Mike's Journal

Mike Dotson  It feels so good to be on the other side of it, doesn't it? I'm 11 weeks post op and am more appreciative of things I previously took for granted. I wish you well in your continued recovery.

Marie Myers  On the emotional question, I, too was very emotional for a few weeks after getting home. I am not normally a crier, but I found myself bursting into tears over literally nothing! I think it is our bodies response to such a huge surgery and stress. I have read other posts from heart surgery patients saying the same thing. Emotions returned to normal after that for me. As far as weight, I came home with some extra fluid that disappeared gradually. After a couple weeks at home, my appetite started increasing again. Once you start doing more physical activity like walking, biking,and/or cardiac rehab , your weight will get back to previous readings. It is a slow process, and we have to remind ourselves to be patient. Hope that helps!

Tee Ad  Hi--congrats on being on the recovery side! I ended up losing about 10 lbs after my surgery and was not overweight to start, so it worried me and I just wondered when is this going to stop?! But fortunately after about 4 months my appetite returned and I think my metabolism settled down. You might think you're eating a normal amount but may not be. My doc said just eat whatever you can tolerate--so I'd have milkshakes, nice little cuts of meat, potatoes with butter, and for some odd reason I really liked clementines. Emotions...oh yeah, I started out fine right after surgery and about a month post-op I got soooo depressed--just sort of out of the blue. My doctor said it can happen to heart patients. Adam has written about this. Don't hesitate to talk to your doctor about it. You don't want it to snowball. Feeling emotional every now and then is so normal--you just had major surgery! But if it gets worse or you just don't feel right--get help. It's very normal. Good Luck!!!!

Deena Z  Mike, I lost about 7 pounds because of so little eating in the hospital during the first two days and the day of the surgery is a total bust. I have added more carbs and ice cream (!) to my diet and the weight is slowly picking up. As for emotional, it is such an intense experience in every way. Mind boggling!! Even my anesthesiologist said it never seized to amaze him to watch the patient's heart re-started. Viva life!!!

  I lost almost 20 pounds over the course of six months. I welcomed it as I was a little overweight. As far as the emotional part I am a cryer but didn’t get the emotional issue some of our warriors talk about. I love Deena’s answer about ice cream which I love. Marie has a good answer as always (she is one of my angels), always ready to give good advice. Hang i there Mike and if you don’t feel right, talk to your doctor. God bless you dear friend

Lynn Loudermilk  I have lost the bloat weight from surgery and a few more but I need to. I eat keto so that won't help you. Emotionally I have days that arent' good but haven't been that bad, but I have been on Lexapro for a while, it helped.

Patsy Stewart  Mike, I’ve struggled with my weight. The doctor told me in January that I needed to gain 15-20 pounds before I could have surgery. I struggled all year and I had actually lost a little more weight before my surgery in November. That was one of my fears going in. I had a lot of fluid weight after surgery, but it came off quickly. I’m still struggling. I have no appetite. I’m never hungry and it’s a chore to eat, but I’m trying. They sent in a dietitian when I was in the hospital. The lady came in the room and put her folder aside. I don’t think she was expecting ‘me’ because she said she didn’t have any literature/materials with her that would fit me.
A few things you could try is by adding snacks in between your meals. Peanut butter & crackers, cheese & crackers, milkshakes, baked potatoes with butter & sour cream, protein bars or breakfast bars. You can add all kinds of things to your milkshakes....peanut butter, fruit, carnation instant breakfast packs, Ensure, Boost or any of those types of drinks. Hopefully, your appetite will pick up and you’ll begin to gain your weight back. As for being emotional, don’t ever hesitate to mention it to your doctor. Mental health is real and very important. Try not to dwell on the negative things that are coming at you. Sit outside in the sunshine. Listen to some music that uplifts you. If something comes at you that is negative, try to deal with it head-on, but don’t dwell on it. Several months ago, we started saying 3 things that we are thankful for before each meal. Come up with new things you are thankful for each day and every meal. Think about other people that you might call or send a message to help uplift their day. Turn the television off. Pick up a book that interests you. Start a hobby. Most importantly....have some fun. My biggest challenge has been being isolated from my family for months. My mom has dementia and was living with me after the pandemic hit. I got too sick and was hospitalized the end of June, and my brother came and picked her up and took her back to her home. At times, I get very emotional over not being able to be with my mom and my 3 brothers and their families, but I have hope that someday soon we can be together again. Prayers that you get stronger every day and that you can find peace.

Rita Savelis  I am very skinny too. Just the way I am. Skin and bones. Couldn't look at myself in the mirror after OHS cause there was no fat anywhere. Plus a pacemaker bulge! I was certainly emotional for a long time. And depressed for awhile. OHS is an experience. Your body needs a long time to heal. I felt so vulnerable for a long time after OHS. Like I wanted to put a pillow on my chest to have something between me and the world.
One usually gravitates back to whatever weight one had. You've probably always been thin. As your life settles you will eat more again. Please don't feel pressure to gain weight immediately. It will happen. Take care.

