The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsI'm BACK! With a new aortic valve!
The TAVR went great. I checked into the hospital at 5:30 AM Tuesday, taken into surgery about 7:30, into Post-Op about 9:45, and into my hospital room by 11 AM.
The anesthesia was the conscious awareness type - while I did doze off for part of the procedure, while they were placing all the lines going into me, I woke up while the surgeon was explaining to the team what they were going to do. There were five things in my blood vessels - an IV in each arm, a port for a blood pressure monitor in the right wrist (that directly measures the blood pressure in the artery), the port for the TAVR in the right femoral artery, and another one in a vein on the other side of my abdomen that I never got the purpose of.
When the surgical team (there were five of them) briefed my husband they said everything went smoothly, no complications. For me the worst part of the entire thing was at the end when I was coming out of sedation and they were using pressure to make sure there would be no bleeding - on each side of my very full bladder! They don't like to use catheters because of the chance of infection, so I just had to suffer.
The next most painful part was the next four hours - to prevent bleeding I had to keep my legs and hips straight. My lower back didn't like that and after the first two hours started spasming. Meanwhile I got my first experience using a bed pan.
As soon as I was permitted to move, I had the nurse help me to the bathroom. This turned out to be a mistake. I took care of my business and started to feel woozy. The nurse had stepped out so I called my husband in. He came in, reached for my hands, asked why I was so pale. The next thing I knew, there were five people in the bathroom, none of them my husband, and a whole crowd more in the entrance and in the hallway.
I had had a "vagal" or vasovagal syncope and the heart monitor had sent out the panic signal to the entire hospital! Most likely there was an electrical disruption so my heart momentarily stopped. Fortunately I was seated and my husband was right there so I didn't fall and get other problems. Until yesterday morning, I used the porta potty chair that we put next to the bed so I didn't have to move very far.
Yesterday my goal for the day was to go to the bathroom without fainting and to get a shower. I managed the first goal very early. Then I sat up as much as possible, walked up and down the hall, and tried to do as much as I could to get back to normal. I did so good they checked me out mid afternoon. I was tired when I go home and have been mostly sleeping. I took a nap, had a shower (our shower is much larger and better for when help is needed than the one in the hospital), and had dinner, all in between more naps.
I am not running out of breath like I had been. I am tending to list to the left when I walk but I am getting steadier. Before they approved my release they did the basic tests for stroke and I was cleared on that score. The sleeping is my normal reaction to injury and surgery, the way my body heals.
The week after Thanksgiving I should have the next two procedures - taking out the kidney and repairing the hernia. After that my husband an I have a goal - New Year's Day we want to go to St. Marks Wildlife Refuge and go birdwatchin!
LuckyCharms
(17,463 posts)I'm glad everything is moving in the right direction. Day at a time...
Shrike47
(6,913 posts)Rest when you need to.
mahina
(17,715 posts)Thank you for your good news. Birdwatching, what a lovely thing to look forward to!
Here are some native birds for you. I dont have an image account anymore so here"s a link. Your courage and positivity is awesome
csziggy
(34,139 posts)Kolesar
(31,182 posts)A friend of mine had a valve replaced and he was up and skiing eventually, which was his favorite thing to do. I hope you keep making good progress!
Docreed2003
(16,883 posts)Lochloosa
(16,073 posts)Used to cane pole fish in the refuge. It's beautiful this time of year.
elleng
(131,196 posts)Sounds like things progressing well.
My daughter used to get vasovagal syncopes 'regularly,' and scared the heck out of us the first time, when she was maybe 3. Doc did research, concluded they resolve 'on their own,' and she's OK now, with her own 2 and 4 year old little ones.
csziggy
(34,139 posts)My husband had a vagal a few weeks ago - scared the heck out of us and I took him to the emergency room. I had to make up for NOT taking him last Thanksgiving when his appendix burst and he ended up with an infected abdomen.
They think my vagal was caused by a slight inflammation at the valve site and that it should not reoccur as I heal. That it only happened once is a good sign.
Squinch
(51,034 posts)fierywoman
(7,697 posts)TheCowsCameHome
(40,169 posts)is if you said the valve was taken from Dick Cheney.
Congrats on the success!!!
Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)It would be too small, not to mention corrosive.
csziggy
(34,139 posts)I'm pretty sure it is a Medtronic one. I kept forgetting to ask.
skylucy
(3,743 posts)What a positive, beautiful spirit and attitude you have!
hlthe2b
(102,419 posts)Welcome to our latest "bionic" Duer!
I was already bionic with my two artificial knees. Now I want one of those bionic eyes so I can zoom in on my needlework and don't need magnifying glasses!
The Blue Flower
(5,447 posts)Get in touch when you're ready to go out for coffee!
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)sarge43
(28,946 posts)So good to hear from you and all is going so well.
Take lots of naps - sleep is the best medicine.
Stonepounder
(4,033 posts)Messing around with your heart does tend to take a lot out of you. Yes, you sleep way more than you are used to. But when you recover you feel a whole lot better than you did before the surgery.
