Steven 's Journal

Hello Everyone,

First, I would like to praise God and thank him for his all blessings and healing.  Second, I would like to thank all of you that thought of me and prayed for me.  Finally, I would like to thank my surgeon, Doctor Stephen Davies and his team.  He is a remarkable surgeon that is very attentive, excellent skill and a great bedside manner.  Thank you so much! I had my surgery on 2 OCT and was released from the hospital on 7 OCT.  I think that I had a perfect surgery and so far a perfect recovery.  I am now two days away from 7 weeks after surgery and I am walking plenty each day and I just started cardiac rehab.  I was on Tramadol for the first three weeks.  Week three was really just one pill before bed.  My surgeon did start me on a new medication while I was in the hospital.  This I was not expecting.  I am now on 25mg daily of Metoprolol once a day for at least six months.  Before the surgery my resting heart rate was 47-50 BPM and now post surgery it is 77-87 BPM.  My doctors have told me that will come down with exercise and time.

My stay in the hospital was uneventful, thank God.  I opted for a tissue valve and my surgeon told me the one he put in me was the largest valve that he ever received.!  The chest tubes and pacing wires were removed on the morning of Day 3.  Everyone said they didn't hurt when removed.  I am a baby, however, so I thought they hurt  :).  At a minimum they were the weirdest feeling I have every had!  I was glad to have them removed.  I could feel them rubbing up against my lungs and after they were removed most of my post surgery discomfort went away with them.  I started walking on the morning of Day 2.  I thought I would hate the catheter but actually ended up loving it until it was removed because I didn't have to suffer through getting out of bed every time I had to use the bathroom.  It was quite painful while in the hospital.  One of the conditions to getting discharged was having a bowl movement.  That occurred on Day 4 which set me up for my Day 5 discharge.

Prior to surgery we had bought a power recliner from Ashley's.  It had the most movement features out of any that we had looked at.  I am so glad we bought that chair!!!  I slept in it exclusively for the first five weeks.  I did not have to suffer with trying to get in and out of bed to walk, eat, use the bathroom etc.  I think this helped me with my recovery, reduced pain and no accidents.  I would highly recommend renting or buying a power recliner.  I also used the "duck call" flutter breathing aid and the other one that measures volume every half hour for the first four weeks.   I found it took me about four weeks to get me back to where I was prior to surgery on the one that measures volume.  I used the heart pillow whenever I had to sneeze or cough.  Since I had the recliner I didn't have to use it to much to get up and down.  I am still using it today (7 weeks) whenever I sneeze.  Sneezing is still a little painful on my chest.  I wore button up pajama tops with pajama bottoms every day for six weeks.  This included whenever I left the house.  They were especially helpful for keeping my incision uncovered to heal.  I switched back to tee shirts and pull over style shirts at six weeks.

I started walking in the hospital and continued it once I got home.  I progressed more and more each day. My wife walked with me initially for support and now for company!  We put a couple of folding chairs in the driveway in case I had to sit down.  After about the first two weeks I felt steady and didn't need them. I never really had a problem with light headedness or getting dizzy other than for a few days from the Metoprolol. My dog Elvis weighs 100 pounds and really walks you vice walking him.  I haven't seen him since my surgery on 2 OCT.  He has been staying with family.  I miss him so much and we are going to bring him home after thanksgiving which will be at the 8 week mark.  I do not think I could handle him physically any sooner and the risk of him knocking me down was just too great.  At 8 weeks I have been told I can push and pull with my arms and so God willing will be able to handle him.  I am going to buy a leash that goes around my waist for the first several weeks.  His picture is on the table right by my chair but it will be so much better to receive his unconditional love and wet kisses in person!

I did have lots of swelling after surgery.  Some of it, especially in my privates was very uncomfortable.  I went from 223 to over 250 pounds.  I think it took about a solid two weeks for me to lose all of the extra fluids from surgery.  I am happy to report that I weigh less now at 7 weeks than before I had the surgery. Although, at one point I did think I was having problems with my incisions it turned out that I wasn't.  They have healed nicely and I have started using Mederma on them to try and reduce the scars.  I did take a shower and wash my incisions daily.  I only used a towel once daily for the first four weeks and I changed my pajamas every day as well.  Although, I was approved to drive at 4 weeks I did not drive until 6 weeks.  I felt like I needed more recovery time to feel confident enough to handle my truck.  I really didn't have any of the emotional changes that I read about.  With all the time spent sitting and not doing I did read my bible more and my walk with God felt much closer. I am thankful for that time.

One "complication" that I did develop in the hospital and it continued for a good five weeks post surgery was a sore butt from sitting.  I am not blessed with any "junk in the trunk" lol so sitting became very painful.  My wife did order me a special cushion off Amazon that really helped.  It covers the full seat of the chair and is made by PRS Technologies.  It has some type of gel in it.  My diet really didn't change other than voluntary habits like going to no added salt etc.  in my food.  It took some getting used to but now it seems normal.  I did start eating lots of fruit and I added chocolate Boost drinks once a day to my diet.  They are a good source of protein.  I drank decaf coffee until six weeks and then switched back to caffeine.  I read different opinions on caffeine so I made a personal decision to wait.  I also found out through lab tests at one of my follow ups that I had developed post surgical anemia.  I was told this usually cleared itself up over time but I added an Iron supplement (Iron FE slow release) daily to help.  Finally, in week six I started developing pain in my neck.  I believe this is due to the tightness of muscles in my chest.  Nevertheless, it has been quite uncomfortable.  I did start doing some wall stretches to relive the pain.  Thank God that none of the pain or discomfort I have felt post surgery has been intolerable or worth complaining about.  It has been very manageable.  So please don't get scared!  After I quit taking the Tramadol at night I did start waking up during the night.  I usually am awake from 130 am until 330 am.  In fact, its 3 am right now while I am writing this.  I am told this too shall pass.  I don't knap during the day and I go to bed at 9 pm and am usually up at 6 am.

I think at four weeks I really started feeling like myself again and definitely at six weeks.  I am using my arms now more than I did and so I have some pain in my chest muscles.  I will have to really concentrate on taking it slow over the next several weeks.  Although, I cannot go back to weight lifting until 12 weeks I have started some limited movements with 4lb and 8lb dumbbells.  I am also doing stretches to try and loosen up muscles that I haven't really used in the last seven weeks.  

I feel tremendously blessed by God on my successful surgery and healing.  I am sure there is something that I am forgetting to write about that might help someone else out there so please feel free to send me any questions and I will try my best to answer them from my little lens.

Thank you all for the prayers and the kind words.  May God bless you and cause his face to shine upon you.