Gerald's Journal

Steven A Husted  wow i could not have said it any better i agree with every thing you said keep up the good work and dont let them push you to hard in rehab take your time if it is to much for you dont be afraid to let them know some times they do push to hard let your body tell you how hard or fast i agree if a 67 year old out of shape guy like me can handle ohs almost any one can just try to do what they tell you

W. Carter  The rehab really helps with upper body, shoulders, and chest pain. I also had numbness in my hand after surgery. It took about 6 months to get the feeling back. It is still a little numb going on 1 year. But never ever say anything about it to your surgeon or cardiologist. They just look at you like your crazy and say "It will get better". They hear the same complaints so much it gets old. :-)

Cheryl Shute Walter  Gosh, Gerald. How scary that must have been to have a heart block 2 weeks after your surgery. Glad the numbness is all gone now. Having to keep my left arm below my heart because of my pacemaker is very hard. I have slept that way for a long time. I'm only 11 days out of surgery. I'll have to be patient.

Keith Heagey  Gerald,
I'm 17 days out of my surgery and I know what you are going through. I had to wait almost 2 months to get into surgery and I spent that time physically and mentally preparing. I used that time to change my diet and drop as much weight as I could. I walked when I could but something my wife stumbled into was Meditation and it worked. I just went on you tube and found a lot of Meditation tapes.
I swore if I could anybody going through this I would. I don't mind saying prior to it I was scared
But on the day of the surgery I knew I did all I could and put the trust in the doctors.
My recuperation is going well but I still have a ways to go. Good Luck to . You will be fine!

Bob M  I believe your cardiac rehab will help your recovery ... It helped me with mine. Take it easy heart brother

Mary K  Cardiac rehab is slow mo. But you will be surprised at how well you will progress if you are motivated. tell them that you believe that you can do more if you think you can. the metric is to keep you under 30 b.p.m. more of your resting heart rate (e.g. resting heart rate 70, plus 30, = heart rate under 100), while you are exercising there, without significant abnormalities on your telemetry.

Mary K  Glad that you are starting to feel better. Did you know that smoked oysters and sardines are super high in iron? They are usually near the canned tuna in the grocery.

Jean Raber  My mother had a pacemaker several weeks post-op, and that's when she really took off and felt better. Sure hope that happens for you too, Gerald.

Rita Savelis  Red wine, red meat, lentils and calve's liver for the iron!
Pacemaker surgery also through me for a loop, I hear you,... but I do think the worst is behind you. Take it easy Gerald.

Gerald Schaffer  To be clearer I didn't drive my wife did. Something unexpected was the pacemaker surgery hurts much more than the open heart surgery.

Rita Savelis  I agree that the pacemaker surgery hurts more than OHS! And getting used to the bump is really different than getting used to a sternum scar.
I couldn't raise my arm for several weeks.

I also think it is sad and scary that patients get released from hospital so early in the US. I was in hospital for several weeks after OHS waiting for my heart rate to go up. The cardiologist waited as long as she could and then I got a pacemaker after 2 weeks. It was a shock but it turns out it's more common than we know.

  So sorry to hear of your setbacks, Gerald, but your outlook is amazing!
God was and is watching over you!
Praying for a smooth rest of your recovery.

Tammy Pilcher  Wow Gerald, I'm so sorry you've had such difficulties and I agree with Pamla that you have an amazing outlook! Prayers and best wishes for you! God bless!

Daryl McCallum  Had them both and it goes away after awhile. I would get hot and then cold and then hot again. My doc said it wasn't anything to worry about. Keep the faith bro as it gets better.

