Day 12

I am feeling more energy but my chest muscles are hurting more. Maybe I’m using arms too much? 

I still have lots of bruising and it still hurts when I cough. I took shower this morning and I am not sure if my incision looks better or not. How can you tell? 

I lost a couple more pounds of water. Took a two-hour nap in basement, it’s hard to get comfortable. Took two five minute walks in the house. 

The physical therapist called and said they will be here next week on January 2 at 10:00 a.m. They are trying to get the insurance approvals and all of that which is hard over the holidays. 

January 2 is also going to be the day I start back to work. I am hoping I have more energy by then. 

I still do not go anywhere without my hugging bear. I am still coughing at times, especially after using the incentive spirometer. Which I moved the target up a bit on today because I am getting better at it.

I weigh 13 pounds less than when I got home, so that is good news. Basically two pounds less than yesterday. It is pretty much the water weight coming off. My legs still look swollen and puffy.

Day 11 - Kinda tired

Today is Day 11 post surgery and I felt more tired today than yesterday. I woke up, got ready for the day, made breakfast, and then had a two hour nap. I was getting excited that every day would be a little better. But today I was just tired and meh.

I headed over to the AHA support group for some advice from my new friends there. They assure me it's normal and that some days will be good ones, and others will be meh ones. 

So I soldier on. 

Useful Guidance Post Surgery

When researching CABG I saw a lot of useful into on the Cleveland Clinic site, as well as in from the NHS in the UK. My hospital did not give me as robust of a binder or packet of information, and I found myself Googling things daily.

Then I found this from the The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. It was quite helpful, so I wanted to share it here! S.O many things were made clear in this handy little book. I am going to tell my surgeon and his NP they need to hand out the link to this instead of the pages the printed off from the MyEpic MyChart and gave to me. This is way more comprehensive and patient-friendly.

AHS Patient Brochure

Day 10 - To Sleep, Perchance to (NOT) Dream

The nightmares are really a nuisance. My husband said I cry out when I am sleeping. It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where the woman tells Kramer "you scream in your sleep." LOL!

I do not at all want to take the oxycodone but Jim wants me to take them to help me sleep and help prevent any pain.  

I seem to wake up between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. and then my husband wakes up and we watch TV a little bit, take the oxycodone pill, wait for it to kick in and then try to go back to sleep. 

Sleeping flat also makes me mouth breathe so my throat is always dry. So I keep water next to the bed and sip on it all night. So between that and the diuratic pill - I am going to the bathroom more than I want to.

Every time I get out of bed I am worried that I am doing it wrong. Did I use my arm too much that time? Wait - did I just feel something? Is my sternum moving? 

I lie flat like a vampire with my arms at my sides when I sleep, and I am trying to remember not to lift my arms over my head.  And I am wearing the bra 24/7 which is actually not that bad, as long as I cover the drain wounds with some gauze.  That helps. But I still have adhesive glue all over me that won't come off, and the tape they gave me at the hospital to use at home is just as sticky. 

All small things. But irritating.  Thank God for my husband, Jim. He has been a saint. He really is doting on my and I know he is still worried about me. But I do think I'm feeling stronger today. 

We spent most of our day downstairs in the family room watching tv - and sleeping through the show! LOL! So I basically did 32 stairs up and down today. I take them one at a time - but my right quad is really weak which makes it harder.  That's been an ongoing issue, but it is weaker than it was for sure. That's all related to my previous knee issues, and I can't wait to get stronger to take care of that problem too. 

Day 9 - Home Nurse Visit

When I left the hospital, they set up an order for "home visits" from a nurse and a physical therapist, but they warned me it might be delayed because of the Christmas holiday.

Today the home nurse called me in the morning and scheduled a time to come by in the early afternoon.

She came in with a big bag or two, and gave me a folder with information from the home health care company - basic info. She looked at my incisions, asked me a few questions and took my pulse, temperature and blood pressure. Everyone seems to be using those roller thermometers now that they roll or swipe across your forehead and sometimes down to your chin.

She was very nice, wrote a lot of notes and - honestly - spent more time writing notes than actually examining me or talking to me. But nurses have a hard job and I am sure the paperwork is ridiculous.

She said everything looked ok and that I would get a call for follow up visits, as well as a call from the physical therapist. 

That was it. 

I was glad to have a nurse look at the incision. I have no idea if it is ok. The paperwork says to let them know if it 'looks red' etc. but -- it has always looked red. She said it's fine. 

One of the reasons I am going to take so many photos of my incision is to help other people know what to expect. There really is no good visual guide out there. I'm thinking I can take photo every week or two and make a timeline. Sounds like a good idea. 

