Pre operation

Post op

by zawodniak2 - 2018-04-07 22:14:19

Just relax and minimize arm movement for a week or two. Try to avoid getting the incesion area wet until it heals, however, try to keep area clean to avoid infection.

Rodger

post op

by warp - 2018-04-08 01:00:35

a few freezer meals are good to prepare before hand.. wash hair the night before as it is difficult to only wash it one handed, and keep operation site dry.  

I don't know about anyone else...

by donr - 2018-04-08 01:12:09

...but I can reach the front, top, back & sides of my head w/ my elbow locked to my beltline.  Of course, that's only on one side - but I have a second arm to do the other side.  All I do is bend my head fwd at the neck to the max.  The rules of the game say "Keep the elbow BELOW the shoulder."  If I raise an arm so the elbow is at about a 45 degree angle, I can reach all the way across the top of my head.

Donr

shirts

by Sabrina - 2018-04-08 04:36:03

Have a few button up shirts ready to wear.  They made it so much easier to get dressed the first few days because there were no awkward movements like when you put a t shirt on.

shirts

by Sabrina - 2018-04-08 04:36:04

Have a few button up shirts ready to wear.  They made it so much easier to get dressed the first few days because there were no awkward movements like when you put a t shirt on.

Preparing for surgery

by LondonAndy - 2018-04-08 04:48:02

The body generally takes about 6 weeks to heal from surgery, and you will most likely be told not to lift your arm above your shoulder for 6 weeks, as Donr says.  This is to reduce the risk of pulling out the leads from the heart wall until they have fully embedded, though I have seen many posts that this risk is actually pretty low, and that there is plenty of slack in the leads to avoid that.

But nevertheless it is sensible to be cautious, so you might want to get some things you regularly use in the kitchen down from higher cupboards, or high shelves in the bathroom.  Vacuum cleaners and lifting heavy (over 10 pounds I think, maybe less) objects can also pose risks.  Any vigorous arm movements - though I had open heart surgery at the same time so perhaps I am remembering the vacuum cleaning and heavy weights point for other reasons!

You can also use the 6 week argument to help encourage hubby to do the cooking and vacuum cleaning for a while ;)

Pre surgery

by TaushaWand - 2018-04-08 10:00:09

I have looked for button up shirts, as there have been a lot of people to suggest that to me.

My hair is long and I have debated on cutting it to make it a little shorter and easier to manage. However, I can't go short because I have a long neck and I look funny. I have had other people suggest getting it washed at a salon which would be fine with me, price permitting. I usually only wash my hair maybe twice a week, but usually once.  Its really dry so I can't wash it too much because it needs the natural oils

I was told that I would be on a 10lbs weight limit for at least a month. The doctor said that after that month is up, as long as I'm feeling well enough, I should be able to go back to normal daily things. I have read some thing on another page that said you won' be able to sweep or use the vacuum. I wasn' sure how accurate it was but I guess I can see how that might cause issues.

I also asked about going back to exercise because I haven't been able to since my daughter was born 2 years ago and he said as long as I start slow, then I can after the month is up. 

As for the freezer meals, I know it's cheaper to make them but I don't know any good recipes that would make it easier for my hubs to reheat. We will have stuff like pizza rolls and easy meals. Any suggestions on some good recipes would be great. I figure we will end up eating out a few times as well. 

Thank you everyone for the advice.

Pre-Op jitters

by Dexter - 2018-04-08 14:01:34

Relax. Be thankful it's not a quadruple bypass. Having a PM put in is a fairly easy surgery with a relatively simple recovery. It'll feel funny at first, but that goes away as it heals. The wound will also fade away and be hardly noticeable, but you'll always have the PM 'bump' to remind you where it is. I was pretty functional after my surgery. You just have to use common sense about movements until it heals.

your body will tell you

by dwelch - 2018-04-09 00:56:20

Let your body tell you what it can do.  There is debate on the raise the arm or not.  Some docs say weeks some say months.  I am on pacer number 5 and was ready to drive a couple days later, sleeping on both sides took a while longer.  Brushing my long hair, just used the other arm and dont remember if I was able to put it in a pony tail right away, probably not the first couple/few days, but got there shortly.  

You dont want to keep your sholder stiff, you will feel you want to do this as relaxing the shoulder pulls on the area and you feel a little pain.  A locked shoulder like this takes weeks just for those muscles to recover, try to avoid this.  At the same time dont just go swinging your arm around, like you are doing a softball pitch.  Test your limits, let the pain guide you, make small improvements every day.

I think my daughter was 2 for one of them, nana came in and helped.  Was more concerned about her hitting my shoulder than anything else, more for the pain than it doing it any damage.  Youll sort it out, lots of parents in the world without an arm and they manage, we just have a bum one for a few weeks, then mostly back to normal after that few weeks, and then not long after that you dont even know it is there (till you bump it or have an appointment).

You and family are going to be just fine...no worries.  Not getting the thing is something to worry about, getting the thing isnt.