in to the doctor regarding all of these symptoms. Good thoughts are going out to all of you.

Terrie Syvertsen  Hello Ann. You are doing the right thing. Talking to your Doctor or getting in to see him/her is a good move when you are uncertain of what symptoms mean after having had surgery rather than second guessing yourself. Every one of the people who wrote to you above are right. Elaine, for one at 7 months post op sounds similar to me at 11 months. I had symptoms much earlier on and ended up going to the nearby ER to make certain I didn't have fluid build up or pneumonia when my chest wall was irritated by one of the 3 viruses that hit here in Calif. which involved uncontrollable coughing and chest pain(especially of the chest wall and my full sternotomy area.
I was told that the chest wall was having a tough time as the muscles in the incision area and tissue involved take a pretty good amount of time to calm down from the "assault" on it from surgery. It also is important to follow instructions we are given and respect that some people take longer to heal and are more sensitive as we heal.
The muscles in the chest wall have been given a tremendous jolt and coughing or sneezing just re-applies pressure over and over to an area already subjected to movements and pressures that need time being treated with respect! Having pain that comes and goes at the incision sight is pretty common early on. Especially for us women who can also feel pressure from the incision radiate out into the arm-pit area
muscles as we continue to carry the load of breast weight pulling in a different direction so near the incision site. We also seem to feel the stretching of skin as it
is in the healing mode for the same reason and it is important early on in recovery to not lift, pull or push and aggravate that healing until we are sure it is time to. Most of the people I have talked to who have had this surgery have said they have had problems overworking the chest wall area and the Doctor at my ER visit said this if one of the most common complaints heard when patients are in the early weeks and months of recovery. I hope this is all it is for you and that you get your answer soon.
Happy Healing.

Ann Keating  Thank you for a wonderful perspective on this healing process. Feel like I have taken a step backwards but see that this is is a seemingly normal occurrence. Feeling like my heart itself is good--the chest wall pain is my only real issue. Best of luck to you!