I'm still tired today and I think I am using my arms too much when standing up from the recliner. When I got out bed this morning I felt something in my chest - not pain or anything - just like, 'movement.' And maybe I heard something more than felt it? I don't know. So I was worried my sternum was moving.  It actually felt kinda like how my knee does when I squat down to pick something up. That is knee arthritis. And it reminded me of that. 

Day 8

My leg hurts a bit today where the incision is, and it is still a bit swollen. I am 2.5 pounds lighter than yesterday, which is nice to see that coming down. I still have issues getting on and off the toilet but it is getting better and Jim put the new toilet riser on the toilet which helps.

I slept most of the day and had nightmares again last night. Sleeping is hard and my tracker tells me I got 5 hours last night. 

I took a photo of my incision/scar today. It isn't bad but it sure isn't beautiful. The drain scabs are also ugly.

I also have 'road rash' on my lower back where the big bandage was, and several other areas of my skin are irritated or scabby. 

My office is closed this week for the holiday, so technically I have only taken off 4 days of work from my new job, and those were last week for the surgery. My goal is to be back at work on January 2 - working from home on my computer, but still working.  I am so tired during the day that I hope I can make that happen. I have a week to heal up and get more strength. 

Day 7 - Merry Christmas!

One week ago today I went into the hospital and had open heart surgery.  It is so strange to think that it has only been a week. It feels like a month. It also feels like it never happened.

I keep my hugging bear with me all the time in case I need to cough. It does hurt when I cough. But it is not that bad. Probably a 3 on the scale of 1-10. 

We had some food my brother brought me today from the family party -- I love his holiday meatballs so I was so glad to have those today. I also slept a bunch today. 

Jim dotes on me which is nice, but it is still hard getting up from the toilet. I can't wait for the toilet riser to get here!

And today I weigh two pounds less than yesterday. 

Day 6 - Christmas Eve

I weighed myself this morning, and they told me to weigh myself daily.  If I gain more than 1-1/2 pounds in day, or 4 pounds in a week, I have to call them.

I weigh about 20 pounds more today than I did the day I went in for surgery. 

I know it is mostly water and fluid and that is why they have me on the diuretic. But it is still a LOT of weight to gain.

Jim and I mostly watched TV today and I talked on the phone with everyone. I told them we are not having any visitors for Christmas. I am sad I am not seeing my family or the kids for Christmas. But I want to get strong to be there for the next one, right?

I am staying positive -- but I am also very tired.  I sleep fitfully and the dreams are scary. I don't totally remember them but they were dark. Yuck.

Day Five. Saturday. Going home!

On Saturday, December 23, 2023 I was cleared to go home! Huzzah!

I had bad dreams and didn't sleep that great last night. My back and butt are also sore from just always being on them.  The giant bandage on my lower back is also bothering me and I want to take it off. 

I have not had a shower - just the weird wipe-downs - and cannot wait to go home and get in the shower. I am still tired and feeling a little weak but I feel better every day. 

I was given pages of instructions on what to do and not do -- and the incredible nursing staff told me to call if I have any issues and the NP from the ICU gave me the direct line to them to call if I needed anything. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve - so the holiday is here. Which means I do not see the surgeon for a follow up until 1/5. 

My husband brought up my "go home bag" and I was able to change back into regular clothes and out of the hospital gown - finally! (I made a post on what to bring to the hospital with you too - find it here!) 

Getting into the house was harder than expected.

My husband pulled into the garage and we walked in the backyard, and up the 7 steps to our back deck and then into the house. By the time I walked to the front of the house and sat in the recliner I was exhausted. 

I sat there for a couple or hours next to my Christmas tree, and was glad to be home.

I had a nice cup of tea and just relaxed.  I am so glad that I put my tree up ahead of time, too, because I enjoyed having it there for the holiday.  Christmas is my favorite time of year.  Honestly, when I put it up I was worried about making it home to see it again. Sitting next to it, I realized I had indeed made it home, and was doing way better than I had expected. It was not as 'hard' as I thought it would be. Again, this is probably also a result of my attitude. I tried to stay positive. 

I made the trek upstairs and it was a little hard, but I took one stair at a time and rested between steps. I was worried about getting into bed. Fortunately we have an adjustable bed -- so I was able to elevate my head or legs if I wanted once I got into bed.

I was always worried about making sure I didn't use my arms to push myself up -- especially from the recliner or out of bed.  I was always so focused on that worry.  One of the NPs at the hospital said "they are pretty sturdy wires holding it together, so you will be ok." But still, I worried. 