Jeanette Davidson   Gerald I was freezing for 3 weeks!! I live in Florida, and I was teasing my family that I want everyone to share that I owned during the course of those few weeks! It definitely subsided and my body temp is back to normal now at seven weeks !
Cuddle up and sometimes the heating pad helps. Happy recovery heart brothet💕

Eleanor R  Yes, I had AVR surgery a year ago, and came home on a hot day in late July. I kept turning down the AC, and sometimes at night freezing and seeking a blanket. I´m noted for being hot all the time, so that was a change. I had my left hand become numb, ¨with an asleep feeling¨one week after release, and the surgeon´s PA sent me to the ER to have it checked out, just in case. Turned out to be really nothing. They kept me overnight and ran all the tests they do when they want to rule out stroke, and it resolved on its own. I hope yours resolves itself as well, as you continue to heal over the next few months. For me, now a year later, I have finally stopped thinking everything is related to the surgery. At first it sure was, then related to the meds, now pretty much it is not. Hope you get there soon, too. Best wishes, Eleanor

Rita Savelis  I was freezing cold for a long time and wore lots of clothes and blankets (in the summer). Your body's major organ was traumatised. Add to that all those hours of anasthesia. Doctors don't mention all the side effects that are natural and normal. It does all fall into place eventually but bear with your body as it adjusts to all that happened.

Terry Shermeister   Hey Gerald: I totally relate to those bathroom visits. YUK. I had a nursing assistant who was a total moron. He said, " don't go to the BR unless you call me"! Well I called him 4 times in one hour. He came in and was PO'd that I was being such a pest. I told him, OUT! Give me the bottle and you are fired!! I never saw him again and the nurses loved it!! Take care and get well, Healing thoughts and prayers!!

Jean Raber  Gerald, we all want pictures of those compression garments now! I'm sorry the breathing isn't going so well. Do they think it's because of the fluid retention? My mom complained of the same thing after her OHS, and they told her walking around would clear fluids out. They also had respiratory therapy in a few times. Hope you will be feeling better soon!

Terry, my God, somebody in CCU/ICU doesn't know that OHS patients have to pee like crazy? What a dimwit. He was lucky you just fired him instead of filling up your bottle and letting him have it upside the head.

Terrie Syvertsen  Gerald- Don't worry about keeping up with too many updates as you need to give yourself a chance to rest, walk, get to the bathroom and get that photo shoot done for the August 2016 "Compression Sock Finals". Are they the lily white ones or the flesh colored ugly beige? Need to have the correct imagery here! Ha, Ha. Hope you continue to progress so that you can get home to start the real healing time. Take care and God Bless!

Naomi Ivker  I had a very hard time breathing the first couple of weeks. It was fluid on the lungs and having the lungs re- stretch after the surgery. It is much better now almost three weeks out. Hang in there

Meredith Bray  yay! I hated that breathing torture device. Glad you're up and about. pay attention to what the PT says about excellent posture. it makes a world of difference.

Meredith Bray  make sure you're standing up exceptionally straight, preventing back and neck pain. You should probably expect to tire easily for a few weeks. Your heart is happy to be fixed, that's why it's jumping for joy :)

Janice Powell  Amen God Is Good!!! I will continue praying for you heart brother and I hope you get better soon so you can come home and start your journey of recovery bless you and take care..

Tammy Pilcher  Yay Gerald! I'm so happy for you to have your heart fixed! Hang in there and know it gets better! God bless!

Lynne Ladd  Good to hear from you Gerald! I am amazed at you folks posting only days after surgery!! Good for you!! Your goals are great!! Walking makes all the difference. My PT told me the goal is conditioning, not getting from point A to point B in the fastest time. So, be easy on yourself!!

John Jones  Good news Gerald. Be patient. I am impressed that you are able to post. I couldn't focus well enough for the first five days to remember who I was. You're sounding good.

Cheryl Batzing  Gerald, so glad to read your post! Praying for your continued recovery and healing. It does get better....road bumps and all. Be patient with yourself!

Jean Raber  Christine, I was there with my mom after that surgery. Tomorrow you'll probably find him sitting in a chair eating breakfast. Bless you and your dad. My prayers are with you both.

