Mended Hearts Open Forum

Hi, Kevin. I agree with Kat. The heart pillow is really important to healing your sternum. If you feel a cough or sneeze coming, clutch it to your chest firmly to minimize the movement between the 2 halves of your sternum. If you're riding in a car, ...

Hi Kevin Yes, everything you're going through is par for the course. It takes time for body to heal from the surgical trauma so hang in there and let it heal. I gauged my progress by the month at first, then by the week, and would notice small but ...

Hi Kevin, Congratulations on your surgery. You are well on your way to healing. With regard to the heart pillow....After OHS I was instructed to ride in vehicle back seat for 10-12 weeks with my pillow between my chest and the seat belt. I slept ...

Hi Kevin Sounds like you're getting a lot of good advice. One thing my nurse friend insisted I do was to have my GP refer me for Home Health. It's covered by Medicare and the nursing is extremely helpful in monitoring your sternal incision and making ...

Hi Kevin, Congratulations on getting your OHS done! It's nice your hospital gave you a heart pillow; my hospital did the same. In addition to supporting my chest while I coughed, I carried my pillow around the house to help me remember to not use my ...