My legs were also quite puffy (see right hand photo above) and my feet were puffed up for a few days. they still had me on the diuretic to remove water from my body, so I was also going to the bathroom a lot.

My first shower.

My first shower was pretty good, but you cannot let the water spray from the showerhead hit your incision.  So I had my back to the showerhead and my husband helped me wash my back. The discharge nurse had told me not to lift my hands over my head, but the NP before surgery in the surgeon's office told me that I could lift my arms to wash my hair and even seemed to shrug it off. I got conflicting advice on stuff like that which was irritating.

I was able to remove the big adhesive bandage they had on my lower back all week, and it felt good to get that off, as well as a lot of other bandages and tapes that were still on me. 

I let my husband wash my hair and did the best I could to get the adhesive off my skin from all of the things that had been stuck to me.  If you can, ask for adhesive remover wipes before you leave the hospital. That stuff is incredibly hard to get off. 

I was exhausted by the time I finished my shower.  

Sleep was fitful.

I slept, but had bad dreams again, and my husband said that I shouted out in my sleep a few times. I was taking the oxycodone 5 pills every few hours and my husband gave me one before bed.  

I had to lie flat on my back to sleep, and they warn you not to roll onto your side. Fortunately we have the adjustable bed and with my head raised a bit it was ok.  I woke up around 3:30 in the morning and had to go to the bathroom, which was tiring, My husband had to help me on and off the toilet because it was so low and I just didn't have that much strength.  (See my comments on how to prepare for surgery here. It includes info on low toilets and getting toilet risers BEFORE surgery.)

Day Four. Friday.

The infiltration on my wrist is a big pain. I asked them to move the IV to my left wrist because even having an IV on my right hand makes it hard to use the bathroom (women will understand.) 

They moved it and my wrist felt better.

Today I also got to walk a lap or two around the floor, and physical therapy had me walk down to their special room and go up and down a couple of stairs. I passed with flying colors! 

I am still tired, and I still feel a little weak when standing up.  But I am definitely getting better at getting up and down. 

I got my daily wipe-down bath with the gross body wipes today and was once again glad I have my powder with me to make me feel less damp and more silky. Smells way better than the wipes too.

I think Friday was the day they removed my central line too. This was on the left side of my chest below my shoulder. This is a line that goes directly into my heart. Just like when they removed the drains, they had me hold my breath while they pulled it out.  It didn't hurt, but the length of the line was a lot longer than I expected it to be.  

Now the only things I was still hooked up to are the adhesive leads on my chest for the heart monitor and the IV.  But I have a lot of bandages where things used to be! 

I was still getting iron infusions to raise my hemoglobin, and they also had social services come by to make sure I had a good place to go for recovery. 

I had bad dreams again last night - really freaky weird ones. I blame the oxy but the nurse also told me I have been through a major surgery and sometimes that just happens.

I really am tired of being in the hospital, and cannot wait to go home.

Don't catch COVID or a cold.

One thing they have been clear on is that I have to avoid catching a cold or a cough. I need to keep using the bear - which I do anytime I need to move or have to cough, which is less today than yesterday.

The pressure from a cough is very hard on the sternum and they do not want me catching COVID or RSV or anything at all. I cannot risk breaking the sternum wires or opening the incision. It is 3 days until Christmas and my husband Jim and I are going to hunker down at home by ourselves to avoid catching anything.

I don't know what my sternal wires look like - I saw the Xray but couldn't really make it out. But here is a drawing I found online that shows you sternal wires. 

They took me down to a standing X-ray today instead of taking one in the bed, and it was nice to go traveling around the hospital a bit. 

Day Three. Thursday.

It's Thursday and I walked around the entire floor with the physical therapists, and also had my echocardiogram done.  My ejection fraction has improved to 55!  Woohoo!  That is the low end of the normal range - so this is a big success.

Two doctors came in to give me the news and they were giddy. My nurse was in the room at the time and told me that it was amazing to have such an improvement -- and that being proactive in having this surgery was likely why I was able to improve it so well. 

They were supposed to move me off of Cardiac ICU and into a regular room yesterday, but there were no rooms available, so I stayed in ICU longer. They told me I may go home as early as tomorrow, but physical therapy needs to have me come walk some stairs. 

When I told my surgeon I had 7 stairs to get into my house and 16 stairs to get up and down to my bedroom he said "Good! I want you up and walking and doing stairs!"

I am tired and sleeping a lot, but I do feel 'better' and stronger than I did yesterday. There is always activity going on. They come in daily to take a chest x-ray to look at the sternum and make sure it is still good and so far everything has been great. 

I still had mad nightmares last night, and they are giving me the oxycodone 5 every few hours. I am not a fan.

