Lucky poos req I guess - Mrs F has open heart surgery tomorrow

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  • jonnyburgojonnyburgo Frets: 12257
    Best wishes to you both, try to keep yourself active/occupied or you’ll be ruminating like a bastard
    "OUR TOSSPOT"
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  • merlinmerlin Frets: 6595
    Sending best wishes to you and the Mrs. She's in the best hands and I'm sure they're top notch pros and used to doing this kind of procedure. 
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  • darthed1981darthed1981 Frets: 11670
    Very best wishes mate :)
    We have to be so very careful, what we believe in...
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  • scrumhalfscrumhalf Frets: 11262
    VimFuego said:
     One of my main concerns is that last time she had surgery she didn't react well to opiate pain killers, so endured a few days of pain. The idea of them cracking open her chest with no more than paracetamol to ease the pain is worrying. 
    I was amazed about how little pain I had compared to what I thought I would have. Yes, there was physical discomfort in the chest because they had to split the sternum to get at my arteries properly, but I was sitting upright in a chair the next day. I had the morphine clicker but I don't remember using it that much. I was off the pain killers far more quickly after discharge than I thought.

    But then again, I'm an accountant, we are nature's hard men.

    Your job starts in the recovery phase, and it may well be that the most important thing you can do is to say "do it yourself". I don't know how that applies to your wife's condition, it may well be that my comment applies only to bypass patients, but if it's similar to mine and the medics say that she can do stuff thenget her to do stuff.

    I was all ready to check in to a care/convalescent home for a week or two after my op as I live on my own but the surgeon's derisive snort put paid to that. "You will be able to do a lot more than you think."

    To be honest, the worst thing that happened was the battle over laxatives. All of the medication can bung you up and they were giving me laxatives which I refused, there was no way I was going to crap on a tin tray in my bed. Once I was able to move about I took one, and for a short period I was too scared to blink, it was that effective.
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  • VimFuegoVimFuego Frets: 15476
    yeah, I think that's what she said last time about the constipation being more painful than the wound (the incision last time was about a foot long). Good to hear that there wasn't much pain (though the idea of cracking open the sternum sounds horrendously painful) hopefully it can be dealt with using paracetamol.

    I'm not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me.

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  • gusman2xgusman2x Frets: 919
    Gonna go have one right now, dedicated to the cause. Best of luck!
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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12314
    Hope it all goes well for her, best wishes to you too Vim. 
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Wow, that must be so scary for both of you. I've known a fair few people who have had this sort of major Op and they all came out of it very well so fingers crossed for the very best result.
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  • CirrusCirrus Frets: 8481
    It's not a good feeling of helplessness when the wellbeing of someone you love is in the hands of others, but remember that they are medical professionals, and your wife's going to be in the best possible place to deal with the situation.

    I have a friend who had a valve replaced last year, it was scary for sure but they came through it fine and recovered much faster than they thought they would. Best of luck to you and your Mrs!
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14031
    tFB Trader
    Best wishes to you both - Stay big and strong for Mrs F and talk to each other and family/friends for support
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  • breakstuffbreakstuff Frets: 10229

    Best wishes to you both. 

    Laugh, love, live, learn. 
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  • RickydRickyd Frets: 149
    Scary stuff for you both. I had a quadruple bypass about 16 years ago and was amazed when they got me out of bed after 2 days to go for a little walk. You are able to do more than you think, albeit in short spurts. Good luck to you both , hope all goes smoothly.
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  • olafgartenolafgarten Frets: 1648
    It's pretty scary but doctors successfully complete far more risky procedures daily. Statistically it will go very well.

    Wrt recovery, I haven't gone through it myself but a friend of mine had spinal surgery and similarly he couldn't use opiate pain killers due to a past addiction. He described the pain as 'better than expected' and it significantly reduces within a few days. 
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  • camfcamf Frets: 1190
    Very best wishes to you both and wishing her a speed recovery.
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  • ESBlondeESBlonde Frets: 3576
    ESBlonde said:
    I was out at a curry house yesterday evening at a charity event. Strangely the usual 'effects' of the curry are yet to emerge in force! But seeing as it was for charridee, I shall continue in that vein and donate the forthcomming volcanic activity to your cause. You're welcome.
    Try and find a task to occupy your mind for a few hours, one that does not involve power tools or axes would be my suggestion while you are clearly tired and distracted.
    Take care of yourself, she will need you when she comes home to recoup. She's very lucky to have you.

    OK brace yersen, bomb doors open!
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  • Big stuff.

    Sending Big well wishes. 

    Love to you both. 


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  • Musicman20Musicman20 Frets: 2296
    VimFuego said:
    Wasn't gonna do this, but got so much pressure built up inside that I have to vent. About 6 weeks ago she noticed a lump on her liver, went to her GP and because of her medical history (she had ovarian cancer 12 years ago) they fast tracked her to see a consultant, who ordered a CT scan, which showed up another tumour in her heart. This has been diagnosed as an atrial myxoma. Even though she was pretty much asymptomatic of this, they decided to admit her to hospital as a precaution, as it can suddenly break away or parts of it can, and cause various unpleasant things, such as death. 
    The standard treatment is to remove surgically, so the plan is for this to happen tomorrow, though still a bit unclear as she's in Barnstaple Hos and the surgery will be carried out in Plymouth (they are in the process of moving her now, so I'm sat here twiddling my thumbs till I hear where she is. 
    I won't lie, I:m shitting myself, haven't slept well for 6 weeks now, and today I feel like I'm about to explode.  
    Best wishes to you both!!!
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  • steveledzepsteveledzep Frets: 1172
    All the best to you both.  Mrs LZ has had four heart ablations, whilst it's not open heart, it is invasive with associated risks.  Each procedure took five hours, it's lonely while you're waiting.  No mishaps here, sure it will be same for you, there are some very clever people about.
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  • BlueingreenBlueingreen Frets: 2582
    Best wishes to both of you.  For a lot of us the thought of our partners going through this kind of thing is even more terrifying than going through it ourselves.  As others have said, however scary it is for you and your wife, the doctors know what they are doing.
    “To a man with a hammer every problem looks like a nail.”
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  • NiteflyNitefly Frets: 4902
    All the best to Mrs F and yourself, she's in good hands.  Here's hoping for a speedy recovery.  :)

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