Loving My Heart-The Recovery From Open Heart Surgery is Worse Than the Operation

The Kaitlyn Mae Book Blog ^ | 5/31/08 | Pat Fish

[Fishtalk]

While the medicos bombard patients with all sorts of information BEFORE they go into the hospital and of course while they are IN the hospital, it was after I was sent home with wounds all over my body that I realized how very little I knew about the turmoil and tribulations of my recovery to come.

Here, in this final chapter in the tale of an ordinary woman's life turned upside down from the sudden diagnosis of a very distressed heart (with links to the first three parts of the story) I compose my own personal list about recovering from open heart surgery, all while it is fresh in my memory and even as my wounds hurt still from just a whisper of air upon them.

First thing, find every piece of clothes with buttons down the front and start from there. Read the rest in the post.

[pabianice]

http://navlog.org/what_i_saw_anon.pdf

[A_perfect_lady]

Wow. Just... wow.

[swmobuffalo]

Just went through most of what you describe with my husband. He had triple bypass done in February. He solved the clothing on the wound issues by wearing no shirt. And he slept sitting up for 8 weeks. Said he couldn’t breath laying down. He only 3 incisions on the leg. That surprised me.

I am the SALT NAZI now!!

[Fishtalk]

I am just so glad you took the time to describe those things your husband went through after his triple bypass.

At times, as in most things, when you’re going through something like this you think you are the only one.

I thought the notion of a piece of cloth draped across a post-surgical wound as akin to a manhole cover resting happily upon my chest to be a stretch.

So glad to know I am not nuts.

[swmobuffalo]

“So glad to know I am not nuts.”

Nope, you’re perfectly normal for what you’ve been through!

And please be wary of depression. That is a common “side effect” of such a major surgery.