Joe and Steve,
Here's a little perspective from a guy who's eight years out from CABGx5. I was 67 years old and in pretty good shape when I had a heart attack and emergency open heart surgery and am pushing 75 now (which is shocking to me every time I think of my age). I'm still in pretty good shape other than old musculoskeletal issues and injuries catching up to me after a lifetime of athletic endeavors.
I was in a medically induced coma for three weeks after my surgery and experiencing ICU hallucinations and delusions before I was transferred, at four weeks out, to inpatient rehab where I started out learning to walk and feed myself again but I felt great! I was alive! During the three weeks I spent in inpatient rehab, I made rapid progress, to the point that I helped save my roommate's life when he had a stroke right in front of me.
Eight week out, I was walking two miles a day, attending outpatient rehab and doing baby weights exercises. At 12 weeks out, I was back in my regular gym lifting light weights and training myself to do pushups and pullups again the way I did when I was 12 years old. I made rapid progress and by 6 months out, I was running again and lifting increasingly heavier weights. The only discomfort I felt during all this time was an occasional pulling in my left pectoral muscle which I attributed to healing scar tissue from the harvesting of my left mammary artery during surgery and pain and a hard, visible bump at my solar plexus which my cardiologist and I attributed to the surgery.
I heard the common wisdom that it takes a year to fully heal from open heart surgery and I suppose that was true for me in subtle ways, perhaps too subtle for me to even notice, but I can tell you that 3 months out I was back at work as a lawyer in a large international law firm and 8 months out I was traveling on a litigation matter. I'm semi-retired now but still working part-time mostly from home as a bankruptcy litigator!
Bottom line is that you guys sound like you're a lot younger than I was when I had my surgery, and while none of us has any guarantees, I bet you both have long, heart healthy lives ahead of you.
Best to you both,
Ira
Original Message:
Sent: 3/30/2025 7:20:00 PM
From: Joe Hoffman
Subject: RE: "rice crispies" sternum sounds
Hey Steve, I'm 9 weeks out now and I don't really hear or feel anything, but can definitely tell I'm not fully healed. I still get muscle spasms and nerve pinches. I'm starting therapy on Tuesday but it's mostly cardio work it sounds like from my consultation. Good thing you stopped as it takes awhile for the body to heal & you don't want to over due it. From what I read this all takes months/years to recover. Let your body do the talking, everyone is different but you know your body better than anyone. I'm getting a lot of cramps in my legs, I think from my statin or needing more but not everyone has that problem esp since both my arteries in my chest were used. Stay safe and be careful. If you don't think you can yet, don't, and soon you will!
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Joe Hoffman
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2025 18:31
From: Steve Henninger
Subject: "rice crispies" sternum sounds
Almost two months out of OHS..5 bypasses..6th day today at cardiac therapy, still no arm use allowed but since im over my 6 weeks recovery, the nurse wanted to 'test' me on the hand machine, with the stethoscope she heard a rice krispies sound on the right side and had me stop, explaining its common so close to surgery date and that im not fully healed yet probably. I was bothered, i dont hear or feel any clicks or movements...do alot of walking and other than mild aching have no issues..Curious if others experience this and the outcomes...Hearing some patients still have "noises" 2 and 3 years out...Thanks!
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Steve Henninger
Fac tech
att
summerville SC
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