As for the bladder issue, when I had my gall bladder out I had a general anesthetic the day before the surgery to verify I was good for a 'minimally invasive' procedure and then when the took the gall bladder out. The problem was that it took way longer for the anesthesia to wear off of my bladder muscles and I was physically incapable of peeing. I finally had to ask a nurse to catheterize me before my bladder literally burst. She told be that a catheter needed to be approved by a doctor but that she would check. She came back just a few minutes later and told me the doctor had said: "When a guy asks to be catheterized they really need it" and had authorized it over the phone. LOL!
csziggy
(34,139 posts)I'm already more stable walking than I was this morning. No way am I going to push things - I do not need another vagal episode or a fall with an injury!
I will bet for the next surgery I will get a catheter - I'll talk it over with those surgeons ahead of time to make sure!
Maynar
(769 posts)Wishing you the best!
sl8
(13,949 posts)Pictures or it didn't happen!
LeftInTX
(25,607 posts)Didn't know they did this with sedation type anesthesia......
Glad everything went well.
csziggy
(34,139 posts)I guess since I had done well with it for the cardio catheterization when they measured the blood flow in different parts of the heart and arteries I could handle it for this.
It was kind of fun - they put sort of a tent over my head and every so often the anesthesiologist would stick his head under to check on me and reassure me everything was OK. I just sort of floated through the whole procedure.
procon
(15,805 posts)I'm glad things seem to be going better now, and I just wanted to say that you have a terrific attitude. Take good care of you.
irisblue
(33,036 posts)is
Naps, naps and more naps post op are good things. Glad you're home.
csziggy
(34,139 posts)And when the shift changed, the new staff was going - Oh we heard about you and your code!
This makes my eleventh major operation so I am familiar with sleeping to heal. The good thing is I already feel good enough that I am frustrated with sleeping so much!
mnhtnbb
(31,408 posts)Sleep as much as you need. Hope you will be feeling better every day and ready for your New Year's Day birdwatching!
Loryn
(945 posts)What kind of valve do you have? Wishing you a speedy recovery, with lots of naps.
csziggy
(34,139 posts)Not sure which model. I'll find out at my recheck next week.
Solly Mack
(90,792 posts)sabbat hunter
(6,838 posts)a TAVAR aortic valve replacement done last fall. He was 90 going on 91 at the time. Made a full recovery. I am going down to see him and my mom for his 92nd in November.
csziggy
(34,139 posts)A friend's Dad was in the original high risk, non-operative TAVR trial. He was comatose but too sick to get open heart surgery. They flew him to Emory University, did the TAVR, and the next morning he was awake and reading the newspaper. He was completely confused about why he was in Georgia since the last thing he remembered was being in the hospital in Tallahassee!
The most amazing part for me is that I got a TAVR. I was low risk which is not yet approved for TAVR. I was trying to get into the clinical trial to get low risk patients approved when they found the mass on my kidney. The surgeon I was referred to for that insisted I get TAVR so the stress and the recovery time were less before I go to get the kidney taken out.
My husband's comment was that the bad news was good news!
CousinIT
(9,264 posts)I hope you have good luck with the other two as well. Should we be looking for birdie pictures after the New Year?
csziggy
(34,139 posts)We've gotten some good ones at St. Marks in the past - rufous sided towees, ospreys, ducks and tons of other water birds.
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)CaliforniaPeggy
(149,737 posts)Take care and carry on!
Rhiannon12866
(206,268 posts)Just take things slowly and don't overdo it, but it really sounds like you're already better! And your husband sounds like a peach! Thanks so much for checking in and I have no doubt you'll make it to your awesome birdwatching refuge on New Year's! We're all behind you...
Phentex
(16,334 posts)Happy to hear things went well. Here's to bird watching!
hermetic
(8,329 posts)Welcome back and hope you feel better every day.
Fla Dem
(23,785 posts)you're approaching it head on with determination to get it all behind you. Cheers to your husband who's been by your side throughout!
Lifelong Protester
(8,421 posts)Now get some rest!!!!
csziggy
(34,139 posts)Just got the schedule for my next surgery - November 28. At least I will get to enjoy Thanksgiving.
Lifelong Protester
(8,421 posts)I'd get a 'book report' every night when I'd come home. Enjoy Thanksgiving!!
csziggy
(34,139 posts)I took a Madeleine L'Engle book to read in the hospital but never even opened it. It's a young adult, fourth in the Wrinkle in Time series, so I thought I'd be up for reading it. Frankly I am having a little trouble with focusing my eyes as well as staying awake.
We missed Turkey Day last year - my hubby burst appendix and didn't feel good. He refused to go to the ER and didn't get dragged to the doctor for five days. No fun at all - three days in the hospital with infections and didn't get the appendix remains removed until March.
We've sent a lot of money to doctors and hospitals in the last year.
Lifelong Protester
(8,421 posts)Hope you got the book read, eventually. Yep, the comfy chair (or in our case, couch) effect!!
niyad
(113,612 posts)Iggo
(47,577 posts)Welcome back!
jrthin
(4,839 posts)Wwcd
(6,288 posts)Just in time for the Trump indictment party!!
Woohoo..rest up 👍🍃