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Recovery After CABG3

  • 1.  Recovery After CABG3

    Posted 07-01-2024 10:17

    I have a few questions, after open heart surgery CABG3 they gave me a heart pillow to hold constantly, anyone had sleeping issues, walking and holding this pillow?  Anyone had issues with not using their hands? How did you overcome the limitations? How did you handle getting in and out of bed? Any improvement or suggestions for a quicker recovery? Let me know. 

    Thanks



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    Kevin English
    Plantation FL
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  • 2.  RE: Recovery After CABG3

    Posted 07-01-2024 13:51
    Kevin,
    I believe the purpose of the heart pillow is to cushion your chest against coughing or sneezes.
    If you've ever coughed after surgery you'll understand, so keep it handy. Since your heart is left of center in your chest, my suggestion is to try sleeping on your right side, which may be more comfortable.
    Good luck,
    Vic 
    Victor Fabry, Founder
    Greylock Advisors, LLC
    Healed Hearts of New Jersey





  • 3.  RE: Recovery After CABG3

    Posted 07-01-2024 16:22
    Hi Kevin,
    I used the pillow when coughing , sneezing , getting out of bed and under the seatbelt when I rode in the backseat of the car. 
    As for sleeping, I used a wedge under my pillow and slept on my back with some elevation from the wedge. I was unable to sleep on my side for the first two months. 
    I found a couple of YouTube videos that gave nice examples of getting out of bed. The wedge came in handy for that since I was rising with the small elevation. 
    Please don't get discouraged. Take small steps and celebrate each one. Listen to what your body says and don't try to do too much, too soon. 
    Best of luck. You can do this!!
    Lesa
    Sent from my iPhone





  • 4.  RE: Recovery After CABG3

    Posted 07-01-2024 21:05

    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 arms while sitting or standing. Eventually, I stopped carrying my pillow but continued to walk around the house with my arms crossed over my chest at the wrists to remind me to not use my arms.

    Sorry to hear you're having trouble getting out of bed. I did too. The ICU nurses taught me to swing one leg over the edge of the mattress and hook my leg under the mattress to help me sit up without using my arms. Unfortunately, our bed at home was too tall for me to hook my leg so I had to have someone hold my legs down while I used my stomach muscles to sit up.

    Did someone teach you to hook a leg under the side of the bed while you were in the hospital? Or can a nurse visit your house and show you how to do it? Alternately, is there someone else at home that can help hold your legs down so you can sit up yourself? You may need to remind them that they should not pull your arms or shoulders to assist you. 

    Like Lesa, I was not allowed to sleep on my side for several months and I also tried sleeping on a wedge for the first couple of weeks. It made it a little easier to sit up but my back got sore so I switched to sleeping flat. I needed a little help to gently lay back flat so someone placed a hand on my back and gave me the slightest bit of help so I wouldn't flop back and jar my sternum.

    Healing takes time and the more you can protect your sternum, the better. Button front shirts (so you're not raising your arms to struggle into a pullover) and elastic waist shorts or pants (so you're not tempted to pull up and fasten jeans or trousers) will help. Also, consider anything above your head or below your knees out of bounds for the time being. Your ribcage with thank you in the long run!

    Most of all, get lot of rest. You've been through a big ordeal and your body is busy healing. When the time comes and your doctor approves you for cardio rehab, DEFINITELY take advantage of it. I went to every single one of my classes and can't begin to tell you how much it increased my stamina and restored my confidence in my health.

    In the meantime, I hope you had a good day and are ready to continue your healing tomorrow,

    Scott



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    Scott Kane
    Chico, CA
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  • 5.  RE: Recovery After CABG3

    Posted 07-01-2024 21:46

    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 sure you're on the road to recovery. PT and OT are also available through Home Health and very helpful. My CT surgeon also placed an order for me to attend Cardiac Rehab when I was ready. I took advantage of this 2 months after my surgery and discovered that there is only a small percentage of heart surgery patients that attend Cardiac Rehab. I highly recommend it as I'm getting back to my pre surgery status and many of the attendees are doing better than pre surgery condition. I wish you all the best and want you to know that you will get better, even if it's a slow road to recovery, as healing takes time and patience. Mary



