Good Morning Scott!
So glad to hear your surgery went well and your recovery is progressing. You will ultimately transition from the recliner to the bed. Take some time. Interesting to learn about your thigh numbness and pain. I also experienced this and on occasion the pain was intense for hours. Six months post-surgery and I'm still experiencing some numbness. It seems to be less frequent. One piece of advise I'd like to offer is, the physical recovery and healing is extremely important, but don't forget the mental recovery. I overlooked this and have been struggling with some things I simply didn't expect. As a runner/athlete, not being myself has been extremely difficult. I've started to reach out to others with heart disease for support. Finding other runners who have gone through what we have has not been easy. Be sure to talk to other about how your are feeling, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Let's face it, we are surviving a very traumatic experience. In my case, my heart stopped 14 times post op/ICU. Though much of ICU was a blur, like yours, that experience is still will me. Particularly when the ICU team brought in the crash cart and placed pads on me. I will never forget how cold they were!
All the best in your journey.
Barry
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Hello all,
Thought I'd post an update. My surgery was successful, and I was shockingly out of the hospital four days after. The surgeon and his assistant both said the entire procedure went "textbook accordingly," which was a relief. First night in ICU was a blur and I don't remember much aside from having my breathing tube taken out and being fed ice chips. In the cardiac ward where I stayed after, I had fantastic nurses, so that helped. At home, my biggest challenge has been sleeping comfortably. I have slept in a recliner a handful of times, as well as the bed; the main problem is I can't seem to get fully comfortable in either, and I tend to sleep for about 4–5 hours maximum before I have to get up. I think it is simply my body telling me I need to adjust the position. I am also migraine-prone and have had several of these in a span of a week, which I think is related to neck tension from the awkward ways I am sleeping (the migraines have been striking in the morning).
One strange symptom I am experiencing that I would've never expected: The front of my thighs, from the knee about midway up, are numb, and sometimes burn when I lie down. I talked to my surgeon about this and was told this is simply nerve pain, and it will sort itself out. The numbness is not so much a big deal to me, but I had an attack yesterday where my thigh felt like it was on fire four about 5 hours. I have also found that I have been excessively sweating at times; it comes and goes in waves, but is extremely annoying.
Other than that, I've steadily felt better each day, and wanted to say thank you for the support I received here. It did help salve some of my worries. I'm looking forward to continuing to rebuild my strength; I've already noticed improvements in my walking and find myself less and less tired after longer walks.
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Scott Harn
Portland OR
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