Deena Z  Rita and Patsy- you are more than courageous warriors, you are pros. Thxs for sharing your incredible stories and lessons learned. Godspeed.

Joseph Heinzmann  Mike, I had MV repair robotic so our surgical experiences were different. So take this with a grain of salt (wait, no salt allowed). I lost weight in the days after surgery and over the first few weeks. I am 12 weeks out now and I have gained back more than I lost. Wondering what, if any, use you may be making of Lasix because that's going to have an impact on the scale. I was on it for a week after surgery and that definitely had an impact on the scale numbers.

As far as emotions, I think one of the downsides of surgery at the same time as lockdowns and pandemic is that all of our emotional downs are exacerbated by the current global situation. I still find myself getting down at times. It was a cycle for me. I was really up after coming home, then went down as I tried to begin rehab, then up as rehab started to go well, but then down again. I'm in a moderately down time right now and hoping that spring weather and getting outside more will help. Finding something to do will help, whether that's hitting a few golf balls or some other seeming pointless endeavor. I said to my wife recently that I want the NYC courts to open up soon just so I can go there a couple of days per week and feel like my old self.

Feeling down in not your fault. It's OK, normal, and expected. And it will get better as the surgery gets farther away in the rearview mirror. I look forward to the days ahead when I won't be down, apprehensive, scared, etc. Not there yet but it will come. Have faith. Trust. And don't blame yourself for your feelings, which are normal and consistent with the experiences of a lot of people here. We will all soldier through together.

Rita Savelis  Re dieticians at hospital - the cardiology one could not help me at all, as in the cardiology ward the goal is usually to get people to eat less! I asked for a cancer dietician and at least he was sympathetic about having no appetite. And he said that you can't force yourself to eat. I tried to drink some absolutely vile protein drinks. Yuck! But as life calms down, appetites come back. To anyone struggling to eat I say: Eat whatever sounds good at whatever time. Don't make it a job. You'll be okay.

Lynn Loudermilk  Oh yes, glad to be home and back on keto, that menu (cardiac) no salt, asked for a buger with no bun and they said we can give you a small slider. I laughed, but yet they would let me have coffee and oatmeal....oy. The Chicken was horrible. Did best I could but did give into oatmeal a few times. Oh Yes I complained about the menu.

Patsy Stewart  Rita, I’m right there with you on those ‘absolutely vile protein drinks’! I’ve truly tried to drink those...even went as far as to promise I would drink one a day. That’s one promise I wished I had never made! I struggled through two cases of Kate’s Farms and announced that I was done. Yuck!! My husband drinks protein drinks during hay season. I have a case with his name on it. ;) Ha!

Deena Z  Mike, congrats! Your heart is fixed. We all have the recovery sleep issue, or actually lack of. It is not natural for the body to sleep in the same position during even one night, let alone seven. You may want to try propping pillow(s) on your side(s) so your back gets some relief, that is you turn slightly towards the side-pillows and are a bit off your back. There are other ideas in the links below from using hot pads, etc. Take care!

Lynn Loudermilk  Mike, yes I had the sleep isssues too and just last night I figured out how to sleep more on my side so I don't take up the whole bed...LOL It gets better.

Michael Morrison  Right there with ya Mike. Post op for a week as well. I finally found a combination of a wedge and pillows that makes it easier to sleep. I’m now getting about 4 hours between waking up

  YEAH Mike! Congratulations and thank you for writing. I have been thinking about you and wondering. So I wonder no more. Sleeping on your back only is very challenging. Hope you find a way to get some zzzzs. So grateful you’re on this way of recovery and pray you have a smooth recovery. Be patient with your body and know we are here to support you. Be well heart warrior and God bless you

Susan Lynn  Mike - Glad you're home! It's definitely trial and error, even from one day to the next, as far as sleeping arrangements go. Give yourself options and take advantage of naps during the day. For now, forget about sleeping only at night - you have to catch some ZZZZs whenever and wherever you can get them. Your body is going to have a different timetable for awhile.
You'll find what works for you in the coming weeks. Best of luck to you!

Laura Julius  I use a bunch of pillows into a wedge shape that feels comfortable for me, but I agree, finding a comfortable way to sleep may take a little experimentation. After several days home, we got the right combo of pillows, head support, and blankets to help me fall asleep. I also play a film my son and I watched a lot when he was little; for some reason just playing it makes me fall asleep and I've played it several times a day since my surgery four weeks ago and it often helps me fall asleep. Praying you find something soon that works for you!