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    Mary Malone
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  • 6.  RE: Recovery After CABG3

    Posted 07-02-2024 14:52

    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 on my back for that same period of time with large pillows on either side of me.  To get out of bed in the morning I shimmied slightly on my right side with my feet; dropped my feet to the floor and simultaneously sat up on the bed...requires some stomach muscle.  I was also instructed upon leaving the hospital that arms should remain at my sides. I gave them a funny look and she explained that a good rule of thumb was to remember to keep my elbows at my sides  and it would feel automatic after awhile. I could use my hands but only with elbows at my side  For those 3+ weeks I did require assistance due to arm immobility but it paid off in the end with my sternum healing seamlessly and quickly.  At the end of 2-3 weeks post op my cardiologist enrolled me into 6-9 month rehab program depending on how often ones attends the clinic.  That program propelled me into incredible shape after 6 months as I felt secure in pushing measured limits in a safe environment.  Wish you continued progress in your post op recovery....



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    Kat Edwards
    CA
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  • 7.  RE: Recovery After CABG3

    Posted 07-03-2024 16:27

    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, put it between you and the seat belt so it can distribute the pressure of the seatbelt on your sternum in the event of a collision.  Also, if your car has passenger side seat belts, sit in the back seat while your bones knit.  You've gone through enough already and you don't need an airbag cracking your chest again.

    The nurses told me horror stories about people who didn't use their heart (splint) pillow and continued to smoke after OHS.  (Can you imagine?)  The constant coughing prevented their sternum from healing, which caused infection and additional surgeries.  Clearly, the pillow is important, and it alleviates some pain when you cough, too.  So, keep it handy.

    I had everyone at the hospital (docs, nurses, visitors, custodians) sign my splint pillow as a keepsake. 

    Bed was challenging for me, too.  Getting into bed and trying to position myself without using my arms or twisting my torso was as frustrating as it was comical.  Sit, wiggle, twist, lie down, wiggle some more -- it's a process.  My whole life, I could never sleep on my back, and now that was the only option.  12 days flat on my back in the hospital was a good training ground, I guess, and I adapted, though I never got really good sleep for both physical and psychological reasons (the constant monitoring by nurses and security of already being in the hospital being suddenly absent was disconcerting for me).  Getting out of bed was a bizarre, slow-motion combination of physics and yoga as I used my legs as counterweights to pivot myself off the mattress while clutching my splint pillow.  When I could finally lie on my stomach, I flanked myself with pillows so as I slept facing right, I supported my right shoulder & chest on the pillow, which took the pressure off my sternum, and vice-versa for facing left.

    The Cardiac Rehab was terrific.  My insurance paid for all 36 sessions, so I took advantage of them.  I wish I had the discipline to keep doing all of the exercises I learned at rehab, but I do try to walk often.  I ride my bicycle almost daily at a brisk 10-15mph for 30-35 minutes, which is good cardio, but my weights are feeling a little neglected.

    I'm 15 months out from my OHS and finally feeling basically back to pre-op normal.  I had a 2nd MI 6 weeks after surgery and got a stent, and that made me gunshy about all the twinges of pain I felt in my chest during the healing process.  Now, when we travel out of town, I don't think about where the nearest ER is or fixate on what my body is telling me -- it's not too talkative anymore anyway.  I'm mostly just enjoy my family, my work, and life in general.  I take my meds, see my doctors, carry my nitro, exercise, and eat better, but I'm no longer daunted by long walks, stairs, lifting objects, etc.  I have awesome support from my family, my faith, my friends, and my employer, and with 2 daughters that still need their daddy, I have I strong will to live.

    You'll get there, too.  It's a long journey, and there will be successes and setbacks.  My first walks at home were maybe 100yds.  I slowly worked up to 1/4 mile, then 1/2, then 3/4, a mile, then 2 miles, then cycling.  On the other hand, I made a half a dozen runs to the ER thinking I was having another MI, only to find out everything was normal.  Maybe panic attacks, maybe internal spasms as my heart tissue healed, but no heart attacks.

    So, cut yourself some slack and do the best you can with what you've got right now.  It gets better and easier.  LOTS better and LOTS easier.  You just have to be patient during this sucky time.