Terrie Syvertsen  Christine- Thanks so much for posting an early update and please let Gerald know we are praying for him and your family as you ready yourselves for your Dad's recovery and healing! Tell your Mom too that we are thinking of her and your entire family! Great news that the surgery is over and behind him! You take good care of yourselves too!

Cheryl Batzing  So glad to hear the great news Christine! Continued prayers for your dad for healing and a full recovery.

Rosemary Resler  Best of luck Gerald on your surgery tomorrow. You and your wife will be in my thoughts and prayers. I look forward to your posts and how you are doing.

Tammy Pilcher  Gerald, sending prayers for you and wishing you the very best outcome. You will soon have all this behind you and can get on with life. Looking forward to hearing good news when you're able, heart brother. God bless!

Autumn Griffin  Enjoy the baseball game. Best of luck. Hope everything goes perfectly and you are back on your feet before the boys of summer are gone.

Rita Savelis  Take your time before posting. The most important thing is take time for yourself. Allow yourself to rest and heal. Best to you.

Mary K  Holding you, your wife and all the hands that will be helping you in prayer. May you have an uneventful surgery and a perfect outcome.

Bob M  I pray that your surgery will be textbook and your recovery will be uneventful. Tomorrow will be a new day for you with a fixed heart! God bless and rise up! From a die hard Cubs fan, wait till next year for the Phillies, but for the Cubs now, wait till this year.

  Good luck to you Gerald. Thank you for sharing the measurements of your valve. It has helped me question something with my doctor that I wondered about. My valve is .76cm and he still says I don't need surgery yet. Although I don't have shortness of breath so perhaps that's why. But I will be questioning it.

I am happy to hear that you are comfortable with your hospital because that is a huge step in easing the nerves going in. Feeling confident in your doctor and the hospital is so important for you are putting your life in their hands, might as well be the hands of people you trust.

You will be in prayers.

Tammy Pilcher  Glad you're getting closer to getting your heart fixed, Gerald! Prayers and best wishes, heart brother! God bless you!

Charles Haas  Appreciate your ongoing journal, since I will be going down the road at HUP in due course. Had my heart cath on Tuesday, and tomorrow have a CT scan -- then will be ready to talk to my surgeon again and schedule the date.

Rhonda Rawles  One thing they didn't warn about was getting into a car when leaving the hospital. Be sure it's not too low or too high. Sound silly but you can't pull up with your arms so it's something to think about. Another thing is ask how meals work, some hospitals are more like room service and you can order what you want when you want. Our hospital here is more old school so you get food at specific times (which was horrible). Staying nourished is important to feel better so I'm not quite sure why the food isn't better tasting and healthier in hospitals.

Terrie Syvertsen  Gerald-what to expect after surgery is: you will be the focus of all attention. Many people (your team!) will be there for you so be honest with your needs and in telling them how you feel. This will allow them to give you the best of care.

Gerald Schaffer  Thanks for the ideas. I already have a list of about twenty questions for this class, I'll probably be sent to the principal's office before the class is over.

Terrie Syvertsen  Now Now Gerald. Most important is that you have to BEHAVE! Ha- Seriously, my sister-in-law is an ER nurse and has worked in Cardiac ICU and I asked her if she had any ideas to help me relate to the nurses in ICU and she said that it is important to treat the nurses well and that will insure you are treated the same hence I mentioned that you tell them the truth so they can give you the best care. I would make one of your questions what kind of post surgery support you will need most so that you can line up caregivers/family/friends to be there for you once you return home giving you an opportunity for help with meals, help with pets, etc.

Nancy D  Gerald, likely half of the questions you have on your list you will hear the answers to in the class room, or others will beat you to it and ask it for you! I too had the class, although it wasn't a group setting but they most often are. We sat with the nurse after she got my labs, and medical history-again- and then we watched a movie, which she stopped every so often to ask if we (my husband and I) had any questions. At the end, I had just a few of my questions left off my list. Even if all 20 of yours remain on your list, they will answer each one which should have you feeling much more at ease!!
Best of luck for tomorrow's class and your whole experience ahead!!