I get a lot of compliments on how well I am doing, and how great I am recovering.

If I can be honest -- I think it is just my attitude that they are responding to.  I am trying to be positive and focus on doing what I need to do to get stronger.  I thank God that I am under such good care, and that I am healing and doing well. 

A word about infiltration.

When an IV is in your arm, in this case giving me iron in the photo shown here, there are sometimes problems with something called infiltration. I had to get more iron because I have anemia, so this may not be an issue for others. But the nurses told me iron often causes infiltration because it is thicker or more viscous. At any rate, infiltration causes the liquid to infiltrate the tissue surrounding the IV site and make it swell up.  Which happened to me and it hurts.  When it happens you also cannot bend or use your wrist very well for about 4-5 days after this happens.

It wasn't the worst thing ever, but it was a pain in the butt.  Because of my anemia issues, and the doctor's desire to get my hemoglobin up higher, I was staying the hospital a day longer than I probably would have otherwise. 

They finally got a bed for me in the regular area and I left the ICU Thursday early evening to my new bed and room. 

Day Two. Wednesday.

Today I saw my incision scar.

They removed the incision bandage this morning and I got my first look at my scar. It actually wasn't that bad. I have photos elsewhere on the blog of the incision if you want to see it. But they use internal glue or something so the scar wasn't anywhere near as bad as what I was expecting.  

I had very little feeling in my chest, and across my chest. They told me it will take months to get some of the feeling back as nerves are cut when they open the chest for the sternotomy. It takes months for those nerves to grow back and some never will.  It was a strange sensation but not bad.

A word on pain killers.

They were giving me oxycodone 10 every few hours, along with Tylenol. I did not like how the drugs were making me feel and I asked them to stop giving them to me. I felt like I was in a woozy dream state, and I also had terrible dreams the night before.  I was taking the Tylenol and they gave me something else that was not an opiod.  But I was also not able to get comfortable, and the head NP on the floor came in to talk to me.

The NP explained that they felt it was necessary for me to be on them to ensure I was not in pain, and that without them I might feel pain that would hinder my recovery. They assured me that in-hospital use of opiods was safe and even necessary. We agreed I would go on the oxycodone 5 instead of the 10, and that I would let them know if I was feeling any breakthrough pain and needed more.

Shifting around in bed, or in the chair, was uncomfortable, and my back was sore from lying flat on it for so long.  (News flash: you will be sleeping flat on your back for a couple of months, so get used to it.) None of this was unbearable pain, but when the physical therapists came for me to take a walk, getting up out of bed and standing was uncomfortable - but I think it was mostly pain originating from the drains under the incision. 

Catheter out - able to go to the bathroom!

They took the catheter out today and I was able to go to the bathroom.  The physical therapy team came by and had me walk a little bit to show them I was able to do it. 

The nurses cleaned me off today with some wipes, but I felt damp and gross. Luckily I had brought my powder with me, so when I went to the bathroom I was able to powder up a bit and feel a little more dry and less gross. Hard to explain, but I wasn't able to shower yet.  And those wet wipes they use smell medicinal, and really leave you feeling wet and damp down in your nether area. (I say this as politely as I can.)

They took the saphenous vein from my left leg, and today I was able to really get a good look at my leg. Here are a few photos. My legs were both swollen, this one more so than the right leg because of the surgery they did to remove the vein.

So on the left is my inner thigh, and there are steri-strips covering the top incision. This was a small incision at the top of the saphenous vein. These have to stay on until they fall off. It took about 2 weeks for that to happen. 

The middle photo is the incision near the crease of my leg where they did the big incision. You can also kinda see a line that goes down my leg, following where the vein used to be that they used. 

The photo on the right shows the small incision at the bottom of the saphenous vein where they made a small incision there, also covered by a steri-strip. These didn't hurt, but I did not have a lot of feeling on my leg near the big incision. This is because some of the nerves were cut and I was told this would take time.

You will be getting up a lot to go to the bathroom.

They had me on a diuretic to remove the water from my system, and you can tell you are holding water by how swollen your legs are.  This means a lot of trips to the bathroom.  From the time I entered surgery to the time I was weighed the next day, I had gained 20 pounds. This is mostly fluid and it is from the blood and other "products" they give you in surgery. 

They also removed the drains today.

The drains from your chest are also removing fluids and blood and you see it in the bag next to your bed. I wish I had taken a photo of the drains, but I didn't. 

They have you hold your breath when they remove these, but it does not hurt. It feels a little strange, but there wasn't really any pain.  But I was very glad to have them removed and found that some of the discomfort I was feeling was gone when they were removed.