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    Russell Richter
    CABG5 Apr23
    Houston TX
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  • 8.  RE: Recovery After CABG3

    Posted 07-03-2024 06:37

    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 progressive improvements in my ability to move normally, throughout the course of my daily and nightly routine with small measures of discomfort subsiding as the weeks and months passed.  In my case, I seemed to hit milestones every few months and by the one year mark I was 99% back to normal.  Little things I took for granted were hard at first, then got easier.  And I used the heart pillow as far out as 10 months after my CABG3 since the coughs and sneezes were a challenge to accomplish without sternum pain or, eventually, discomfort.  But, given the time your body needs, it will heal and return to normal. 



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    Michael Brown
    Retired
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  • 9.  RE: Recovery After CABG3

    Posted 07-04-2024 15:43

    Kevin,


    You have gotten and/or will receive much more information than you need.

    Everyone is different, thus your situation is unique.

    Simple advice: listen to your cardiologist and medical staff and do what makes you comfortable.

    I had CABGx4 with zero complications. Recovery was fast and painless (I took 1 of the 100 pain pills they sent home with me; what a waste). I never heard of being advised to ride in the "uncomfortable" back seat and drove my own car prior to the suggested timeline. I attended graduation parties 3 weeks after surgery, had a beer and ate well. I was in pretty good shape before surgery (heart disease runs in the family) and resumed normal activities quickly. I did sign up for cardiac rehab and "graduated" early (I did push myself and was mystified by others that seemed to exert minimal effort, thus very slow progress).

    Regarding the pillow, mine was so soft that I used it a lot early on. It was "my friend" and just felt so good holding it against my chest for getting in/out of bed, sitting up, riding in car, using the bathroom, etc.  

    Good luck with everything!



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    Donald Striegel
    Indianapolis IN
    (317) 786-8066
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  • 10.  RE: Recovery After CABG3

    Posted 07-05-2024 08:28
    Kevin,

    I have read all the replies you have received and they all have been good but you need to do as your doctor says and you will do well and be back to normal sometime soon. I had CABG x5 18years ago and a stent into one of my bypasses 12 years ago. I am 81 years old and live a very active life doing most anything I want. Following cardiac rehab I joined the “Y” and still go 5 days a week. The reason for the back seat ride for the first few weeks is “IF” you are in an accident they don’t want the air bags to go off into your chest. Just listen to the doctor and you should be back to the good life soon.

    Best of luck,
    Tommy Broughton
    MH chapter 28
    Richmond Va.

    Sent from my iPad




  • 11.  RE: Recovery After CABG3

    Posted 07-08-2024 10:37

    I'm also cabg recovering now into ninth week and without complications and have finished 5 weeks of rehab.  Rehab was frustratingly too easy the first four weeks but this past week the addition of time on an elyptical and weight machines are given honest workouts.

    Two weeks before rehab started, 2 mi walks daily were enjoyed in the neighborhood and continue on off rehab days. 

    The pillow was hugged when coughing or sneezing and sometimes with hiccups, which plagued for a few weeks.

    A runner as a youth and most years of mid life with recent years including both walking and cycling regularly, heart disease wasn't expected, but all the men in family have suffered it.  It was only held at bay 10-20 years. 

    Yesterday to celebrate July 4th, while exiting the garage to start an early morning walk, my bike caught my eye and feeling so good, it couldn't be helped, the result was a four mile ride, the first in months.  It was fantastic.  I got scolded by wife for doing so and risking a fall, but it felt so good. This morning it was back to a 2 mi walk.

    Wishing all the best with your heart recoveries and health.



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    Arlyn Stewart
    White Oak TX
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  • 12.  RE: Recovery After CABG3

    Posted 07-08-2024 12:44
    Arlyn,
    Congrats on returning to your activities. Cycling was also my enjoyment but since my second OHS I've changed my daily routine to a 4.6 mile walk at 17:15 to 17:30 pace.  Summer activities include swimming laps and in the winter I spend an hour on the YMCA treadmill, and about 20 minutes on Life Fitness.

    Best Regards,
    Vic Fabry
    Victor Fabry, Founder
    Greylock Advisors, LLC
    Healed Hearts of New Jersey