Joe __  I've been through that class and to Silverstein 10, where you'll stay after your surgery. I thought it was great to offer that class (its new) and shows that HUP cares about improving the patient experience. Made me and my family more comfortable as surgery day isn't the first time you see your hall, the waiting rooms, etc. Plus, I asked a gazillion questions and got the practical perspective of people who deal with this every day (e.g., do i need to buy special clothes -- no, you'll be able to put on a shirt pretty easily in a few days tops, etc.). I found the instructors to be quite honest in their answers too after having run thru the drill as a patient. The nurses will take good care of you (if you get Kristin or Dani during the day -- those are the ones I had primarily, they're both great and hustlers for anything you need, really sweet women). My BIG piece of advice with HUP is bring along a strong advocate. Bavaria is a top notch surgeon and he along with his PAs helped explain my condition and the surgery well, but you won't see him again until your follow up and the fellows and residents are around but didn't come to my door initially as much as I thought or would have liked them to. Surgeons tend to like to be in surgery ;) Bavaria doesn't do rounds either. So, I had to really push for a doctor to come see me (as in my partner had to physically go to the ICU and tell the doctor to get to my room "now"). They're not avoiding you, it's just a busy place (a good thing, you want to be in a high volume facility) and sometimes you need to take control of the situation and make your needs clear. The NP (there's one who specifically handles Bavaria patients) is the primary coordinator of your care -- and the nurses can and do handle most of your care. In fact, I had a complication of surgery (lost my voice from a bruised vocal nerve) and it was a nurse that forced the doctor to test my swallowing. Mary Francis runs the nursing at the cardiac ICU and has been there forever. Incredibly impressed by the ICU nurses - I couldn't thank them enough for dealing with me waking up from it all. Suffice it to say, I came awake swinging and kicking. Subliminally, I must not like being strapped down and sawed open. ;) haha. Anyhow, apologies for the rambling, but wished I had found someone who had my surgeon and hospital beforehand so I wanted to make sure I gave you what I got. I'm at mail4joey@gmail.com if you'd like to chat or discuss anything specific where I could help.

Charles Haas  Gerald and Joe_, this is all very reassuring since after my cardiac catheterization and a CT scan (my cardiologist just wanted to double check my aorta), I should be set to schedule my MVR at HUP. I suspect that given the Pope's visit, they would like to set it after then, but I'd just as soon early than late.

Janice Powell  Hey I wish I ask about what can you do to help with the minds tricks after and how that medicine have you halucinated so badly that I was kind of embarrassed my my.. Like I said before some of it was kind of funny and some was not so funny because at one point I was so set on them trying to kill me and still my heart and blood to give it to the man next to me was so embarrassing I got up out the Icu bed by myself I will not lay back down and I told them to call the police to let me out they had to call my family up there to get me calm down but that didn't help I had them move me out the Icu a day before time.. That medicine will do things to you that you couldn't imagine.. It didn't stop there in my regular room I swear my walker was moving too.. I had family members staying up there around the clock 3 days afterwards I think smh.. Just ask them what to do when you get out your mind and what can you do to remind yourself it's all in your mind sorry for writing so long..

Tammy Pilcher  Gerald, I'm sorry you're having all of this at one time! I hope everything goes well and you'll be able to go into your valve surgery at 100%! I'll keep you in my prayers for both surgeries! God bless you!

Terry Shermeister   Gerald, thank you for your positive note. Take care and I hope you will done with all these things soon.

Gerald Schaffer  I got a phone call that the clinical trial will be closed on May 1 so I won't be able to get the new valve. It looks like a Edwards magna ease valve for me, at least as of this time.

Gerald Schaffer  Carmen that's exactly what I was thinking. I believe in fate, it has ruled my life and I believe this too happened for a reason.