Tom Everson  Hi I am 78 had the Resilia valve in mid August 2020. The valve works great for me I had a high calicum score on bicuspid valve. This valve should help to reduce future problems with calcium. My heat beat is strong . Only issues i have had was low blood pressure ( i always had that). I take a 325 aspirin as a blood thinner. Sometimes at night I can feel my heart beat which to me is good.The whole experience for me was fine.

  I got the same going on 16 mos. Doing well with it and like Tom at night I feel my heart beat, it’s all good. Continued good health to you Mike. God bless you

john roland  I got the Resillia valve almost 1 year ago when I was 58. No regrets, no problems. When and if it goes bad they will put a new one in via catheter. You are going to a great hospital. The staff know exactly what to do from the time you arrive to the time you leave. Keep a positive attitude and you will be fine.

john roland  I'll loosen things up a bit. If you watch Seinfeld you'll know what I mean. One of the male nurses, I can't remember his name but he was originally from Osh Kosh, Wisconsin. The wise guy that I am I would always ask for Osh Kosh. Sure enough he would come in and talk, but the best part was the sponge baths, boy was he good (I can't stop cracking up). Anyway if you see him tell him I said 'Hello'. Once the tubes come out you feel a lot better. I sure do miss everyone at CC. They saved my life and I will never forget them.

Lynn Loudermilk  What I did since we needed a new couch I just bought 2 recliners to take it's place. Our house is a rance so no stairs once I am in the house. I am just playing it safe.

Marie Myers  I loved having the electric recliner for a month. It was comfortable, and I slept in it for weeks. It took me a little longer to be comfortable lying in bed. Many people are good lying in their own bed after coming home, though. Everyone is different. My house is one story, so i never had to do stairs. I did use a shower chair in the early days, since I felt very weak and tired .

Martin Smith  Hello Mike. For me, the time after surgery has been easier than the time leading up to it. I had a Ross procedure done in London, Canada in late September, 2020.
Like you, I wanted to put supports in place prior to surgery as I had little idea about how mobile I'd be afterwards. I had entertained some scenarios that, happily for me and my family, were not realized. I had concerns regarding our short sets of stairs. I wasn't sure I'd be able to negotiate the stairs to get to our bedroom and bathroom. My neighbour had even provided us with a light portable wheelchair just in case. The word, "commode" was mentioned. She seemed to know something we didn't know. Yikes! I don't like surprises and so thought it preferable to prepare for less-than-ideal outcomes. Fortunately, my niece, who lives in western Canada and is a cardiac nurse phoned me and helped me arrive at more reasonable and positive recovery expectations a week prior to admission. She asserted that "if you're able to walk into cardiac admissions, then you can expect to exit a few days later upright on two feet, autonomous, and able to negotiate stairs. That sure made me feel better! I went into the operating room feeling much more confident. The operation went well. I was released from the hospital after 4 nights. My niece was right. I was upright, taking steps, then walking, then climbing short sets of stairs within 24 hours of the operation.
You are younger than I am and I'm confident that if you're mobile now you will be fully mobile within a very brief time period, and well before leaving the hospital. As for the recliner, they are a temptation, for sure. My sister-in-law gave me one that she wasn't using. I'd never owned one, and confess to growing to like it almost too much. It wouldn't have been a necessary item, however, at least in my case.
I hope this helps a little. Best wishes, Mike, on your upcoming operation and recovery.

  Hello Mike, read Richard Nicholson’s post regarding stairs. I had the Bentall procedure but didn’t need a recliner. Our home is one floor so no stairs. I did use a wedge to sleep but some people find that uncomfortable. Yesterday was 15 months post op for me. Smart of you to start getting ready. Keep on writing and if you have questions just ask away. God bless you

Herb Greenberg  Mike, I had a different surgeon at CC and his nurse was ADAMANT that I not get a recliner. (I was thinking about renting one for my hotel room - for the days between hospital and going home.) She was right. My core muscles, which didn't work the minute they tried to get me to a chair in the ICU, kicked in a day later. I had been working them pre-surgery. Like Ana, I had the Bentall procedure.

Herb Greenberg  One other thing, Mike. Your attitude seems to be great. Keep it up. It will serve you well. You're about to embark on a fascinating journey. Just go with it an enjoy the ride and ... if are prone to a sense of humor, it will be your best friend!

Leo Johnson  Mike: My mitral valve repair was 15 days ago. Spent 5 nights in the hospital because I had slight AFib at day 3. Meds took care of that. While in hospital I was most comfortable sitting/sleeping only slightly reclined with knees fairly high. You’ll know right away what is best for you. I’ve been home 10 nights now and spent every night in an electric recliner. I sit on a regular pillow, and that helps my angles. I’m 6’3”. After 15 days, my chest is aching less and i’m down to 1 pain pill and a few Tylenol’s per night.