Triple by passs and heart valve replacement on the radar. Any advice?

   / Triple by passs and heart valve replacement on the radar. Any advice? #23  
I had 5 way bypass 12years ago..It hurts no doubt. I started walking the day after even though it hurt like ****. It heals you and soon you will love walking. Just get it done it's better than the alternative, 8 weeks later the pain will start going away.. If you never had chest pain before,I would get another opinion from a good heart surgeon ..I had pain whenever I walked up a steep hill..The Doc gave me a stress test and said I was fine..I went to another Doc told him I was having pain when walking up hill and I wanted an Angiogram he found 5 stuffed arteries. Just like every job you have ever been on there are good workers and bad ones, same with Docs. I'm 71 now and walk 3 miles 5 days a week and look forward to it...

My family member has had chest pain off and on for years. :rolleyes: Multiple stress tests said everything was ok, heart like a young man, etc. The pain was getting more and more frequent leading up to yet another ER visit at which point the blockages where finally discovered and the bypass done.

I am sold on walking. I never really liked jogging, and jogging, like working out in a gym, is so dull and boring. Walking allows me to think and get into a zone which I could never do with jogging.

A few years ago work paid us to get a Fitbit, which is nothing more than a fancy pedometer, but it really helps keep me walking. With very few exceptions I walk at least 10,000 steps a day which is about 5 miles. At least once a week, I walk 20,000ish steps for about 10 miles. I have been trying to walk a couple 15,000ish steps a week but it is hard to find the time when working. At work it is kinda easy to get the steps since I work in a large building complex and I can get up and go walk a couple of times a day at lunch and to take a break. At home, I pace the porch or walk inside the house including just stepping in place in front of the TV.

My wife and kids also have Fitbits and use them though not near as much as they should. The wife does ok but should do better. Even the amount of walking they do helped them during our Disney trip this year. They don't walk as much as I do at home or at Disney but this trip they were not as tired or as worn out as in the past. Most of my days on the vacation where 15-20,000 steps/7-10 miles though I had a few days of 20-25,000 steps/10-15 miles.

A family member who lived many years after heart surgey used to go to the local mall to walk every morning. He live 10-15 years after the surgery and I think the average life expectancy was five years. We really think the walking he did kept him alive all of those years.

Later,
Dan
 
   / Triple by passs and heart valve replacement on the radar. Any advice? #24  
Best wishes on surgery, it has come a long ways in the past 30+ years.

Pa was strong and in great shape (farmer, worked hard), but was a few lbs overweight and had a heart attack that landed him in hospital in 1981. The tests showed he needed a triple bypass and the docs gave him 50/50 chance of surviving operation. He did some research (this was before internet, back in 1981 remember) and decided to walk instead of surgery. He walked about 5 miles per day (took a month or so to work up to that).. after 6 months, he had lost weight and was walking daily. They ran tests again his heart had repaired itself and had plenty of new paths for blood, they were shocked at how well he had done. He lasted about 2 years and died peacefully in his sleep.

Have the surgery and take care to walk and exercise and eat healthy.
 
   / Triple by passs and heart valve replacement on the radar. Any advice? #25  
SOME people can tolerate them (the Statins) and some can not - If it was on the list of side effects, that is what was happening to me. I had Muscle fatigue, muscle weakness, general fatigue, no stamina -- refused to keep taking them and things got better. I look back and see that Dad had the same symptoms and he ended up not able to do much of anything. I did not know the connection then - he might still be here without them.
 
   / Triple by passs and heart valve replacement on the radar. Any advice? #26  
I know exactly what you went through BKBrown,

I had the same exact symptoms with the Atorvastatin horse pill and it took a complete New York Times Health Ssection article from the science section on Tuesdays to get them to change my statin drug as I could barely get out of bed the pain was so bad. I am using Rosuvastatin in a 10 mg dose now and finally I have no issues with pain from this specific statin drug.
 
   / Triple by passs and heart valve replacement on the radar. Any advice? #27  
I had no pain or outward symptoms before my quad bypass when I was 55 . I'm now 69 . During the passed 14 years I 've only had to have a stent put in one of the bypasses . Best advice my doctor gave me to get out of the hospital quickly was to make an effort to get out of the bed as soon as possible ( with assistance ) . Even if it is just to sit in the room chair . A physical therapist came to help me walk the corridor . Make an effort to go a little further than he wants if he will let you . I was out of the hospital in 4 days .

On the pain issue . The intensity of pain will vary by person . I was one of the lucky ones . There will probably be a longer recovery time than you would wish, but there are things that can shorten the time . Do what the doc says . Have your house ready for your return home. Plan ways to occupy your mind while recovering . Plan short trips with someone who can take you places when you can ride in an vehicle . Does wonders for the mind just to get out and about . If you have pets they can do wonders for the boredom . I had a great main coon cat that kept me company . Remember each day you will feel better than the day before .
 
   / Triple by passs and heart valve replacement on the radar. Any advice? #28  
.... but it's the forced inactivity afterwards that will drive me crazy. I don't do daytime TV.

B John

I am very unimpressed with myself and the other TBNers who are participating in this thread! :shocked::shocked::shocked:

Sad, Sad, Sad we are. :eek::eek::eek:

.
.
.

How can you be bored when you have TBN! :D:D:D

When TBN was starting out, I managed to read EVERY POST! :shocked::shocked::shocked: I don't think that is possible anymore but you can try to read all of the posts in the discussion areas about your favorite tractor brand! That should keep you busy for the rest of the year! :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Or better yet, restart the old "discussion" about which is better, an HST or manual transmission! :D:D:D

TBN can you provide virtual support, entertainment, information of interest, and dare I say it, FELLOWSHIP! :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

Dang, I sound like an infomercial!:D
 
   / Triple by passs and heart valve replacement on the radar. Any advice? #29  
I know exactly what you went through BKBrown,

I had the same exact symptoms with the Atorvastatin horse pill and it took a complete New York Times Health Ssection article from the science section on Tuesdays to get them to change my statin drug as I could barely get out of bed the pain was so bad. I am using Rosuvastatin in a 10 mg dose now and finally I have no issues with pain from this specific statin drug.

Good to hear that your symptoms improved when you changed statins. Also, statins can lower CoQ10 levels so it's a good idea to take a supplement. CoQ10 is really important to our heart health so it's better to be safe. I'm not on a statin at this time, but I still supplement with CoQ10 for the benefits.
 
   / Triple by passs and heart valve replacement on the radar. Any advice?
  • Thread Starter
#30  
Thanking you all for the comments, personal experiences, and observations.
Psychology, I'm pretty much adjusted as to what to expect and how best to deal with the ebb and flow of the recovery. Still have an eight week lead time until the big event but have planned several low stress RV trips with family and friends to occupy the time (and mind).
A common take away from this thread is walking post surgery and that shall be job one. My walking buddy Mr Bailey, My Dalmatian loves to go for a walk and we've already started evening walks getting us both limbered up for things to come. A loop around the farm is about a mile with out having to walk in the road way, more if we include the neighboring property.
And....yes, I expect to have a whole lot more time to chime in on current events on TBN.
God Bless
B. John
 

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